Udit Bhatia invented cascade poetry in 2007. This relatively new style of poetry got its name because it should flow down the page in a waterfall effect. The poem’s structure is simple and relies on the refrain to create the cascading rhythm. The magic of these poems centers around the refrain. The unmetered poems vary in theme depending on the poet’s desire. The only rule used when writing a cascade is that all the lines in the first paragraph are repeated at the ends of every stanza that follows. I will call this cascade poem Common Cold.
Structure of a cascade poem and Common Cold
The lines are represented as ABC.
- The first line ends with line A.
- The second line ends with Line B.
- The third line ends with line C.
I had written this form of poetry before and had fun with it. I plan to start the month of March using this style. The length of the stanza can vary. There is no rule about sticking to three lines. The thing to remember is that the longer the stanza, the more complicated the poem.
Common Cold We are all familiar with the Common Cold We’ve all met this fellow a time or two. He’s not a deadly, pandemic type of disease. As far as illness goes, he’s an underachiever. He struts into a room pretentious and bold, Bring with him some dapper sinus congestion. And a touch of snobbish indigestion We are all familiar with the Common Cold. He’s a pretender, from my point of view. With few credentials to mention He’s been around so long he’s earned a pension. We’ve all met this fellow a time or two. He’s made you cough, and he’s made you sneeze Behind your eyes you feel some tension The scope of this guy is beyond comprehension. He’s not a deadly, pandemic type of disease. This time around he’s made me a believer He can walk into a room full of pretention And infect a victim for his haughty collection As far as illness goes, he’s an underachiever.
Who is Molly Shea?
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.
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