Staccato form - it's a bit complicated, but fun form

The Call

It’s time for your rest to come to an end.
I know it is best to get up my friend.
Wake up! Wake up! Come to my side;
The paper’s blank and ink well’s dried.
I cannot create without my muse near.
Wake up you waif! It is time to come here!

I’ve opened my mind to let you inspire.
I’m waiting to find you’ve set me afire.
Speak now! Speak now! Silence abounds
Closely I heed, yet hear no sounds.
The deadline’s approaching; what shall I do?
Speak now my muse or else send someone new!







The Staccato, created by Jan Turner, consists of two or more 6-line stanzas.

Rhyme scheme: a,a,b,b,c,c
*Required internal rhyme scheme interplay between line #1 and line #2 (see below explanation and examples).

Meter: 10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 10

Repeats: This form requires a 2-syllable repeat in Lines #3 and #6 as specified below.

As in a musical notation, The Staccato poetry form uses short repeats which are abruptly disconnected elements. The repeat words are read as rapid-fire speech, such as staccato music when played or sung. This form lends itself to strong emotion or instruction (i.e. military poems: “Charge on! Charge on!” etc.), a declaration (such as of an event: “We’re married! We’re married!” etc.), an instruction or emphasis of human emotion (such as love, hate, longing: “Be mine! Be mine!” etc.), strong observation (such as “Those eyes! Those eyes!” etc.) or any similar situation where a strong staccato repeat is desired.

The emphatic two-syllable repeat in this poetry form is written twice, consecutively, at the beginning of Line #3 (each repeat in Line #3 is followed by an exclamation mark), and once again at the beginning of Line #6 (with or without an exclamation mark in Line #6). Please see below poem examples.

Also, Line #2 requires an internal rhyme scheme that rhymes with a word within Line #1, usually falling on the 6th syllable (see examples below), but can fall earlier in those two lines as long as the internal rhyme matches the syllabic stress in both lines (Example: see below poem: “A Soldier’s Wife” where in Stanza #2 an alternative internal rhyme falls in Lines #1 and #2 on the 4th and 5th syllables with the words ‘motions’ and ‘notions’).