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Pantoum Generator

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What is a pantoum?

A pantoum is a poetic form with a rich history, originating from Malaysia and gaining popularity in French literature before making its way to English poetry. Characterized by its intricate structure, a pantoum consists of quatrains (four-line stanzas) where the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the following stanza. This pattern continues throughout the poem, creating a cyclical and rhythmic effect. The final stanza often repeats the first and third lines of the opening stanza, creating a sense of closure and symmetry. The repetition in a pantoum serves multiple purposes, lending the poem a haunting, echoing quality while also deepening its thematic resonance. Through each repetition, subtle shifts in meaning and context can occur, leading to layers of interpretation and emotional impact. Additionally, the form encourages a sense of inevitability or circularity, reflecting themes of memory, time, and the interconnectedness of experiences. Overall, the pantoum offers poets a structured yet flexible framework for exploring complex emotions and narratives.

What is a pantoum generator?

a pantoum generator, also known as pantoum maker or pantoum writer, generates pantoums for you using artificial intelligence. Follow these 3 steps to generate a pantoum:

  1. Select the type of poem: In this case, select "Pantoum" from the drop-down list.
  2. Describe your poem: You should include the theme or subject of the pantoum and any relevant information you want to be included, such as the characters' backgrounds or the setting of the poem.
  3. Generate the poem: Click the big "Generate poem" button and watch as the AI pantoum generator does its magic. When it's finished, you can share the poem with the world, or if you're not happy, regenerate another pantoum about the same topic.

How do you write a pantoum?

Here are the steps to write a pantoum:

  1. Choose a theme or subject: Select a theme or subject for your pantoum. It could be a personal experience, an emotion, a natural scene, or any other topic that inspires you. Having a clear focus will help guide your writing.
  2. Determine the rhyme scheme: Decide on the rhyme scheme for your pantoum. Typically, the second and fourth lines of each quatrain will be repeated as the first and third lines of the next quatrain. You can represent the rhyme scheme as ABAB, BCBC, CDCD, and so on.
  3. Write the first quatrain: Start by writing the first quatrain of your pantoum. Choose two rhyming lines and two non-rhyming lines. These non-rhyming lines will become the repeated lines in subsequent stanzas. Ensure that the quatrain conveys a coherent thought or image related to your chosen theme.
  4. Repeat and expand: Take the second and fourth lines from the first quatrain and use them as the first and third lines of the second quatrain. Write two new lines to complete the second quatrain, ensuring they rhyme with each other. This creates a sense of continuity and expansion as the poem progresses.
  5. Continue the pattern: Repeat the process for subsequent quatrains. Take the second and fourth lines of the previous quatrain and use them as the first and third lines of the next quatrain. Write two new lines that rhyme with each other to complete the quatrain. This creates the repetitive structure of the pantoum.
  6. Conclude the pantoum: End your pantoum with a final quatrain that repeats the second and fourth lines from the previous stanza. The final quatrain should provide a sense of closure or a resolution related to your chosen theme.
  7. Revise and refine: After writing the initial draft of your pantoum, review the poem for clarity, coherence, and poetic effect. Pay attention to the flow, rhythm, and rhyme scheme. Make any necessary adjustments to enhance the overall structure and impact of the pantoum.
  8. Read aloud and seek feedback: Read your pantoum aloud to assess its rhythm and flow. Listen to how the repeated lines create a sense of connection and progression. Consider sharing your pantoum with others and gather feedback on its effectiveness. Revise further based on the feedback received.
  9. Finalize and polish: Make the final adjustments to your pantoum, ensuring that it maintains the repetitive structure and effectively conveys your chosen theme. Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and formatting to present the pantoum in its best possible form.
Or, generate a pantoum using artificial intelligence:

Example of a pantoum

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness,— That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease. O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth, Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth! O for a beaker full of the warm South, Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene, With beaded bubbles winking at the brim, And purple-stained mouth; That I might drink, and leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim: Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget What thou among the leaves hast never known, The weariness, the fever, and the fret Here, where men sit and hear each other groan; Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs, Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies; Where but to think is to be full of sorrow And leaden-eyed despairs, Where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow. Away! away! for I will fly to thee, Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards, But on the viewless wings of Poesy, Though the dull brain perplexes and retards: Already with thee! tender is the night, And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne, Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays; But here there is no light, Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways. I cannot see what flowers are at my feet, Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs, But, in embalmed darkness, guess each sweet Wherewith the seasonable month endows The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild; White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine; Fast fading violets cover'd up in leaves; And mid-May's eldest child, The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine, The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves. Darkling I listen; and, for many a time I have been half in love with easeful Death, Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme, To take into the air my quiet breath; Now more than ever seems it rich to die, To cease upon the midnight with no pain, While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad In such an ecstasy! Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain— To thy high requiem become a sod. Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; The voice I hear this passing night was heard In ancient days by emperor and clown: Perhaps the self-same song that found a path Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, She stood in tears amid the alien corn; The same that oft-times hath Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn. Forlorn! the very word is like a bell To toll me back from thee to my sole self! Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well As she is fam'd to do, deceiving elf. Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades Past the near meadows, over the still stream, Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep In the next valley-glades: Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music:—Do I wake or sleep?

By John Keats