Creating Poems in Folding Mirror Poetry Form
Haiku Inspired but Looser and Longer than the Japanese 5-7-5 Format
Jul 21, 2009
In its strictest form, Haiku calls for a poem to be written in three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable count. Inspired by Haiku structure, the Folding Mirror poetry form calls for two mirroring halves of a poem either side of a middle line, as the Haiku has two lines of five syllables either side of a middle line with seven syllables; but in the Folding Mirror it is the words per line, the line length and punctuation that provides the mirror effect.
Words Per Line in Each Half of the Poem
The Folding Mirror calls for the words per line to mirror each other either side of the folding middle line. So the next lines to the middle in each half should have the same amount of lines, and this works for all the lines out to the outside lines in each half.
For example, the lines next to the middle may have four words each, as the Haiku lines next to the middle have five syllables each, but with the Folding Mirror the mirroring of lines continues out to however many lines the poem contains.
The Line Length in Each Half of the Poem
A better aesthetic effect is created if the lines either side of the folding middle line are of similar length.
Even if a line has the same amount of words as its respective line in the other half of the poem, if the words are much longer in one half's line than its mirror line in the other half of the poem then it can impair the mirror effect.
Punctuation in Each Half of the Poem
A better mirror effect is created if the punctuation in each half of the poem also mirror each other.
Concluding Sentence on the Structure
While those three mirroring guidelines provide the basis for the Folding Mirror format, the form does not require complete adherence to any of the above, and it is the whole look and content of the poem that is most crucial.
The Content of Folding Mirror Poems and its Markets
As the structure of the two halves of the poem mirror each other, so should the content.
The Folding Mirror form provides an ideal structure to compare two halves of something; such as two halves of a planet, somebody's personality, a period of time, a return journey etc.
The folding middle line can be used to divide the two halves, connect them or as a stand-alone.
Folding Mirror poems have been published in Tips for Writers (by Caroline Gill, Marc Latham, Wendy Webb, Norman Bissett, and Claire Knight), Poetry Monthly International (by Wendy Webb) and everydaypoets.com (by Marc Latham).
A Folding Mirror competition on the Writelink website was won by Sarah James.
The fmpoetry site regularly publishes new Folding Mirror poems and has further information about the poetry form.
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