How to write a quatrain poem

How to Write a Quatrain Poem from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit A quatrain is a stanza with four lines and a rhyme scheme. Because the rhyme scheme can have as many variations as possible ideas, people all over the world enjoy writing quatrain poems to express themselves. While a quatrain is only one verse, a quatrain poem can contain any number of quatrains.  Steps  Read examples of quatrains: I have played full known,Others came not their own,for we did fell a pride,Once was trust, now that we hide? The mountain frames the sky ,As a shadow of an eagle flies by,With clouds hanging at its edge ,A climber proves his courage on its rocky ledge."The Mountain" ~Donna Brock Shakespeare uses lots of quatrains in his poetry and plays. He mainly writes in <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Sonnet" title="Write a Sonnet">sonnets</a> which contain a combination of quatrains and rhyming couplets. </li></ul> </li> Choose a <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Poem-About-Student-Youth" title="Make a Poem About Student Youth">subject</a> for your poem. More abstract topics such as nature or emotion are easiest to find rhyme for, however you can write about <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Prompts-for-Writing-Poems" title="Find Prompts for Writing Poems">anything</a>. It could even tell a story as your poem can have more than one stanza. </li> Choose a <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Master-the-Basics-of-Poetry" title="Master the Basics of Poetry">rhyme scheme</a>. It is best to choose the rhyme scheme before you start writing however you may have to change it later if you can't find anything to fit. Common rhyme schemes for a quatrain are: ABAB, ABCD. If you have more than one verse you could consider: AABA BBCB CCDC etc. or similar. <ul> An example of ABAB rhyme scheme would be:A:Today there was some snowB: It's falling down a treatA:Then the wind began to blowB: And now it's turned to sleet. </li>Notice how all the "A" lines rhyme and all the "B" lines rhyme. </li>The first example in step one is AABB rhyme scheme. The second is ABAB. </li></ul> </li> Start writing. Use a rhyming dictionary or thesaurus for help if you get stuck on rhymes. Remember you might not always be able to say everything how you like because you are constricted by a rhyme scheme, but you may change from the rhyme scheme you chose to begin with. <ul> The first line is the base of your poem because they don't have to rhyme with anything yet. Start with this. </li> <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Brainstorm" title="Brainstorm">Brain storm</a> a list of words that <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Rhyme" title="Rhyme">rhyme</a> with the last word of the line you've written, but try to find ones that can be related to your topic. </li> The first line is always called "A" so check the rhyme scheme you've chosen and see where the line that rhymes with A (also called A) fits into your poem. </li> <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Self-Confidence" title="Build Self Confidence">Build</a> on the words you've <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Brainstorm-With-a-Group-of-People" title="Brainstorm With a Group of People">brainstormed</a> so they become a line. For beginners, try and create lines all of similar lengths. </li></ul> </li> Read your stanza aloud to check it flows naturally. At this point you may need to change the amount of syllables in each line or choose different words in order to have the best possible quatrain. </li> Decide if you want more than one stanza and if so, repeat the previous step. Following quatrains often have the same rhyme scheme. Although this is not mandatory it will make your poem sound better generally. </li></ol> <a name="Tips"></a> Tips <ul>Example: <ul><i>Alone, late at night </li>A thought came to me </li><li>Though it sat with spite </li><li>Upon my thought for none to see.</i> </li></ul> </li><li>You will write better poetry as you practice - you won't become a <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Poet" title="Be a Poet">poet</a> with one poem. </li><li>Jot down some general ideas that you want to convey. <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Properly-Highlight-a-Paper" title="Properly Highlight a Paper">Highlight</a> keywords, find rhymes or think of rhymes related to this idea. The more brainstorming you do beforehand, the easier it will be to write the </li></ul> <a name="Related_wikiHows"></a> Related wikiHows <ul><li><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Cinquain-Poem" title="Write a Cinquain Poem">How to Write a Cinquain Poem</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Metaphor" title="Write a Metaphor">How to Write a Metaphor</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Love-Poem" title="Write a Love Poem">How to Write a Love Poem</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Poem" title="Write a Poem">How to Write a Poem</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem" title="Write a Haiku Poem">How to Write a Haiku Poem</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Initial-Poem" title="Write an Initial Poem">How to Write an Initial Poem</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Poem-About-Nature" title="Write a Poem About Nature">How to Write a Poem About Nature</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Tyburn-Poem" title="Write a Tyburn Poem">How to Write a Tyburn Poem</a> </li></ul>

''Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on "">How to Write a Quatrain Poem". All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons BY-NC_SA_2.5 license.''