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SESSION SIX
The “BI-TRILLETS” form.
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025

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I had planned to teach this session on Meter, or more specifically “Poetic Meter”, which entails getting into some rather complex technical issues.
But, since we’ve been rather saturated with technicalities of late, I decided we are in for a bit of unique poetic fun that includes a chance to use poetic meter and a number of other poetic devices, such as rhyme and metaphor, imagery, poetic voice and syntax, etc; you’ll see.
This form is one of my own inventions that’s fun and easy to compose in, and it’s an all round good way to practice and stretch those poetic wings.
It’s formation lends to nice rhythm and flow, a catchy rhyme-scheme, and virtually dances on the page.
It has also won a number of individual contests for my students.
Let’s begin with the format details of the Bi-Trillets to get you started:

“BI-TRILLETS”
Original form created by
Richard W. Jenkins
© 5 June 1996

Bi-Trillets is a form composed in a minimum of three 3-line stanzas.
Each stanza has 1 bi-rhyme (2-rhyme) line, followed by 1 Rhyming Couplet,
with no limit to the number of verses.
Alignment: Author’s Choice, but displays nicely when centered.
Syllable Counts Per Line: 5-5/8/8
3-Stanza Rhyme Scheme: a-a,b,b / c-c,d,d / e-e,f,f
(g-g,h,h / i-i,j,j etc; for additional stanzas)
About any topic the imagination can conjure up.

[example]

“His Life’s New Path”

Back through life’s trite path, spans its aftermath,
where all his misdeeds have been stacked …
remains that show how much he’s lacked.

It seems a harsh task, “Why bother?” you ask.
“One never knows what they might see,
where all things end in destiny:”

A sad, broken child; urchin, running wild
… torn, tattered soul with no rudder;
a misfit, making one shudder.

One fine day he woke, was no longer broke.
On open hearts there shined new light …
elucidate both day and night.

Dark veils were lifted, bright spirit’s gifted;
his life’s new path, filled fresh with awe,
in all things new that he now saw.

Richard W. Jenkins
© 5 June 1996

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Utilizing the understanding and any or all of the poetic devices displayed above, compose a Bi-Trillet of your own to share that we can all enjoy, benefit by, and learn from.
Need anything else? Want to comment, debate, disagree, need more clarity, have suggestions for something we should study?
You name it, don’t hold back, take part, join-in … this is how we come together and learn.

Have fun learning and playing with this unique form between now and next Wednesday, December 10th, 2025, at our next session for something else new and surprising.

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