Rainis Sonnet

Rainis Sonnet is a short meditation. Whether or not it is a true sonnet is up for debate. It is a lyrical meditation with a turn or volta, however it is shorter than the usual quatorzain of the sonnet. It is named for the Latvian philosopher and poet Janis Rainis (1868-1929)

Rainis Sonnet is:
• written in 9 lines made up of a quatrain, followed by a tercet ending with a couplet.
• metered, primarily iambic pentameter.
• rhymed, turned on only 3 rhymes. Rhyme scheme abab (cbc or cac) and (aa or bb or cc).

abab cbc aa
abab cbc bb
abab cbc cc
abab cac aa
abab cac bb
abab cac cc
abab cac aa

written with the epiphany arriving in the tercet.

Example Poem:

Tell Me of Your Anger in Whispers (Rainis  Sonnet)

Should you be moved to speak in anger, dear, 

I ask that first you test your words alone. 

You'll want to be assured your meaning's clear. 

If anger stems from blunder of my own 

There's nothing risked delaying words that grate. 

Then speak in dulcet soft and husky tone. 

I'll listen, think, and I'll appreciate. 

My love, use whispers closely late tonight. 

I love you dearly, I will make it right. 

© Larry Eberhart, aka, Lawrencealot,  Oct. 11, 2012

  Visual template:

Four Epoch Sonnet

3 quatrains + couplet
Normally Iambic Pentameter
Rhyming pattern: abba cdcd efge hh
Volta after L9
This is a form invented by Jose Rizal M. Reyes of the Philippines

Example Poem:

Four  Epoch Sonneteer  (Four Epoch Sonnet)

In school in fifty-seven I learned rhyme;
and forced exposure taught me sonnets ruled.
That all had fourteen lines; so I was schooled.
and Shakespeare was the master for all time.

Near three score years had passed be fore I tried
again to master bard's acknowledged sphere.
Then meter taunted me; I was defied
by multisyllabic words quite unclear.

At last, I grasped it, got the concept down.
I tried then linking sonnets together
with structure well defined, to tell a tale
worth telling.  I, at last. composed a crown.

A sonnet redouble'--now version five,
is ready; somehow I am still alive.

© Lawrencealot, October 17, 2012

Visual Template:

Fatima Stanza Sonnet

Rhyme scheme: abab bcbc cc cdcd
Meter: Consistent or iambic pentameter
Structure: Two quatrains followed by a couplet and a closing quatrain, pivot at line 9

Example Poem:


Tell Me of Your Anger in Whispers (Fatima Stanza  Sonnet)

Should you be moved to speak in anger, dear,
I ask that first you test your words alone.
You'll want to be assured your meaning's clear
if anger stems from blunder of my own.

Retorts will make an argument full-blown.
Emotions can cause phrases to excite.
We might say words we later would disown.
We want to solve  a problem, not  to fight.

The calm approaches  help make troubles slight.
If I have blundered then I'll be contrite.

Now here's  the perfect  way  to  do  this  right.
To help achieve a problem solving state,
My love,  use  whispers  closely  late  tonight,
all goals are reached then embraced by your mate.


Visual Template: