Pantoum

The form of poetry from the reading is known as a pantoum. This originates from the French in terms of Malay. The rules of a pantoum follow the abab rhyme as each line can have either eight syllables or go up to twelve syllables. As the poem opens, the first line is one of the most important lines. It gives an image of what the poem is about and what it could entail. Sometimes, almost always, the last line can also match the first to give it an aggressive and intense closing to portray the central message as a full circle.

In Vince Gotera’s Chain-Letter Pantoum, the first and last line state “Don’t throw this letter away! Horrible Consequences”(260). As it opens up with that line, we know that there are various amounts of reasons not to throw out a letter. The poem thoroughly goes hand in hand with reasons of bad consequences with intense use of images and language. This pantoum is also expressing concern and warnings as it says, “He lost both his legs in a terrible car crash”(Gotera 260). As the poem continues, we notice all the consequences and severe concerns referring to the opening and closing line. This indeed is an obsessive matter because of the constant references being made. It is also great to point out that this letter is unraveling with intriguing information as the cycle is being passed on.

Vince Gotera. “Chain-Letter Pantoum”, An Exaltation of Forms: Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Arts. Edited by Anne Finch and Kathrine Varnes. U of Michigan Press, 2002, p.260

Related posts:

Financial investments are primarily done with the expectation of achieving a profit. Yes, money still drives the main investment portfolio decisions and yet it isn’t the sole criteria any longer…

We have been working JavaScript to do some amazing things, but JavaScript has its limitations. Microsoft released the open-source TypeScript to add more functionality to JavaScript by creating a…

Cedro Finance is an interconnected, multi-chain decentralized liquidity protocol in which users can lend and borrow the assets listed on multiple chains with affordable transaction fees. The Cedro…