This month’s challenge was the diminishing verse or pruning poem. They’re very short, quite challenging and, to my mind, a little forced or awkward. But! Who are we to back down from a challenge?
So, here’s the deal — there’s no real rule except that the end word of each line is a shorter variation on the initial end word. Start with a longer blend and take away a letter (or a sound) each time. You’ll see what I mean…
Now, these poems very clearly fulfill our larger 2023 theme of transformation, just by the very nature of the pruning and diminishing. I tried to use transformation in my subject matter, too, since each poem focuses on the pivotal moments of change in a fairy tale. As for my more particular goal to write about a scientific process each time, I think for this month we’ll call it pruning and be satisfied, yes?
Here goes!
Frog Prince in the Lily Pond
Each ribbit rose, was swallowed
Instead he brooded, wallowed
Until the princess wooed, allowed
Cinderella After the Ball
Awaiting the call from Prince Charming
The sisters weren’t helping but harming
but her delicate feet were dis-arming!
Sleeping Beauty Discovered
Young beauty concealed by the bramble
Brave prince set out on a ramble
Resulting in happily ever amble
To read more diminishing verse:
Here’s Tanita
Here’s Mary Lee
Here’s Tricia
Here’s Kelly
Here’s Laura
Here’s Sara
And thanks to the wonderful Jama for hosting Poetry Friday this week at Alphabet Soup!
Oh, and hey… interested in joining our challenge next month? We’ll be writing bouts rhymes, a form in which the poet starts with the rhyming end words first, and then fills in the rest of the poem around those rhymes. Ha! Have at it, everyone!
I love the fairy tale theme. The rule of 3 used in those tales seems to be an echo of these triplets. Nice! Love the disarming feet :>D
You ended your lines with your diminishment, which, for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how to do well. I’m impressed!
Charming and harming, such an interesting twist! I, too,, love your fairy tale theme.
These were enchanting! Love the fairy tale theme. 🙂
Love the laughter and the truth, Liz! “dis-arming” – super fun!
Very creative!
What a fun fairy tale set of diminishers! Love that you found transformation within these old stories!
You over-achiever you! I adore these! I wish I’d put half as much thought into mine as you did here. These are so much fun to read.
These are wonderful, Liz! I love the fairy tale theme, and how you captured transformation!
I love the happily ever amble!
Liz, what fun! I like the themes of your diminishing poems. My favorite is “happily ever amble.”
I’m coming in late, having just read Mary Lee’s post. I was thinking to try one… but have not as yet even having found a word combination I could use. So then I thought to read more… and I come here and find these! Multiples! All amazing!! (Is this the beginning of something bigger???)