Master the Pantoum

Create Haunting, Repetitive Poetry in Easy Steps

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but I LOVE a challenge. I am going to write a daily pantoum and post it in The Pantoumery, with the help of existing illustrations from my sketchbook, or photos from my camera roll. My plan will be to keep my journal at my bedside and write one each morning, before I somersault into my day. Aiming low, I’ll remind myself not to get my knickers in a knot, that it’s the showing up that counts. Process over product. Feel free to keep tabs on how I’m doing. I may need a little supportive cheering on. Even better, wanna join me?

I wrote several per week in 2023 and at the end of the year, had a LOT of mediocre writing, several pieces I was pleased with, and a couple gems. I found the less I thought, the more I could tap into wisdom just under the surface and let my intuition lead my pen. Even my worst pantoums were seeds for new ideas. It kind of works that way.

Here’s a video to explain the process…

The Pantoum Structure:

1. The pantoum is composed of a series of quatrains (four-line stanzas).

2. The lines follow a specific repetition pattern:

   • Line 2 of each stanza becomes Line 1 of the next stanza

   • Line 4 of each stanza becomes Line 3 of the next stanza

Specific Rules:

• The first and third lines of the first stanza are repeated as the second and fourth lines of the second stanza

• This pattern continues throughout the poem

• The final stanza has a special requirement: it typically includes the first and third lines of the original first stanza, but flipped in a modified order - 3rd line, then 1st.

Example Pattern (it’s easiest to number your lines down the margin of your page til you are comfortable with it)

1
2
3
4

2
5
4
6

5
3
6
1

Note: The final stanza incorporates lines from the first stanza in a specific way. See how line 3 and 1 are repeated in the last quatrain, but turned upside down? It brings the reader returning home, circling back to the opening line.

Challenges and Tips:

• The repetition requires careful crafting to avoid feeling monotonous

• Each repeated line should gain new meaning or context with each repetition

• The form works well with themes of memory, reflection, or cyclical experiences

• It's helpful to think of the lines as having subtle shifts in meaning each time they're repeated

Writing Process:

1. Start by freewriting in your journal.

2. Curate four lines from your writing

3. As it unfolds, so may your curiosity. Trust the process and play it out to the end of the third quatrain.

4. Tweak as you need. You have artistic license for subtle changes within your piece.

5. Repeat as necessary…. hopefully, often.

   
   

   There’s something SO satisfying about it. I invite you to try it.

   Hop on the quaTRAIN with me.

   WARNING: There’s no turning back. Consider yourself warned.