Section IV: Schemas

Ballad

Schema

\[\sum_1^{n} \overline{(a \div \mathfrak{i}_4).(b \div \mathfrak{i}_3).(a:c \div \mathfrak{i}_4).(b \div \mathfrak{i}_3)}\]

References

• A tragical ballad of the unfortunate loves of Lord Thomas and fair Eleanor, Frances James Child

• The Ballad of the Goodly Fere, Ezra Pound

• The Ballad of Sir Patrick Stern, W. Scott

• La Belle Dame sans Merci, John Keats

• Lord Thomas and Annet, Old English Ballad

• Tam Lin, Old Scottish Ballad

Ballade

Schema

\[a.b.a.b.b.c.b.C + a.b.a.b.b.c.b.C + a.b.a.b.b.c.b.C + b.c.b.C\]

Reducing,

\[\overline{[\sum_1^3 {[a.b]^2}.b.c.b.C] + b.c.b.C}\]

Schema (Ballade Royal)

\[[a.b.a + b.b + c.c]:[a.b.a.b + b.c.c]\]

Reducing,

\[[a.b.a + b^2 + c^2]:[[a.b]^2 +b.{c^2}]\]

Schema (Chant Royal)

\[\sum_1^{5} \overline{a.b.a.b.c.c.d.d.e.d.E + [d.d.e.d.E:c.c.d.d.e.d.E]}\]

Reducing,

\[\sum_1^5 \overline{{[a.b]^2}.{c^2}.{d^2}.e.d.E + [{d^2}.e.d.E:{c^2}{d^2}.e.d.E]}\]

References

None yet found.

Ghazal

Schema

\[p = aA.aA + b.aA + c.aA + ... + x.aA\]

Reducing,

\[p = [aA]^2 + \sum_{i=1}^{n}[x_i.[aA]]\]

• The Matla (مطلع): The opening couplet.

• The Maqta (مطلع): The final couplet.

• The Qafiya (قافية): The rhyme.

• The Radif (ردیف): The refrain.

Note

In the formalization,

1. \(\text{Matla} = [aA]^2\)

2. \(\text{Maqta} = x_{n}.[aA]\)

3. \(\text{Qafiya} = a\)

4. \(\text{Radif} = A\)

References

• Tonight, Agha Shahid Ali

Kyrielle

Schema

\[\sum_1^{n} \overline{[a.a.b.B]:[a.A.b.b]}\]

Reducing,

\[\sum_1^n \overline{[{a^2}.b.B]:[a.A.{b^2}]}\]

References

• A Lark in the Mesh, John Payne

• A Lenten Hymn, Thomas Campion

Ode

No fixed schema.

Horatian Ode (Keatsian Variant)

\[\sum_1^8 [{[a.b]^2}.c.d.e \div \mathfrak{i}_5].[c \div \mathfrak{i}_3].[d.e \div \mathfrak{i}_5]\]

References

• Ode on a Grecian Urn, John Keats

• Ode to a Nightingale, John Keats

• Ode to the West Wind, Percy Blysse Shelely

Ottava

Schema (ottava siciliana)

\[a.b.a.b.a.b.a.b\]

Reducing,

\[[a.b]^4\]

Schema (strambotto)

\[a.b.a.b.c.c.d.d\]

Reducing,

\[{[a.b]^2}.{c^2}.{d^2}\]

Each line in a ottava siciliana or strambotto is a hendecasyllable.

Schema (ottava rima)

\[[a.b.a.b.a.b.c.c \div \mathfrak{i}_5]\]

Reducing,

\[[{[a.b]^3}.{c^2} \div \mathfrak{i}_5]\]

References

None yet found.

Pantoum

Schema

A.B.C.D + B.E.D.F + E.G.F.H + … + x.y.C.A

References

• Pantoum of the Great Depression, Donald Justice

Rime Royal

Schema

\[[[a.b.a + b.b + c.c]:[a.b.a.b + b.c.c] \div \mathfrak{i}_5]\]

Reducing,

\[[[a.b.a + b^2 + c^2]:[[a.b]^2 + b.c^2] \div \mathfrak{i}_5]\]

References

None yet found.

Rondeau

Medieval Rondeaus

The following diagram shows the different schemata for the rondeau form in 14th-century France,

Rondeau Schema (Medieval)

1. Couplet: \(A.B.a.A.a.b.A.B\)

2. Tercet: \(A.B.B.a.b.A.B.a.b.b.A.B.B\)

3. Quatrain: \(A.B.B.A.a.b.A.B.a.b.b.a.A.B.B.A\)

4. Cinquain: \(A.A.B.B.A.a.a.b.A.A.B.a.a.b.b.a.A.A.B.B.A\)

This schema can be rewritten to emphasize the refrain R within in the form using substitution notation,

1. Couplet: \(R.a.A.a.b.R \mid R = A.B\)

2. Tercet: \(R.a.b.A.B.a.b.b.R \mid R = A.B.B\)

3. Quatrain: \(R.a.b.A.B.a.b.b.a.R \mid R = A.B.B.A\)

4. Cinquain: \(R.a.a.b.A.A.B.a.a.b.b.a.R \mid R = A.A.B.B.A\)

Reducing,

1. Couplet: \(R.a.A.a.b.R \mid R = A.B\)

2. Tercet: \(R.a.b.A.B.a.b^2.R \mid R = A.B^2\)

3. Quatrain: \(R.a.b.A.B.a.b^2.a.R \mid R = A.B^2.A\)

4. Cinquain: \(R.a^2.b.A^2.B.a^2.b^2.a.R \mid R = A^2.B^2.A\)

Note that a Rondeau Couplet is simply a Triolet.

