I have been writing poetry for many years now, and of the hundreds of poems that I have written in that time, many of them are sonnets. I prefer the sonnet form of poetry to many of the other various forms, though I continue to challenge myself to write in new poetic forms on a continuous basis.
The sonnet form has so many different variations, as I have written about previously both on this site, Frank’s Forum, and on another website where I did some guest blogging on the topic. I have written previously for Yahoo! a series of “how to” articles for young and new writers about the differences between the sonnet forms with tips for practicing and navigating some of the nuances of those specific sonnet types such as the Italian sonnet or the Pushkin form.
Furthermore, I have also written in the past about hybrid sonnet forms which I created by mixing and matching components from all of the variations of the sonnet; or thinking of completely “out of the box” ways to write a sonnet with the basic fundamental variant of how to play with the fourteen lines needed to characterize the form.
This will be my first blog post of 2015 on the topic of poetry, which is a major sub-theme of Frank’s Forum, so I chose to focus on a relatively more obscure form of the sonnet known as the terza rima form. I will review this form of sonnet and then compare the structure to other variations of the sonnet complete with my advice from my own experience writing in each of these forms of poetry.
Origins
The terza rima form originated in the late 13th century and was created by famed poet Dante Alighieri who sought a way to structure his now famous canto epic length poetic work, “The Divine Comedy”. The structure of the form, similar to other variations of the sonnet, folds in the rhyme scheme from one set of lines into the subsequent sets of lines.
Since the terza rima is divided into sets of three lines called tercets, the rhyme scheme flows from one tercet into the next, connected by common lines in the rhyme scheme. The rhyme scheme in a terza rima sonnet is as follows:
ABA BCB CDC DED
Therefore you can see how the tercets are connected by a common line in the verse. Most of the sonnets written in this format are in iambic pentameter, though some poets have written in a different meter such as dactyl, the use of another meter is permissible but the lines have to all remain the same length.
It is important also to note that the terza rima form can be of unlimited length, where some other poetic forms have very strict standards for length. The writer could continue stringing together tercets in the same format demonstrated above just resetting the scale back to “A” at the end of the four sets of poetry.
The Couplet Question
Over the years, the terza rima form has remained unchanged with the exception of some poets adapting the structure to add a couplet to the end of the four tercets. The rationale behind this adaptation is uncertain, it could have been added so that this form of sonnet would equal fourteen lines in compatibility with the other forms of the sonnet.
In my own personal experience, I was taught to write the terza rima in the traditional format I listed above, in four sets each containing three lines of poetry. I felt at one point around four or five years ago, when I was writing a variety of sonnets for a poetry collection with a winter nature theme, that the traditional twelve line form was leaving something behind. So I started adding a rhyming couplet to the end of the terza rima sonnets because I was accustomed to using couplets at the end of the other sonnets I have written in the past.
I did not realize that this change to the terza rima form had already been made until a fellow writer was reviewing my work during a poetry challenge. This fellow writer felt that the couplet was a nice touch and referenced the other poets who had initially used this format change, to which I was unaware, I just knew that it felt cleaner to me with the added two lines.
The terza rima form with the added couplet at the end looks like this:
ABA BCB CDC DED FF
The use of the couplet is completely at the discretion of the writer, and has been included for so many years, that it is a completely accepted alternative version. I also feel that it provides the author with some additional room to finish their thoughts and cap off their piece of poetry with the couplet at the end. However, there are poets and writers who do not agree with this adaptation and will stick with the traditional format originated by Alighieri.
Common Miscues
The terza rima sonnet has a different flow and a different feel to it, which can lend itself to some common miscues. Some other forms of poetry are more forgiving should your idea take an unplanned direction. This form of sonnet can seem a bit restrictive, especially in the beginning until you have practiced your style and are able to lend your poetic voice to the variations found in this format.
A common miscue that I made when I first began writing and experimenting with the terza rima form was “boxing myself in” as they call it in poetry. I would work with an initial idea, and being so accustomed to the other types of sonnets where you only had to rhyme the end word in a line no more than twice, I would get boxed in within the restraints of this rhyme scheme.
In the terza rima form it requires the writer to rhyme the “C” and the “D” lines in the scheme a total of three times. Therefore, I had to train my mind to not think in terms of couplets or schemes where the scale rhymed twice, I had to shape my idea around words that would rhyme a total of three times at two different points in the poem. This is going to be more difficult than it may seem when you try it.
My advice is to think about the “C” and the “D” lines ahead of time and plan out what words you will use as the end words in those respective lines. It will also help the flow and the alliteration of your finished poem.
I also must add that as I became further accustomed to writing in different forms of poetry and practiced more with other sonnets, this method of creating and thinking became more natural to me. The other method which helped me was writing in the Pushkin sonnet form (which remains one of my favorites) which has the following format: ABABCCDDEFFEGG
You will notice that the “C” and the “D” lines in the Pushkin form are also very important, granted they are in double couplets which break up the middle of the sonnet, but it still helped to train my mind for the importance that the same corresponding lines, the “C” and the “D” lines have in the terza rima form.
The other practice which helped my adaptation to writing within the terza rima form was to practice with the Spenserian form which has some common traits. The Spenserian sonnet has the following setup:
ABAB BCBC CDCD EE
In the Spenserian form the “B” and “C” lines are rhymed four times, so they are very important to determine ahead of drafting the poem. This form also featured “transfer” from one group of lines to the next so continuity is very important to writing a good Spenserian sonnet. My practice with these elements helped me to write within the terza rima form with much better effect.
It is my hope that all the writers out there who are new to writing poetry or new to writing sonnets have gained some valuable insights from this article. I will now close with an example of my own work in the terza rima form.
“Into The Light”
Wandering along on this lonely road
Weary, tired but there’s no going back
Feeling burdened from this heavy load
So many obstacles there to distract –
Me from the path to my ultimate goal
My focus is sharp it will not lack
I have seen others lose control
The pity, self-doubt, endlessly question
The answers to them are in your soul
The road is packed, temptation and sin
Walk into the light, avoid the darkness
Find your compass which lives within
The light will guide you on your way
So you can find the goodness each day
(Some background information courtesy of Poets.org)
© Frank J. Maduri 2015 – All rights reserved – No copying or distribution without express written consent from the author.