Tetractys, An interesting new form for us to try. Options

[Athena]

Here's another type of poem for us to attempt:             The Tetractys

A Tetractys is a 5 line poem with a syllable count of 1,2,3,4,10.  No rhyme scheme is required.  They can be written in humorous or serious modes. Here are some samples supplied by Daniel and me.  (Pssst ... Daniel has been called the Tzar of the Tetractys).  Thanks so much Daniel for your permission to reprint some of yours here as samples.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I went to sleep early one morning dreaming in Tetractys, I think.   Eileen, my wife, having prepared eggs and potatoes for us, kindly woke me to share them, and then escourt her van in for repairs before work. This was on the tips of my fingers.  I think I'll call this one "Morning"  I read it to her over breakfast.

Washed
Refreshed
Encouraged
Gently wakened
Knowing you're there brimming with love for me.

Dreamily,
© Daniel J Ricketts 

Capitals are not recommended except for proper nouns and the beginning of a sentence following a line that ended with a period.


salt
pepper
seasoning
tetractyses
adding to their interest and flavor

© Daniel J Ricketts

Now, a double.  Doubles are so well liked that once a poet begins writing them, it seems they ALL come out as doubles, or triples.  See what you prefer.

Hard's
not quite
adequate
to describe it.
A single Tetractys is troublesome.
By the way, what's the plur'l of Tetractys?
Couldn't find it.
"Obsolete"
Webster's
says.

Vexatious,
©  Daniel J Ricketts  

Now a few of mine.  Mine are ALWAYS doubles or more!  

Outer Space

Space
out there ...
and spaceships
are flying, where?
Who among us would admit to sightings?
Back off and take a good look at the shape
of this double
tetractys ....
you'll see
one.

(hehehehehehe)

© Dolly


It's All in the Attitude

Smiles
make fun
attitudes;
life's easier
with laughter and a cheery countenance.
Otherwise, life can hurt us all too much.
Remember, good
attitudes:
better
lives.

©  Dolly


Friendship

Friends,
varied.
Some are great,
others deceive.
Some are not your friend 'though you'd thought they were.
When friends are chosen for the wrong reasons
friendship won't last;
it will die
painful
be.

©  Dolly


Now see what you can do with your own creative energies.  I bet you'll soon grow to love this poetic form.  
Do it, do it, do it!  

[JustDaniel]

Wow, Dolly, you found an OLD one!  one of my very first, asking how to spell the plural!  It's 'Tetractys,' by the way (for singular and plural)  *wink*

... and I really like yours!  I don't recall reading either of them before!

Do you remember this one?

foot-in-mouth-note
(Covering my tetractys)

Chews

battles

carefully,

even with words.

(tongue-in-teeth therapy for careless speech)

Some folks are always looking for a fight;

when you find them,

breathe deeply:

Bite your

tongue.

© Daniel J Ricketts 17 Dec 2002

[Athena]

Heyy Daniel,

I don't think I ever read that one!  Cute!

Daniel you have so much knowledge of this type of poem won't you please correct me when I'm wrong?  Like my posting of the title wrong and now I can't seem to get in there to change it.  

Anyway, thank you, O Mighty Tzar!  

Hugs and blessings,
Dolly    

[JustDaniel]

Rise to thy feat, M'Lady!

Lift thine eyes aloft!

Awful Eye-full Tower

Eye

sits here

before work

without focus

pondering my mind’s penchant to wander

longing for exploration, unhindered

by that real-world

expectation

we should

work.


© MLee Dickens'son 13 Nov 2003

[Athena]

Aye, Sir Daniel,

I beg thee, kind sir, accept my grateful thanks for allowing me to rise in thy presence!            :laugh:

Daniel, this is another delightful tetractys.  I'm hoping some other folks will soon join us in some "tet" fun!  
  C'mon folks, give it a try!  
These tetractys' are simple and fun.  Try to make lines that could stand alone instead of breaking up one long sentence into the proper syllabic count.  You can make them serious or silly, any way that pleases you!  

Looking forward to all your tets!    

Athena/Dolly  

[JustDaniel]

Well, I hope that seeing my name doesn't scare anyone away, Dolly!  You know I love 'em!

bipolar coaster

ups

steep downs

incessant

hard rocking life

not to sleep but with constant restlessness

© MLee Dickens'son

[Athena]

I know you love 'em, Daniel-san, and so will everyone else once they get to know you.   Thanks for this latest one ... it's super!  

I guess I'll need to slow my life down a wee bit and begin writing again ... soon.  Your life is in the same boat, as I know so well.  But, still you manage to do a little bit here and there and I admire that in you.

Hope you and everyone else has a happy day!

Blessings,
Dolly  

[JustDaniel]

Thank you, Dolly!

Here's a kind of instructional tet I wrote back when I was just learning them.  It's an acrostic, as you can see from the bowled prince.

A TETRACTYS
(doubling as acrostic)

Add

The sum.

Each digit

Totalled is ten.

Really simple when you think about it.

Attempting it is fun and challenging.

Contemplate one

Tetractys.

You can!

See?


© MLee Dickens'son 27 Jan 2002

Now come on folks, let's party!        </font>

[Guest__*]

TREBLE TETRACTYS +


I
can’t stop;
once inspired
I sit for yonks,
and struggle against verbal diarrhoea.
Please
pronounce
on these words :
inspired, two, three?
And diarrhoea - is that three syllables?
Oh
my God!
Clever clogs,
look what you’ve done:
now my verses all look like Christmas trees!
Don’t
they?

