Quaternion (poetry)

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Quaternion is a poetry style in which the theme is divided into four parts.

Contents

Characteristics

Each part of a quaternion explores the complementary natures of the theme or subject. The word quaternion is derived from the Latin word quaterni, meaning "four by four". [1] The poem may be in any poetic form and 'offers poets the chance to experiment with varied rhetorical structures'. [2]

Examples

Anne Bradstreet, America's first significant poet, wrote four quaternions:

Elizabeth Daryush, known for her syllabic verse, used the quaternion form in her poem "Accentedal". [3]

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References

  1. The Chambers Dictionary, Chambers Harrap Publishers, Edinburgh, 2006 ISBN   0-550-10255-8
  2. Eberwein, Jane Donahue, ' Early American Literature' vol 9 no 1 University of North Carolina Press Spring 1974
  3. 'Biography of Elizabeth Daryush' MyPoeticSide.com