Monostich
A monostich is a poem which consists of a single line.[1]
Form
A monostich has been described as 'a startling fragment that has its own integrity'[2] and 'if a monostich has an argument, it is necessarily more subtle.'[3]
A monostich could be also titled; due to the brevity of the form, the title is invariably as important a part of the poem as the verse itself: [4]
Some one line poems have 'the characteristics of not exceeding one line of a normal page, to be read as one unbroken line without forced pauses or the poetics of ceasura', and others having ' a rhythm, (as with one-line haiku), dividing easily into three phrases'.[5]
History
Almost all examples of monstich are imported from other languages, the Russian and the French.[6] Modern monostich,itself was started in Russia in 1894 [7] when Valery Bryusov published the single line of pretty absurdic essence:
- О закрой свои бледные ноги.
- (Oh, cover your pale legs.)
Perhaps the first to re-introduce one line poems was Guillaume Apollinaire with his "Chantre" (1914)[1] in his collection 'Alcools' (1913), mentioned by Leroy Breunig in 'Apollonaire and the monostich' followed by Bill Zavatsky with his 'Roy Rogers'article(1974)[8] in which he made clear 'one line poems 'are not at all foreign to Western poetic tradition, and also including therein some from Jerome Rothenberg's 'Technicians of the Sacred'(1969),[9] all of which are referenced in William Higginson's 'Characteristics of Monostichs'.[10]Another, one Emmanuel Lochac published in 1920 'one-liners' under the title 'Monostiches'.[11]
Later, John Ashbery in '37 Haiku' demonstrated the Haiku in the monostich form.[12] The 'tien' [2] is a modern monostich variation, being a ten Monosyllable single line poem derived from the first line of Chidiock Tichborne's famous monosyllabic Elegy. [13] Ian McBryde's 2005 book 'Slivers' consists entirely of one line poems.[14]
See also
References
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- [3] Monostich examples by Yvor Winters
- Examples by Ian McBryde
- Article-on Ashbery '37 Haiku'
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- ↑ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/monostich
- ↑ Hahn, Kimiko, 'A Broken Thing :Poets on the Line'
- ↑ Martin, Camille, 'The Humble Monostich' , Rogue Embryo, 2011 .
- ↑ http://www.poetrydances.com/monostich.php
- ↑ Higgison , William 'Characteristics of One line poems and Monostichs' Haiku Clinic, Simply Haiku.com
- ↑ Kacian, Jim 'The Shape of Things to come: From Past and Future' Juxtapositions, 'The Journal of Haiku Research and Scholarship'
- ↑ Strahkovsky, Leonid 'The Silver Age of Russian Poetry:Symbolismand Acemeism' Canadian Slavonic Papers vol 4 1959
- ↑ Roy Rogers ,article , Winter issuse, New York Hospitality House 1974
- ↑ Higginson, William 'One line poems to one line Haiku' Haiku Clinic
- ↑ http://www.simplyhaiku.com/SHv2n5/haikuclinic/haikuclinic.html#return_7
- ↑ Breunig Leroy, 'Apollinaure and the Monostich', 'Roy Rogers' , New York House, 1974
- ↑ Ashbery, John '37 Haiku':A Wave: New York:Viking 1984
- ↑ http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poems/my-prime-youth-frost-cares
- ↑ Hirsch, Edward 'A Poets Glossary' Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , Boston 2014ISBN 9780151011957
