History: The word ‘Ovillejo’ is the diminutive for ‘Ovillo’ which itself means “clew, ball of string or twine” and, as Mr. Turco says in The Book of Forms, “metaphorically suggests something tight, complicated, and small. It is a Spanish form attributed to and popularized by Miguel de Cervantes. Specifically, in La Ilustre Fregona and chapter XXVII...Read More

History: The PantoumHistory: The Pantoum is a Malaysian poetry form that originated in the 15th century derived from the pantun, specifically from the pantun berkait, a series of interwoven quatrains, which itself originated as a traditional oral form of expression. As it made it's way into the West it was adapted and altered by French poets,...Read More

In grammar, parallelismIn grammar, parallelism, also known as parallel structure or parallel construction, is a balance within one or more sentences of similar phrases or clauses that have the same grammatical structure. "In poetry, in a parallel couplet, (as opposed to a continuous couplet), words in the first line are complemented with corresponding second line...Read More

History The Pleiades was invented in 1999 by Craig Tigerman, Sol Magazine’s Lead Editor. Structure: Only one word is allowed in the title a single seven line stanza a variation on an acrosticHistory This is a fun poetic form and, precisely for that, it is in many cases how we are introduced to poetry in grade...Read More

History: The QasidaHistory: The Qasida is an Pre-Islamic poetry genre/form from developed in Arabia oral tradition in the 6th century rooted in the Bedouin cycles of nomadic desert life, and spread throughout it's historical life into wild varying contexts throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It is often defined as an ode, has a...Read More

A Note from the Editors: We set out to lay this out with enthusiasm and excitement, having come across this genre in the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics in the Ethiopian Poetry entry. We glossed over when the entry itself said that “the rules of this poetry are complicated and take years to master....Read More

History: The RedondillaHistory: The Redondilla is a Spanish, specifically Castillian, stanza form and is the result of the breaking in two at the strophic caesura of the Copla de Arte Menor,  (not to be confused with the Arte Mayor) in the 16th century. (Note: for context, the Copla is another Spanish form, and Arte Menor...Read More

Note: In an effort to get as many forms in here as we can before April, we’re going to get a streamlined entry going here. Check back in later for more elaborate posts, including history etc. The Rhupunt (pronounced hree’-pint) is a Welsh poetry form, of the AwdlAn awdl was originally a poem of indeterminate length with a...Read More

History and Structure: SchuttelreimHistory and Structure: Schuttelreim is agreed upon to be a form of double rhyme, where the consonants of the last two stressed syllables are interchanged. It is a German verse rhyming device that’s existed since the 13th century which was once considered a serious poetic form but since the 19th century has...Read More

History: A SevenlingHistory: A Sevenling is a seven line form created by Roddy Lumsden as a teaching exercise, based on this poem written by Anna Akhmatova and translated by D M Thomas: He loved three things alone: White peacocks, evensong, Old maps of America. He hated children crying, And raspberry jam with his tea, And womanish hysteria....Read More