The Dominym

These are two types of poetry which I invented, one a while ago and the other recently. I don't know why I'm bothering to put this up here but I figure it can't hurt. And maybe you'll find yourself inspired to make some of your own. Whether that means your own poetry or your own style, I can only hope that you give this stuff a try every now and then. Or at least understand how amazing I am for making them.

:)

So to begin, the dominym. And I must give you a warning: some of the people I've taught this to have claimed that it's destroyed their poetic skill because it got them stuck in a rut. I'm pretty sure that makes no sense, because if they had any skill at all they would be able to adapt. But regardless, the dominym is a fairly rigid form that some may find frustrating.

Firstly, the dominym contains anywhere from one to an infinite amount of stanzas. You can have singles, you can have doubles, triples, or entire pages for one poem.

Secondly, we have a syllable count. Some find this restrictive and frustrating, others find it interesting as it molds their words to fit an idea instead of the other way around. The syllable count goes 8 6 8 6, though I have found myself writing block 8s before...

And finally, there is meter, meaning there are up and down patterns of emphasis. Many people who try this seem to get it off a bit and make it awkward for the reader. My advice to them... stop it!

Your finished product should resemble this:

-_-_-_-_
-_-_-_
-_-_-_-_
-_-_-_

Where each symbol represents a syllable and the opposition resembles the shift in emphasis. Keep in mind, however, that there are times when things outside of this established pattern work as well. For example,

surreptitiously he walked
among the darkened streets
where children gathered all around
to gather tricks and treats

Notice that the first line has only 7 syllables, yet the flow is not obstructed. This is because (as you musicians can attest) the "pickup" note at the beginning of the first line has been dropped. Imagine if the first line read "and surreptitiously he walked" instead. The flow would still be there, and this is a good tactic if you're writing something with more continuity, a story of sorts.

Another point of focus is the fourth line, where it says "to gather" instead of "gathering." Why did I do this? Well, look at it this way.

to GAther TRICKS and TREATS

gaTHERing TRICKS and TREATS

Obviously the first sounds better, though both work equally as far as the form is concerned.

A final note! Rhyming can be introduced internally or externally, across the 2 4 lines, the 1 3 lines, or both. It's not hard to do, if you take the time to think of words that rhyme and follow your general idea.

Well I was going to add a section about Chain Poetry, but this is quite long enough already, so I will do that at a later date.