The Hexaduad, or: Form verses creativity

Posted on by ben Alexander

Sangeetha & David’s new poetry project

Once upon a time, two poets who’d never met in person spontaneously began writing verses back and forth to one another over the Internet. Their first poetry project took them some nine months: a 100 verse Hyakuin.

Once they’d completed their oeuvre, the two decided to continue their creative journey together; and Sangeetha came up with a fun new idea, which David loved – to explore different poetic forms together, working through the Alphabet from ‘A’ to ‘Z’.

Every week, for twenty-six weeks beginning in January of the year 2022, they would take turns selecting poetic forms beginning with the letter corresponding to that particular week (1=A, 2=B, etc., etc.) and write poems to one another using that form.

David suggested they call their new project ‘Form verses creativity’, and so it began.

H for Hexaduad

David’s hexaduad

Pen-pal,
when shall
we ever get to meet?
It would be -really- neat
to share a hot meal together;
to talk politics and weather;
to have some fun;
to laugh as one...
It's quite applausable,
This dream implausible!
Still... we share heart
~ the rhythmic part!

Sangeetha’s reverse hexaduad

Rhyme-mate of mine,
There'll be a time
To chat over a brew,
Just the way old friends do;
Write out some words,
Turn thoughts inwards,
Share hearts and imagination,
And literary fascination;
Our worlds rejuvenating,
Our two lives connecting,
All we
Believe

Hexaduad?

  • 12 lines made up of 6 rhymed couplets;
  • syllabic: 2/2 / 6/6 / 8/8 / 4/4 / 6/6 / 4/4;
  • rhyme scheme: aa/bb/cc/dd/ee/ff

Sangeetha & David’s ‘Form verses creativity’

  1. The Alouette
  2. The Balance
  3. The Candlelight
  4. The Dizain
  5. The Etheree
  6. The Florette
  7. The Ghazal
  8. The Hexaduad
  9. The Italian octave
  10. The Jue Ju
  11. The Kimo
  12. The Limerick
  13. The Marianne
  14. The Nocturna
  15. The Ottava Rima
  16. The Pathya Vat
  17. The Quintilla
  18. The Retrac
  19. The Sijo
  20. The Tritina
  21. The Ukiah
  22. The Verso-Rhyme
  23. The Waltz Wave
  24. X (wildcard): The Lira
  25. The YaDu
  26. The Zejel

Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.

–Ben Harper (b. 1969)

Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!

23 thoughts on “The Hexaduad, or: Form verses creativity”

      1. From the director of music and poetry
        The hexadaud
        6 couplets
        12 lines
        The perfect union and form
        For distant and faraway pen pals
        Maybe loves
        Definitely deeply loved friends

        I enjoyed the call and the response. To be continued…
        More letters
        Seasons
        And chapters

        Well done masters of the craft.

  8. Aw, man, this is gorgeous stuff, Sangeetha and David! You two have a true artistic connection and it’s so obvious when you share your poetry with us. What a wonderful friendship! 🙂

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