Skeltonic verse is a lively, irregular style of short-line poetry associated with the English poet John Skelton. It usually relies on rapid, heavily rhymed lines, often with repeated sounds and a quick, choppy rhythm that can feel comic, satirical, or breathless. The lines do not follow a fixed meter, but they often rush forward through piled-up rhymes and stressed beats.
Writers use Skeltonic verse to create energy, parody, or verbal drive rather than smooth, even music.
Example
The market bell goes ding-a-dong
While fishwives shout and boys troop on
The baker laughs, the jars all clatter
The mayor says hush-the crowd says chatter