Elfchen
An Elfchen (also known as an elevenie) is a short poem with a given pattern. It contains eleven words which are arranged in a specified order over five rows. The typical structure of an elfchen is as follows:
Row | Words | Content |
---|---|---|
1 | 1 | A thought, an object, a color, a smell, or the like |
2 | 2 | What does the word from the first row do? |
3 | 3 | Where or how is the word of row 1? |
4 | 4 | What do you mean? |
5 | 1 | Conclusion: What results from all this? What is the outcome? |
Desperate
Writer’s block
Page is blank
Just put something down
Relief
Haiku
The structure of a traditional haiku is always the same, including the following features:
- There are only three lines, totaling 17 syllables.
- The first line is 5 syllables.
- The second line is 7 syllables.
- The third line is 5 syllables like the first.
Blogging should be fun
But some days, not so easy
Result is nonsense
Limerick
A limerick is a form of verse, usually humorous and frequently rude, in five-line, predominantly anapestic meter with a strict rhyme scheme of AABBA, in which the first, second and fifth line rhyme, while the third and fourth lines are shorter and share a different rhyme.
There once was a teacher who wrote
But ne’er produced a thing of note
His thoughts he tried hard to gather
But all that came out was blather
Alas, he’d never be called the GOAT
Six-word story
Agreed. Not much of a blog.
😂
It was entertaining, didn’t know you were such a poet!
My posts on Friday’s used to be called 6 word stories. But you know me, I don’t like numbers or counting! LOL! They kept being longer so I just changed the title! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poetry is one of my many talents -not!
I’ve written six-word stories in the past when I couldn’t think of anything else to write…
LikeLike
LOL! 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
Look at you, Jim! Next, you’ll be offering poetry tips on Brad’s site.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did you see Brad’s comment? He whipped up four much better poems, probably in a matter of minutes. Mine took considerably longer 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is how it all starts, my friend. By next month, you’ll be throwing in poetry webinars with each new purchase of tires.🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
those poetry seminars will quickly turn into accounting lectures… 🙂
LikeLike
I disagree. This is a very good post! Here is my Elfchen:
Procreate
Spawns art
On my iPad
This makes me happy
Inspiration
This is in preparation for tomorrow’s post. And thank you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
thanks – and very nicely done yourself!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
👏🏻😎😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
very creative and poetic. you created a blog in spite of yourself. brad would be proud.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Beth. I was thinking of Brad while I wrote these, and he responded by writing four of his own number poems, all much better than mine!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fantastic. I enjoyed your poetic musings. (six-word response)
LikeLiked by 2 people
thank you very very much, Norah 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so proud, Mr. Q! You have presented four different forms of poetry with a delightful example of each in an original poem. It is not as hard as I make it look, is it? You have brought your world of numbers into the home of poetry. Let me bring a little poetry into your home of numbers:
Elevenie (Elfchen)
Accountants
Love numbers
Maybe too much
But they do have
Balance
Hiaku
Counting is too hard
Tax time looms, circling vultures
Feasting on the earned
Limerick
There once was a number-crunching bloke
Who saw that numbers were no joke
I was worried about taxes, but then
With the magical wave of his pen
He convinced the taxman I was broke
Six Word Story
This is the best post ever!
Bravo, my friend!
LikeLiked by 3 people
thanks, Brad. I love your creative response, but I should have expected nothing less. You probably came up with those in a matter of minutes; me, it took a bit longer!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, but can I juggle?
LikeLiked by 1 person
if not right now, with five minutes of lessons, you’d be juggling right away… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had that arranged in poetry form. Not sure what happened. Oh well, that’s life!
LikeLiked by 1 person
it looks like they came out ok 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Silly me….👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe there is a link between creative accounting and writing poetry!
LikeLiked by 1 person
creative accounting can get you in trouble, I don’t think writing poetry can… 🙂
LikeLike
We learn something new every day. So today you are the teacher.
LikeLiked by 1 person
and I am sure none of the students were paying attention… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved these. I don’t dabble in poetry anymore, so I’ll spare you any efforts here. But I’m enjoying the others in the comments, too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
thanks, Staci. Yes, there were a few creative responses – better than the original post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let’s say equally as good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed these examples! ✍️😊⭐️
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks; they were fun to do…
LikeLike
Nice! I learned something new again! My 6 word story is…I really enjoy reading your blog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very, very much, Lori!
LikeLiked by 1 person
First time I’ve heard of an Elfche. Great poems Jim.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Tandy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll be honest. Six words story is the only thing I get. Getting instruction on how to write is too painful for me. I’m too stubborn to swallow anything than my way 😂 I love your poem and haiku though 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks, Jessica. It was kind of fun putting these together and seeing if I could do it within the constraints…
LikeLiked by 1 person
😃
LikeLike