A septet posted on W.O.M.

Hi everyone,

Here’s a poem posted under Adult Word of the Month that’s worth reading carefully. Meet Annalisa Hall.

I Wonder Where We Are
by Annalisa Hall, 2012

We stare at leafy branches that reach to nowhere;
Upward and outward gaping through clouds of naught.
We gawk at knotty tree trunks encircling time with care;
To entangle and intertwine the memories caught there.
We marvel at the forest splendor Nature before us brought.
Clasping limbs renewed a gentle stride together, we trot
In silence and awe through somewhere on a treetop prayer.

I like her poem and the almost dream-like vision she portrays. But what I want to point out is that Annalisa chose a septet for her framework and created an unusual rhyme scheme in the process.

There are a number of kinds of 7-line poems. The only one among them with this rhyme scheme (a/b/a/a/b/b/a) is the Sicilian Septet. However, other requirements of that form make this one different. In the Spanish Septet, the rhyme scheme is usually different from this poem (a/a/b/c/c/b/a) but the length of line is more similar to what Annalisa has chosen for her poem. The Spanish Septet often uses four (tetrameter) or five (pentameter) accented syllables per line whereas this poem relies mainly on pentameter and hexameter (six beats) lines and even one heptameter (seven beats) line.

The end result is a quiet, reflective poem whose long lines keep us engaged as we take our time to enjoy each new image as the narrative unfolds.

Annalisa, if you have thoughts to share with us, we will welcome your comments.

David