Section II: Schemas

Ballad

Schema

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

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.

Kyrielle

Schema

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

Reducing,

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

References

• A Lark in the Mesh, John Payne

• A Lenten Hymn, Thomas Campion

Ode

No fixed schema.

Greek	ᾠδή
Latin	oda
French	ode
English	ode

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)

\[(a.b.a.b.a.b.c.c/\mathfrak{i}_5)\]

Reducing,

\[({[a.b]^3}.{c^2}/\mathfrak{i}_5)\]

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

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,

5. Couplet: R.a.A.a.b.R | R = A.B

6. Tercet: R.a.b.A.B.a.b.b.R | R = A.B.B

7. Quatrain: R.a.b.A.B.a.b.b.a.R | R = A.B.B.A

8. Cinquain: R.a.a.b.A.A.B.a.a.b.b.a.R | R = A.A.B.B.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

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

References

• In Flanders Field, John McCrae

• We Wear the Mask, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Sestina

Six sestets followed by a tercet envoi.

Schema

\[u(\mathrm{A}).v(\mathrm{B}).w(\Gamma).x(\Delta).y(\mathcal{E}).z(\mathcal{Z}) + u(\mathcal{Z}).v(\mathrm{A}).w(\mathcal{E}).x(\mathrm{B}).y(\Delta).z(\Gamma) + u(\Gamma).v(\mathcal{Z}).w(\Delta).x(\mathrm{A}).y(\mathrm{B}).z(\mathcal{E}) + u(\mathcal{E}).v(\Gamma).w(\mathrm{B}).x(\mathcal{Z}).y(\mathrm{A}).z(\Delta) + u(\Delta).v(\mathcal{E}).w(\mathrm{A}).x(\Gamma).y(\mathcal{Z}).z(\mathrm{B}) + u(\mathrm{B}).v(\Delta).w(\mathcal{Z}).x(\mathcal{E}).y(\Gamma).z(\mathrm{A}) + [t_1:t_2] | t1 = ((u \circ \mathrm{A}) \circ \mathrm{B}).((v \circ \Gamma) \circ \Delta).((w \circ \mathcal{E}) \circ \mathcal{Z}), t2 = ((u \circ \mathrm{A}) \circ \Delta).((v \circ \mathrm{B}) \circ \mathcal{E}).((w \circ \Gamma) \circ \mathcal{Z}),\]

References

• Sestina (Bishop), Elizabeth Bishop

• Sestina of the Tramp-Royal, Rudyard Kipling

• Sestina, Travel Notes,

Sonnet

Schema (Petrachan)

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

Reducing,

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

Schema (Shakespearan)

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

Reducing,

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

Schema (Spenserian)

\[(a.b.a.b + b.c.b.c + c.d.c.d + e.e/\mathfrak{i}_5)\]

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

\[\overline{a.b.a + b.c.b + c.d.c + d.e.d + ... }\]

References

None yet found.

Triolet

Schema

\[\overline{(A.B.a.A.a.b.A.B/\mathfrak{i}_4)}\]

References

• Birds at Winter Nightfall, Thomas Hardy

• How Great My Grief, Thomas Hardy

Virelai

Schema (Ancien)

\[\overline{a.a.♭b.a.a.♭b.a.a.♭b + b.b.♭c.b.b.♭c.b.b.♭c + ... }\]

Schema (Nouveau)

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

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