Writing NONET and ETHEREE
I love to experiment with poetic forms. When I stumble across forms that make a shape or count syllables, I'm in.
A nonet has nine lines. The first line has nine syllables, the second line eight syllables, the third line seven syllables and so on…until line nine finishes with one syllable. It can be on any subject and rhyming is optional.
Thus
line 1 = 9 syllables
line 2 = 8 syllables
line 3 = 7 syllables
line 4 = 6 syllables
line 5 = 5 syllables
line 6 = 4 syllables
line 7 = 3 syllables
line 8 = 2 syllables
line 9 = 1 syllable
A nonet needs a title. I've written one and I'll show a couple here. I post only work that is already published. Most journals, magazines, and anthologies want original work, not something they can find online. You can also write the nonet upside down. In this winning poem. I began with nine syllables and worked my way down to one. As you can see, nonets look pretty if centered on the page.
Tarantula
Stealth on eight legs, my spirit totem
larger than life protector, you
showed yourself behind my eyes
I count on your presence
you have taught me strength
your hairy legs
touch gently
my hand's
web
Like a nonet but different is the etheree. An etheree has ten lines, going from one syllable to ten syllables, or ten to one. Again, the etheree needs a title and you can write them as doubles, triples, etc. Here is an example.
Nature's Cycle
One
morning
filled with dew
grasshoppers climb
high up flower stems
rub their legs together
spread their wings, take to the air.
Grasshoppers don't fly, they float down
oblivious to danger below.
A large mouth frog awaits them, opens wide.
Like a nonet, I sometimes combine two etheree to get my point across.
Line 1 – 10 syllables
then
10 – 1 syllable
Experiment and practice with these two forms of poetry. If you find you need another stanza, turn it upside down.
Enjoy!
Credits:
"Tarantula" took first place at Poetry Society of Indiana fall contest, 2023. Published in Ink to Paper January 2024, and the author's chapbook Self-Centered (Bottlecap Press) 2024.
"Nature's Cycle", Calling to Shore (Cicada Song Press) April 2025.