Trente Sei
Formulated by John Ciardi

Six, six line stanzas
In which each line of the first stanza
becomes in the turn the opening line of the following stanzas



Iambic pentameter 10 syllable lines
Rhyme pattern ( Heroic Sestet)
A
B
A
B
C
C.

Example.

Mourn not the passing of the years.
Rather remember whilst you can,
the loss of all your childhood fears.
as you grew up to be a man.
Forgive your own foolish mistakes,
the errors everybody makes.

Rather remember whilst you can.
The freedom of your childhood days,
when for the joy of it you ran.
The memories time can’t erase.
You can expunge the miseries
by editing your memories.

The loss of all your childhood fears
The gaining of self confidence,
no more frustrated angry tears.
As you increase in competence.
you learn the art of self control.
Become the captain of your soul.

Forgive your own foolish mistakes,
you cannot alter what is done.
Do not waste time on past heart aches
the fault was rarely yours alone.
Learn from the past try to prevent
the harm you caused by accident.



The errors everybody makes
are similar but not the same.
We have to learn from our mistakes,
they’re part and parcel of the game.
We start at birth with a clean sheet
it takes a lifetime to complete.

26-Apr-06

Hi Ivor.

Thanks for posting this form.

Have you received permission from the author to post this form on other sites on the web (we need to adhere to copyright rules)?

Is the example you have provided your own poem is someone else'? Please edit it please to include the author of the poem as well.

Do you have a link to his site or an email address?

Thanks in advance!
Lori

It seems to me that I've read of this form SOMEwhere, but I can't locate where that might have been... and I assume that the originator must be the late American poet John Anthony Ciardi ?

I also assume that the form's NAME must mean 'Thirty-six' from French (trente) and Italian (sei), referring to the number of LINES ? And may I assume that the lines are to be in iambic TETRameter ?

This form looks like a super challenge. I'm thinking that there must be a stanza missing [ beginning with "as you grew up to be a man" ] from your example, since there are only 5 stanzas?

I'm looking forward to learning more about this form.

awaiting more Light, Daniel

My first attempt:


My Six-by-Six

My writing cube is six-by-six
where foggy feelings turn to print.
Old clouded eyes attempt to fix
a skewered thought, a fleeting glint
of Light, to grasp eternal truth;
‘tis worth the reaching forth, forsooth.

Where foggy feelings turn to print,
their bleeding runes may wet the page,
or seek more sober, darker tint
to sober up—great thoughts assuage.
It's fascinating how they spread
out helter-skelter, run ahead.

Old, clouded eyes attempt to fix
on this or that, these letters speak…
but sometimes they’re too fast. My tics
will tend to lodge my tongue in cheek,
where eye teeth blindly bite and clench
on shallow veins that cannot quench.

Askew, red thought, a fleeting glint,
a spark, a flash of clarity—
some streaked delusion on a stint
of folly seeking parity
with wisdom—empty words in mask,
unable to complete a task.

A flight to grasp eternal truth
comes crashing to the ground, afire.
great swelling voice descends, uncouth
to wallow, hoarsely in the mire.
Proud, soaring eagle spreads its wings—
then twangs out tunes on rusted strings.

‘tis worth the reaching forth, forsooth,
to write with grace and eloquence
with pinky crooked, sipping vermouth...
but my bent quill's inked aberrance
and’s much more suited for a swill
o’ grog. Ah, such a bitter pill.

© MLee Dickens’son 26 April 2006