‘Write ONE unrhymed alexandrine couplet (ie the two lines do not rhyme in their end words), but it includes an internal rhyme scheme, on the topic of the phantom/spirit of someone.’
I really did not think it necessary to elaborate upon ‘internal rhyme scheme’ as I thought that poets were familiar with this term or could look it up. Here is the standard definition of this poetry term:
Internal rhyme is the rhyming of two words within the same line of a verse, and more often found in the longer poetic metres, ie pentameter, hexameter, heptameter, and octameter. It is usually equidistant between the middle and end.
From Poetry Soup Dictionary: Either where a word in the middle of a line of poetry rhymes with the word at the end of the line, eg The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe, or where two words in mid sentence rhyme, eg ‘dawn-drawn’ in The Windhover, by Gerard Manley Hopkins.
From my follow-up blog
Alexandrine, hexaverse and hexameter - Suzette Richards's Blog (poetrysoup.com)
‘In English the hemistich is replaced by hexaverse, meaning half lines of 6 syllables each. Thus ending with the traditional 12 syllables per verse. (Verse means both a single line, or a stanza in poetry.)’
Therefore, I require that the rhymes fall on the 6th and 12th syllables of each line, AS PER MY EXAMPLE POEMS. Also, read the GLOSSARY on the contest page with attention. See the depicted rhymes of the two different rhyme schemes (single perfect rhyme OR syllabic rhyme) you may chose from – do not mix them up in the same poem. For instance: regress (this word would work for the single perfect rhyme); finesse (this word would work for the syllabic rhyme); but goodness (stem word good + suffix –ness) does not work for either rhyme schemes. As I have said on previous occasions, rhyming apps such as Rhymezone and syllable counters such as HowManySyllables, can only aid up to a point. As poets, you have to sift the chaff from the corn within the guidelines set by the contest.
To recap:
‘[T]he rhyme scheme: a1–a2; b1–b2. Only use [edit] polysyllabic/multi-syllabic words in the rhymes …’
NB I do NOT require the poem to be metrical, ie in iambic or trochaic metre, throughout (as per my examples on the contest page).For instance: regress (this word would work for the single perfect rhyme); finesse (this word would work for the syllabic rhyme); but goodness (stem word good + suffix –ness) does not work for either rhyme schemes. As I have said on previous occasions, rhyming apps such as Rhymezone and syllable counters such as HowManySyllables, can only aid up to a point. As poets, you have to sift the chaff from the corn within the guidelines set by the contest.
Reposted from my first blog:
Recommended reading (LINK): How to Write Alexandrines ... : 5 Steps – Instructables
Please note that if you decide to make any corrections to your poems, you would need to cancel your current poem, and submit your corrected entry – otherwise I would not pick it up.
Now I have exhausted explanations for a very simple poetic form. Good luck in the contest.
Happy quills!
Suzette