According to Poets.org, the pantoum form originated in Malaysia in the fifteennth century as a short folk poem. They gained popularity with nineteenth century French and British writers, including the famous Victor Hugo. Later, the poetic art form garnered attention in the 1950s from American writers, such as Anne Waldman, Marilyn Hacker, and Donald Justice, among many.
Setup
A literary cousin of the villanelle, the pantoum poem is composed of interlocking four line stanzas, known as quatrains. They may rhyme, but is not a requirement for a good pantoum. In each stanza, the second and fourth line of the stanza are repeated in the first and third lines of the following stanzas. In other words, a pantoum setup looks like this:
ABAB, BCBC, CDCD, etc.
Often, the first and last lines of a pantoum are the same. However, as modern pantoum form evolves, writers often take liberties with the poem's form. For example, while the lines may be repeating, different meaning can emerge from each stanza as the poet changes punctuation.
For those interested in writing a pantoum, there are many ways to play with this form and each time, have a slightly different poem as a finished product. In many ways, the pantoum could be considered "stream-lined creativity," as the writer is following a loose structure while still exploring what the pantoum poem can become. While it may sound difficult at first, it becomes surprisingly easy with some practice, and is a great form to play with for those are at a standstill in writing poems.
Example 1"Young Love Blossoms" By Susan Beam
Lovers exchanging secret glances
from across the room
Playful smiles, looks nods,
That signify nothing and everything.
From across the room,
it may be quite innocent,
Signifying nothing and everything,
or, maybe a hidden tryst....
But it may be quite innocent!
Only he and she know,
Maybe a hidden tryst,
A stolen moment, a quiet kiss
Only he and she know,
And we, the watchers, the audience, cannot see,
A stolen moment, a quiet kiss.
But we know, and rejoice in love.
Young flowers flowers in the room,
And we, the watchers, the audience, cannot see,
But smile and nod, and recognize,
Lovers exchanging secret glances.
Example 2
"Summer Twilight" By Susan Beam
I love dancing in the dark
under the light of a thousand suns,
in the sweet and perfumed night,
My heart is warm and full.
Under the light of a thousand suns,
all worry, all stress gone,
My heart is warm and full,
as my head is thrown back in joy.
All worry, all stress gone,
the burdens of the day cast off
as my head is thrown back in joy,
and my hands raise in celebration.
The burdens of the day cast off!
And I'm ageless, a spiritual being,
my hands raised in celebration,
I love dancing in the dark.
Susan Beam - Currently writing for a weekly newspaper, the Columbia Ledger, in Columbia, PA, and for Lancaster County Woman.
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