Prompt:

Virelay

The Virelay comes from the word “v’irer”, meaning to veer or turn. This form does not have a specific meter, but it does have a rhyming scheme and is written in interlinking quatrains:

a,b,a,b
b,c,b,c
c,d,c,d
d,e,d,e
so on

It is also written in alternating lengths. The odd lines of this form are long while the even lines are short.
And the last stanza must consist of the rhyme found in the short lines from the last stanza and the first stanza. Check the sample poem below for clarity.

Example (by Trish Macqueen):

Slender sunrays stretch out across the land (a)
Bringing the light of day (b)
As a soft simmering glow crosses the sand (a)
Creating a sparking array. (b)

Assorted birds awaken and begin to play (b)
Echoing loudly with song (c)
While frolicking seals, come home to lay (b)
Surfing the waves so strong. (c)

Nocturnal mammals slowly lumber along (c)
Returning home to sleep (d)
While out at sea, the shipping buoy’s gong (c)
As night slows to a creep. (d)

Waves rise becoming strong and steep (d)
Livening up the calm bay (b)
Before winds blow and slowly sweep (d)
The dark shadows away. (b)

In this example the pattern is: a,b,a,b/b,c,b,c/c,d,c,d/ and the last stanza d,b,d,b (Kindly understand the guidelines before tagging the admins for clarification).

Notes:
~Though this form can be written in as many quatrains as one wants, for this event, write a three-stanza Virelay in any topic of your choice.

The winners of the event shall receive the book “Tides of Life” by Kirti V.

This book was extended for #BookNook Gift-a-book program by the author.

For questions related to the rules and criteria, please write to us at penmagica@gmail.com