Poetric Form- the Rictameter

There seems to be no end to syllabic-based formats. The rictameter was invented by two cousins, Jason D. Wilkins and Richard W. Lunsford, Jr., who had started their own poetry club. The "Brotherhood of the Amarantos Mystery" was inspired in 1989 by the dark but stirring movie, "Dead Poets Society," starring Robin Williams. In their weekly "Brotherhood" meetings, Jason and Richard held private poetry contests and experimented with new poetic formats, eventually coming up with the "rictameter," which Jason apparently named after Richard. Since then, the rictameter has gained in popularity, with several websites now dedicated to or highlighting this form.

The syllable counts are specific in the rictameter. A single stanza begins and ends with the same two-syllable word, and in between the syllable count rises, then falls, by two syllables per line, with line five being the center and longest line. Thus the lines have the syllable count, 2-4-6-8-10-8-6-4-2, for a total of 50 syllables.

As with most other fixed-syllable forms, there is no meter nor rhyming required, and no limitation as to subject matter. Rictameter variations do exist, such as multiple stanzas, allowing for storytelling, and relaxing the strict number of syllables required in each line by plus or minus one.

Examples:

Idyllic

Quiet
shouts idyllic
in this pastoral scene-
though blackbirds pierce the perfect calm
with echoed intermissions, forgiven.
Am I awake, I ask the mare
as she feeds, or am I
hungering for
quiet?

Islandish Artists

Artists
are fierce rivals,
with colorful banners
and gaudy wall hangings as their
weapons of choice, though only the tourists
suffer the crass contemplation
of the offerings from
these islandish
artists.