Poetic Forms: Pantoum

Originally "pantuns" were written in ancient Malaysia. From them the French began developing the pantoum ("pan-TOOM") in the nineteenth century as a set of quatrains (4-line stanzas) which utilize refrains in a set line pattern. It may utilize a classic meter and/or rhyme, but this is not necessary to conform to the pantoum's guidelines. The minimum length of a pantoum is three stanzas, but there can be as many as the author wishes.

In a pantoum, the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines, respectively, of the following stanza. In addition, the final line of the poem is a repeat of the first line of the first stanza. Ideally, each refrain would have a different meaning from its first use, accomplished by changing context with the lines around it, or by using punctuation or punning.

Because of the many refrains that repeat from other stanzas, an interesting rhyming pattern can be developed. For example, taking "a-b-a-b" as the first stanza's rhyming scheme, and the poem's last line repeating the first line of the first stanza, you might well have the following pattern:

a-b-a-b ... b-c-b-c ... c-a-c-a

In a rhyming pattern, lines ending in a sound designated by "a" only rhyme with other "a" lines, "b" lines only with other "b" lines, and so on.

As with many classic forms, there are many variations to the pantoum. For example, some poets will repeat the third line of the first stanza as the second line in the last stanza, thereby allowing them to use every line in the poem twice.

The standard pantoum is written in the following line pattern:

L1
L2
L3
L4

L5- repeat L2
L6
L7- repeat L4
L8

L9- repeat L6
L10
L11- repeat L8
L12- repeat L1 (this is the final stanza)

Example:

The City on an Inland Sea

Its downtown skyline on display,
this city on an inland sea,
it draws the ruralites away
from lonely roads and storms' debris.

This city on an inland sea,
with much to teach and lots to learn
from lonely roads and storms' debris,
it asks so little in return.

With much to teach and lots to learn,
the Chi-town's heart is open wide,
it asks so little in return
from those who share its civic pride.

The Chi-town's heart is open wide,
it draws the ruralites away
to those who share its civic pride-
its downtown skyline on display.