Verse Forms - the Triolet

The Triolet

Basic features & history of the verse form:

Number of lines	8
Structure / divisions	The triolet, perhaps because of its length, usually appears as a single unit
Rhyme scheme	ABaAabAB
Meter	In English, often iambic tetrameter or iambic pentameter
Refrain line or lines	Yes — refrain lines are designated by A and B
Time / place of origin	14th-century France
Medieval / Renaissance poets associated with this form	Jean Froissart, Francois Villon
Examples written in English by or before —	17th century (Patrick Carey)

An example of a triolet:

Triolet III
by Patrick Carey (1624-1657)

1 (A) Yes (my dear Lord) I've found it so;

2 (B) No joys but thine are purely sweet;

3 (a) Other delights come mixt with woe,

4 (A )Yes (my dear Lord) I've found it so.

5 (a) Pleasure at courts is but in show,

6 (b) With true content in cells we meet;

7 (A) Yes (my dear Lord) I've found it so;

8 (B) No joys but thine are purely sweet.

A Brief Guide to Some Medieval and Renaissance Verse Forms