Renaissance Rondeaus

The following diagrams shows the different schemata for the rondeau form duing the Renaissance,

Rondeau Schema (Renaissance)

1. Rondel: \(A.B.a.b + a.b.A.B + a.b.b.a.A\)

2. Rondeau Prime: \((R)a.b.b.a.a.b.R + a.b.b.a.R\)

3. Rondeau: \((R)a.a.b.b.a + a.a.b + a.a.b.b.a.R\)

Roundel

Roundel Schema

\[A.b.a.R + b.a.b + a.b.a.R\]

Where \(R \parallel b\) and \(A \sim R\).

References

• In Flanders Field, John McCrae

• We Wear the Mask, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Sestina

Six sestets followed by a tercet envoi.

Schema

\[u(\mathrm{A}).v(\mathrm{B}).w(\Gamma).x(\Delta).y(\mathcal{E}).z(\mathcal{Z}) +\]

\[u(\mathcal{Z}).v(\mathrm{A}).w(\mathcal{E}).x(\mathrm{B}).y(\Delta).z(\Gamma) +\]

\[u(\Gamma).v(\mathcal{Z}).w(\Delta).x(\mathrm{A}).y(\mathrm{B}).z(\mathcal{E}) +\]

\[u(\mathcal{E}).v(\Gamma).w(\mathrm{B}).x(\mathcal{Z}).y(\mathrm{A}).z(\Delta) +\]

\[u(\Delta).v(\mathcal{E}).w(\mathrm{A}).x(\Gamma).y(\mathcal{Z}).z(\mathrm{B}) +\]

\[u(\mathrm{B}).v(\Delta).w(\mathcal{Z}).x(\mathcal{E}).y(\Gamma).z(\mathrm{A}) + [t_1:t_2] |\]

\[t1 = ((u \circ \mathrm{A}) \circ \mathrm{B}).((v \circ \Gamma) \circ \Delta).((w \circ \mathcal{E}) \circ \mathcal{Z}),\]

\[t2 = ((u \circ \mathrm{A}) \circ \Delta).((v \circ \mathrm{B}) \circ \mathcal{E}).((w \circ \Gamma) \circ \mathcal{Z}),\]

Important

Refer to the Appendix for a provisional definition of projection.

References

• Sestina (Bishop), Elizabeth Bishop

• Sestina of the Tramp-Royal, Rudyard Kipling

• Sestina, Travel Notes, Weldon Kees

Sonnet

Schema (Petrachan)

\[a.b.b.a.a.b.b.a + c.d.e.c.d.e:c.d.c.d.c.d\]

Reducing,

\[[a.b^2.a]^2 + [{[c.d.e]^2}:{[c.d]^3}]\]

Schema (Shakespearan)

\[[\sum_i^{3} \overline{a.b.a.b} + a.a \div \mathfrak{i}_5]\]

Reducing,

\[[\sum_i^{3} \overline{[a.b]^2} + a^2 \div \mathfrak{i}_5]\]

Schema (Spenserian)

\[[a.b.a.b + b.c.b.c + c.d.c.d + e.e \div \mathfrak{i}_5]\]

Reducing,

\[[[a.b]^2 + [b.c]^2 + [c.d]^2 + e^2 \div \mathfrak{i}_5]\]

References

• Batter My Heart, Three Person’d God, John Donne

• Death Be Not Proud, John Donne

• On the Grasshopper and Cricket, John Keats

• When I Have Seen By Times Fell Hand Defac’d, William Shakespeare

Terza

Schema

\[a.b.a + b.c.b + c.d.c + d.e.d + ...\]

References

None yet found.

Triolet

Schema

\[[A.B.a.A.a.b.A.B \div \mathfrak{i}_n]\]

References

• Birds at Winter Nightfall, Thomas Hardy

• How Great My Grief, Thomas Hardy

Virelai

Schema (Ancien)

\[a.a.♭b.a.a.♭b.a.a.♭b + b.b.♭c.b.b.♭c.b.b.♭c + ...\]

Reducing,

\[[a^2.♭b]^3 + [b^2.♭c]^3 + ...\]

Schema (Nouveau)

\[A_1.b.b.a.A_2 + B_1.c.c.b.B_2 + ...\]

References

• July, Henry Austin Dobson

• Spring Sadness, John Payne

Villanelle

Schema

\[A_1.b.A_2 + a.b.A_1 + a.b.A_2 + a.b.A_1 + a.b.A_2 + a.b.A_1.A_2\]

References

• Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, Dylan Thomas

• Mad Girl’s Love Song, Sylvia Plath

• One Art, Elizabeth Bishop

• Song, John Fuller

• The Waking, Theodore Roethke