Peep Game: Non Western Poetic Forms

Because poetry is not just limited to one hemisphere.

Here at Think in Ink our mission is to go beyond the traditional white dominated westernization of poetry. Therefore, as we celebrate National Poetry Month, we thought it was important that you familiarize yourself with forms from the east.

We hope you’d even be up for trying a few yourself.

—Pantoum: According to Poetry Foundation, pantoums originate from Malaysia and made their way to French and eventually Anglophone poetry circles. A pantoum can be of any length, but there are specific “rules” to its composition. Each stanza is a quatrain (four lines) with the second and fourth line of each quatrain repeating in the first and third line of the next.

A great example of a pantoum is “My Brother at 3 A.M.” by Natalie Diaz.

—Haibun: The haibun, like the world revered haiku, also originates from the Japanese poetic culture. To many, the haibun is seen as the Japanese prose poem, but I believe there is more to it (at least from my study of the form).

To me, the haibun is part prose poem, part haiku, part diary entry, part moon cycle flash essay. The haibun begins with a paragraph of “prose,” and concludes with a haiku. For you hybrid form lovers like myself, this is your moment.

A good place to start learning more about the haibun can be found here.

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—Chueh-chu: The chueh-chu is a Chinese poetic form, similar to a sonnet but is eight lines instead of fourteen. Like the sonnet, there are several rhyme schemes you can follow:

• AABA CADA

• ABCB DBEB

• AABA AACA

—Ghazal: The ghazal is a traditional poetic form from the Middle East, written by Arabs and later popularized by Persian poets. Many people think it is pronounced “guh-zaall” but in actually it is pronounced like “guzzle.”

The renowned poet Patricia Smith is known for her spectacular “Hip Hop Ghazal” if you are looking for something that pushes form. If you are a traditionalist however, you may want to read these as well.

—Eintou: The eintou is a traditional form of West African poetry. The eintou, like the African American created kwansaba, was meant to make space for poets of the African diaspora who write in the west.

Historically, eintous were frowned upon by European audiences, due to their in familiarity with the form. This struggle is still seen today by Black and Brown writers who attempt to publish poetry outside the white gaze, eintous aside.

We hope these forms will provide sustenance during this celebration of poetry all month. We hope that you will try some of these poems yourself.

Who knows, you may surprise your friends and family with your newly crafted skills.

—CLB

Chris L. Butler (sometimes C.L. Butler) is a Black American and Dutch poet, historian, essayist, retired freestyle rapper, activist, and entrepreneur. His poetry can be found in or forthcoming with Southern Florida Poetry Journal, CV2: The Canadian Journal of Poetry & Critical Writing, Alternating Current Press, Trampset, APIARY Magazine,  and others. He is the Co-founder & Contributor of Think in Ink, the Associate Poetry Editor at Bending Genres, an Essays Reader at The Rumpus.