Triolet

Eight lines, two rhymes, and one line that returns three times — repetition as a small machine.

Specifications & Metrics

type

Fixed poetic form

origin

Medieval French lyric

originator

Old French lyric poets

meter

Usually tetrameter or pentameter

lines count

8

Core Principles & Analysis

• Eight lines on two rhymes, with line one returning as lines four and seven.
• The form came from medieval French light verse.
• Stevenson and Hardy used it for affectionate irony.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Triolet