Welcome to the second edition of our poetry column. Sit somewhere cozy, grab some hot chocolate, and enter into the world of Ink and Inspiration. All you have to do is open the page!
PLAYING WITH PANTOUMS
A type of poetry, pantoums repeat the second and fourth line in every stanza with the first and third line in the next stanza. Authors use pantoums to play with the meaning of a verse and keep readers on their toes as to how a line will be repeated– changing the context of stanza, parts of the verse, or leaving it the same. This poem became popularized because authors could use the same verses to explore different themes and deeper topics. In the “Pantoum of The Great Depression” by Donald Justice, his use of the phrase “we did not ourselves know what the end was” changes depending on the stanza. He uses this line to describe the Great Depression, and, later in the poem, to depict how people acted at the time. Pantoums cleverly play with diction to illustrate a subject.
PANTOUM IN A STUDENT’S WORDS
The night cracks under the weight of our words
Our voices unite and usher dawn for a nation blighted
Patiently, we stand on the edge of liberty
Never forgetting our freedom akin to a caged bird
Our voices unite and usher dawn for a nation blighted.
We step forward into the light, relishing the warm touch of the sun
But we cannot forget that we will be as free as a caged bird
Night will come, and slowly we will fade into shadow, our worn feet disappearing beneath us
We step forward into the light, relishing the warm touch of the sun
The light imprints echoes of freedom onto our skin
But we cannot forget that night will come, and slowly we will fade into shadow,
Darkness hiding voices united to urge a caged bird flighted
The light imprints echoes of freedom onto our skin
We scream and shout, dreaming about ending the world’s sins
Darkness hiding voices united to urge a caged bird flighted
Yet together, we fight and we fight until we are righted
Shadow cracks under the weight of a flame burning so bright that the rest of the world is lighted and darkness is blinded.
