Triolet

A triolet is an eight-line poem with two rhyme sounds, in which the first line returns as the fourth and seventh lines and the second line returns as the eighth.

Robert Bridges opens a triolet with a line that comes back at the end of the stanza.

When first we met we did not guess
That Love would prove so hard a master;
Of more than common friendliness
When first we met we did not guess.

Robert Bridges, 1890

What it is

In a triolet, line one repeats as lines four and seven, and line two repeats as line eight. Only two rhyme sounds appear in the whole poem. The repeated lines read differently each time, because the lines between them have changed the context.

How to write one

Draft the two repeated lines first. Line one should work as the opening and as a statement that can change meaning when it returns at lines four and seven. Line two should do the same for line eight. Then write the new lines to rhyme with them. Keep the poem light on its feet, because eight short lines are easily weighed down. If the repetition feels forced, the problem is usually that the first line says too much and has no room to shift.

Why it matters to a writer or editor

The triolet is a tiny machine for showing how a repeated line can change meaning. It is most often light or wry, and it rewards a writer who likes tight constraints.

Frequently asked questions

What is the rhyme scheme of a triolet?

ABaAabAB, where capital letters are repeated lines and small letters are new lines that rhyme.