The Pantoum

1. By T. Meldrum April 2009 The Pantoum

2. The Pantoum Old Malayan verse form, often sung Introduced into French poetry in the 19th Century Structured chain form Can have any number of stanzas Revived by Victor Hugo in Les Orientals Later adopted by English poets

3. Usual Content Rather like stream of consciousness because of repetition of lines Works well for memories, inner exploration, dream-like ideas, making a circular statement Often feels slow, or dreamlike because of the repetition

4. Structure Each line is used twice Lines may be of varying lengths Each stanza is a quatrain There is a rhyme scheme of abab in each quatrain Traditionally, the first two lines of each quatrain present an image or an allusion; the second two lines of each quatrain convey the theme and meaning, and may not have an obvious connection with the first two lines

5. Structure 1 first 2 3 4 2 5 4 6 5 7 6 8 7 9 8 10 There can be any number of stanzas, but fewer than four doesn’t allow the pattern to be seen. 9 11 10 12 11 3 12 1 first

6. Desert Dawning by Anne Johnson The desert awakes with a whispered sigh. A jackrabbit scurries through the brush while far above a raven cries. Dawn breaks from a frozen hush. A jackrabbit scurries through the brush bent on finding food to eat. Dawn breaks from a frozen hush, the cold chill of the night retreats. Bent on finding food to eat, a roadrunner darts across the sand. The cold chill of the night retreats as fiery warmth fills the land. Notice how it takes two lines to make complete sentence. A roadrunner darts across the sand in the shadow of a towering saguaro. As fiery warmth fills the land the cactus wren peers at a beetle below. In the shadow of a towering saguaro a bevy of quail march by in a line. The cactus wren peers at a beetle below. On a sunny rock the lizard reclines. A bevy of quail march by in a line while far above a raven cries. On a sunny rock the lizard reclines. The desert awakes with a whispered sigh. Notice the use of rhyme and how the lines repeat. There are small changes in some lines.

7.  I can see my own breath I can feel my own heart beating in my own chest faster than a go-kart and I can feel my own heart racing and racing faster than a go-kart elapsing laps like pacing racing and racing to my complacent distraction elapsing laps like pacing that I could chop like a fraction... ...with my complacent distraction like a laugh from a cough I could chop like a fraction 'cause a half is a lot And like a laugh to a cough I'm feeling sadly mistaken 'cause a half is a lot in the path that I've taken I'm feeling sadly mistaken so my heart gets quick but in the path that I've taken I guess it is what it is So my heart gets quick Pumping in my own chest I guess it is what it is I can see My Own Breath My Own Breath - student pantoum

8. The snow falls softly to the ground As I lie awake and think of you Remembering when you were always around From our imaginations, dragons and princesses grew As I lie awake and think of you Memories come flooding in From our imaginations, dragons and princesses grew Fighting and conquering, we would always win  Memories keep flooding in We played, we danced, we ran, we sang Fighting and conquering we would win Announcing our victory with a mighty loud BANG We played, we danced, we ran, we sang Water guns held high in the air Announcing our victory with a mighty loud BANG Conquering dragons in their dark dungeon lair Water guns held high in the air Full of joy at our day's success Of conquering dragons in their dark dungeon lair Covered in dirt, a rip in my dress  Full of joy at our day's success Smiling we left that world behind Covered in dirt, a rip in my dress We played all day, no regard for time Smiling we left that world behind Now memories left to reminisce We played all day, no regard for time Those days of ignorance I'll truly miss Now memories left to reminisce Remembering when you were always around Those days of ignorance I'll truly miss As the snow falls softly to the ground Dragons remind me of you - student poem

9. Because birds are gliding across your brain. I rise into the shadows And the mist is rolling in Because my breath is rolling out I rise into the shadows Like a pond that went to sleep: Because my breath is rolling out You hear doorbells in the woods. Like a pond that went to sleep: And woke up inside a dream. You hear doorbells in the woods. Though the woods are in a dream And woke up inside a dream! Although the air is filled with blue and while clouds Though the woods are in a dream. A good idea can smell like pine trees. Although the air is filled with blue and while clouds I am filled with ideas about dreams. A good idea can smell like pine trees. And a dream can grow like a cloud. I am filled with ideas about dreams. The stars don’t know what they mean. And a dream can grow like a cloud. You can’t explain this bigness. The stars don’t know what they mean. And the mist is rolling in You can’t explain this bigness. Because birds are gliding across your brain. By Ron Padgett More dream-like, makes less straightforward sense than “Desert Dawning”. Does not follow rhyme scheme.

10. Your Turn … Brainstorm ideas involving memories, journeys, dreams, circular ideas Bonus – the next stanza is half written Usually you will need to revisit grammar and line breaks to make the lines work If the rhyme is too hard, don’t worry about it. Some people find rhyme easy, others don’t.

11. Bibliography University course handouts. 1996. Unst, Ariade. “The Pantoum Verse Form”. Accessed 2008. http://baymoon.com/~ariadne/form/pantoum.htm