Changes

The '''pantoum''' originated in [[Malaysia]] as a form of short folk poem. Originally consisting of two rhyming couplets that were either recited or sung, the pantoum's form slowly changed when imported to [[Europe]]. The modern pantoum is a poem of any length consisting of four-line stanzas in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next stanza. Quite often, the first line of a pantoum is also the last. [[Victor Hugo]] is credited with introducing this poetic form to Europe.  

The '''pantoum''' is a form of [[poetry]] which originated in [[Malaysia]], as a short folk poem using the [[oral tradition]], being sung or recited<ref name="poetsorg">http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5786</ref>.

 

The original form, in which there were sets of rhyming [[couplets|couplet]], differs from the modern form, which changed over time when introduced to [[Europe]]. [[Victor Hugo]] is credited with introducing this poetic form to Europe<ref name="poetsorg" />.

 

The modern pantoum form can vary in length, but requires each [[stanza]] to be a [[quatrain]].  The second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated in the following stanza, and in most circumstances, the first line of the pantoum is repeated in last line of the last stanza.

 

One exciting aspect of the pantoum is the subtle shifts of context as repeated phrases are revised with different punctuation.In John Ashbury's poem, "Pantoum", the line "Why the court, trapped in a silver storm, is dying." becomes, "Why, the court, trapped in a silver storm, is dying!" when repeated, reflecting the shift in emotion that can occur from a simple change of punctuation<ref name="poetsorg" />.

 

 

 

 

[[category:poetry]]

[[category:poetry]]