Alan McAlpine Douglas

[JustDaniel]

TREBLE TETRACTYS +

I
can’t stop;
once inspired
I sit for yonks,
and struggle against verbal diarrhoea.
Please
pronounce
on these words :
inspired, two, three?
And diarrhoea - is that three syllables?
Oh
my God!
Clever clogs,
look what you’ve done:
now my verses all look like Christmas trees!
Don’t
they?

Alan McAlpine Douglas

Hey

Alan!
Thanksgiving's
before Christmas!
(But we're glad you had a ball with your tree.)

~Daniel~

[Guest__*]

Dear Daniel

Sorry, cannot accept this parochial viewpoint :

THE OBVERSE OF THANKSGIVING

Thanks
Mister !
Not this side
of our small pond :
We mere-ly were glad to wave you good-bye !


Alan McAlpine Douglas

PS As a Born NOT on the 4th of July American, I am using poetic license here ..... No infense ottended !


BAUBLES, SCHMAUBLES

The
Douglas
fir's a tree
by far too grand
for Christmas gilding - please don't needle me !

Alan McAlpine Douglas

Love
Alan

[JustDaniel]

Dear Daniel

Sorry, cannot accept this parochial viewpoint :

THE OBVERSE OF THANKSGIVING

Thanks
Mister !
Not this side
of our small pond :
We mere-ly were glad to wave you good-bye !

Alan McAlpine Douglas

PS As a Born NOT on the 4th of July American, I am using poetic license here ..... No infense ottended !

[ Anne nun, taken, o' coarse! - Dan'l ]

BAUBLES, SCHMAUBLES

The
Douglas
fir's a tree
by far too grand
for Christmas gilding - please don't needle me !

Alan McAlpine Douglas

Love
Alan

I bough to thine own parochial viewpoint; I'd never 'arm an heir o' yer Douglas fur, me friend!

:drill: That doesn't mean, o' course, I'd ne'er take a shot or two across your bough!

High Talin’ Nor’Westerner

tongue
in cheek,
Douglas firred
a gracious bough
‘n’ shot a volley back across ‘is pond
fer me ta ponderously think a bout
before I’d Yank
‘is bloody
red coat
off.

Al-
‘baster’d
like Dover,
I’d naught ‘arm ‘im!
Aye grew up with tall Douglas firs all ‘round;
wee Tacomans been a fit o’ their shade
o’ greenish knights
more Rainier
than yew’d
know.

© Daniel J Ricketts 19 Nov 2003

[Guest__*]

Dear Daniel

You had me LOL within LOL within LOLs ! But my parents were honorable :

FROM ADOLF WITH LOVE ..... TAKE ONE

Al
bastard ?
Folks married
'neath Hitler pic !
Followed by an outbreak of World War II .....
Catholics dictated "rhythm method".
No conception
of error;
produced
me !

TAKE TWO

Then
extra
care with times;
sister followed.
They had quite enough rhythm. Change of beat !
Upright expression, horizontal lust
too capricious,
put on hold :
father
wild.

ONE-MAN MELTING POT

Dad :
so bright,
professor,
Irish, taught French
in America, immigration works !

Alan McAlpine Douglas

[JustDaniel]

Thank you for the family hissTory, Alan!  Well-arttickleated, indeed!

Totally switching gears (rather than switching you, you rascal)...

I offer this with wishes for a white Christmas.  I just revised what I wrote to our Heavenly Father on Christmas morning last year, when we woke up to His beautiful dusting of snow over everything but the walks and roads:

Christmas Quilt




White

Christmas

melts our hearts.

You greet this morn,

accenting festive lights and greenery.

Clear streets and walks bid fam’ly, friends: Come share.

We celebrate our joy

o’er Jesus,

Your Son.

Thanks!



© MLee Dickens'son Christmas Morn 2002
revised 19 Nov 2003

[Siren]

My Inner Light


Hold.
Embrace
my world now.
Life is a joy
in each smile I see forming on your lips.
I relish the thought of you in my arms.
The inner light
residing
is only
you.

[Cleo_Serapis]

My Inner Light


Hold.
Embrace
my world now.
Life is a joy
in each smile I see forming on your lips.
I relish the thought of you in my arms.
The inner light
residing
is only
you.

Wow!  :sings:

I've been missing out on all the talented tiles in here!  :cloud9:

These are all lovely!

Dani 0 what a beautiful tile! Straight from the heart!

Hugs!
Lori  :pharoah:

[Cleo_Serapis]

Calm
in mind
and strong in
heart yields love shared
from you to me and me to others, See?

[JustDaniel]

My Inner Light

Hold.
Embrace
my world now.
Life is a joy
in each smile I see forming on your lips.
I relish the thought of you in my arms.
The inner light
residing
is only
you.

Dani!

This is really exquisite.  I've been so distracted in the past couple of months, and I totally missed this one!  It's been so long since I've seen any form poetry from your hand, and this is really good.

I'd only offer paltry change to a couple of lines (If you'd care to email me re them, I'd be glad to suggest).  You have captured a very moving feeling, my friend.

deLightedly, Daniel  

[JustDaniel]

Calm
in mind
and strong in heart
heart will yields love shared
from you to me and me to others, See?

Excellent, LorII ...

but for the third line; I think it's a bit weak.

Remember that one of the 'rules' of tetractys is that each line is to kind of stand on its own, with a separate thought or piece of thought added to the whole. My "editing" to yours is a mere suggestions to make the point.

Keep sharing your Light, my friend!

- Daniel  

[Siren]

Cleo and Daniel,

Thanks so much to both of you for the sweet remarks on this...

Daniah :)