Eiregirl
Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 10230
Location: Chasing a pink bunny
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Define true love (#23 Quatern)
What is a quatern?
A quatern is a sixteen line French poetic form made up of four quatrains and is similar to the kyrielle.
Structure…
The sixteen lines are broken down into four stanza’s (quatrains) and each stanza contains a refrain line which is the first line of the first stanza. This line will be repeated in the second line of the second stanza, the third line of the third stanza, the fourth line of the fourth stanza. There are eight syllables per line. It does not have to be iambic or follow a set rhyme but if you want you can make it iambic and/or rhyme if you choose to do so.
The set structure of a quatern is four four line stanza’s of eight syllables per line with a refrain line. The rest is up to you.
First stanza
Line 1…8 syllables
Line 2…8 syllables
Line 3…8 syllables
Line 4…8 syllables
Second stanza
Line 1…8 syllables
Line 2…repeat line 1 from first stanza
Line 3…8 syllables
Line 4…8 syllables
Third stanza
Line 1…8 syllables
Line 2…8 syllables
Line 3…repeat line 1 from first stanza
Line 4…8 syllables
Fourth stanza
Line 1…8 syllables
Line 2…8 syllables
Line 3…8 syllables
Line 4…repeat line 1 from first stanza
History…
Quatern is Latin for “four at a time”. (so a dictionary told me…giggle) To the best of my knowledge (and from any reference I can find) this form was developed toward the end of the Middle Ages.
Now my poem…
Define true love
Can one truly define true love?
What is it that makes a true love?
Is it two souls made into one?
Is it two hearts beating as one?
From the first touch two became one
Can one truly define true love?
From the touch of a lovers soul
Two souls there were, now there is one
Can you hear two hearts, or just one?
Two hearts in love beating as one
Can one truly define true love?
There were two hearts, now there is one
From the touch of her soul, I know
From the sound of her heart, I know
Words cannot define it for me
Can one truly define true love?
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