Hir a Thoddaid: Poetic Form
Last week, we looked at ottava rima. This week, let’s tackle hir a thoddaid.
Hir a Thoddaid Poems
Some of you may have already guessed, but the hir a thoddaid is a Welsh form. They’ve got the coolest names, right?
And this form is like other Welsh forms in regards to a slight variation in line length and some complexity in the rhyme scheme. Here’s the structure of this six-line form (with the letters acting as syllables and the a’s and b’s signifying rhymes:
1-xxxxxxxxa
2-xxxxxxxxa
3-xxxxxxxxa
4-xxxxxxxxa
5-xxxxxxxbxx
6-xxbxxxxxa
So line 5 is 10 syllables in length; the other 5 lines are 9 syllables. Also, the “b” rhyme is somewhere near the end of line 5 and somewhere in the first half of line 6–so those rhymes could move back and forth to suit your needs.
*****
Learn how to write sestina, shadorma, haiku, monotetra, golden shovel, and more with The Writer’s Digest Guide to Poetic Forms, by Robert Lee Brewer.
This e-book covers more than 40 poetic forms and shares examples to illustrate how each form works. Discover a new universe of poetic possibilities and apply it to your poetry today!
*****
Here’s my attempt at a Hir a Thoddaid:
Ace, by Robert Lee Brewer
This is the year I really need space
to figure myself out and save face
from those who are always on my case
about how I don’t know how to grace
a room without dominating the scene
while demonstrating my sense of place.
*****
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer’s Digest Writing Community and author of Solving the World’s Problems (Press 53). Follow him on Twitter @RobertLeeBrewer.
*****
Find more poetic posts here:
You might also like:
The post Hir a Thoddaid: Poetic Form appeared first on Art of Conversation.
