POETRY: the Triolet

The Triolet:

  • 8 lines, two rhymes
  • Lines 1 and 2 are repeated verbatim on lines 7 and 8
  • Line 1 is repeated verbatim on line 4 
VARIATIONS:
  • Variations of 7 and 9 lines have been written
  • 19th Century English triolets: all lines in iambic tetrameter (usually)
  • 17th Century French triolets: lines 2, 6, and 8 tend to be iambic trimester followed by an amphibrachic foot 

Associated Forms:

Worksheet:

TRIOLET:

A
B
a
A
a
b
A
B

EXAMPLE:

Farewell all earthly joys and care

Worldly designs, fears, hopes, farewell!
Farewell all earthly joys and cares!
On nobler thoughts my sould shall dwell,
Worldly designs, fears, hopes, farewell!
At quiet, in my peacefull cell,
I'll think on God, free from your snares;
Worldly designs, fears, hopes, farewell!
Farewell all earthly joys and cares.
by Patrick Cary, 1623 -- 1627


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