Created by Shelley Cephas, the Triquain is made up of lines starting with three syllable and increasing/decreasing so that each subsequent line has a multiple of three syllables. A common form is 7 lines with the pattern 3-6-9-12-9-6-3. This form is always centered and must have at least 7 lines. Other variations include the Triquain Chain, Swirl, and Crown (see Shadow Poetry for a detailed explanation). These variations comprise of multiple Triquains.
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Even though there is structure and a set length, variations such as the swirl, chain, and crown allow poets to continue thoughts that may be too lengthy for a single Triquain. Triquains do not have a rhyme scheme, but poets may choose to apply a rhyme scheme if they desire; this allows even more flexibility in the style. The amount of flexibility incorporated into this style enables poets to add their own touch of creativity--which is always a plus.The Tricky Part...
Most styles are pyramidal (like the Etheree) or constant (like the Octain) in number of syllables, this style however, varies by multiples of 3. While this produces a unique cadence, it is difficult to pen lines following this pattern. For me, the line with 12 syllables is particularly difficult--that's like a full, complex sentence from a research paper!July 23, 2014
Hold on now,
I'll be there in my own time
Slower than the rest, perhaps faster
I'll manage to make it where I'm supposed to be--
I have the vision and the power,
Don't rush my progress friend--
Just hold on.
