Forms and Language

Explanations about free verse, sonnet, meter, metaphor, rhythm, sound and other resources.

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Ilustração em formato de livro antigo compara os sonetos petrarquista e shakespeariano, com retratos dos poetas, esquemas de estrofes, rimas e indicação da volta.

Forms and Language27/09/20265 min read

Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets: how to read rhyme, stanzas, and the volta

Compare the traditional structures of Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnets with line-by-line maps of rhyme, stanza organization, and the volta that changes the argument.

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Livro de poesia aberto sobre mesa de madeira, perfil de pessoa falando e ondas sonoras luminosas com letras consonantais e vogais em tons frios e dourados.

Forms and Language20/09/20266 min read

Alliteration and assonance: how to hear repeated sounds and understand their effect in poetry

Learn to distinguish alliteration from assonance by ear, identify consonant and vowel repetition, and discuss how each shapes rhythm and meaning.

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Livro de poesia aberto sobre uma mesa de madeira, com versos anotados e um caderno ao lado sob luz quente.

Forms and Language02/09/20265 min read

Enjambment: how to read a line that carries into the next without killing the poem’s rhythm

Learn how to spot enjambment, follow syntax without forcing pauses, and hear the meaning created by a poetic line break.

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Caderno aberto com um haicai em português sobre mesa de madeira, ao lado de pincel de caligrafia, pétalas de cerejeira e jardim japonês ao fundo.

Forms and Language16/08/202610 min read

Does haiku have to be 5-7-5? How to write in Portuguese without confusing syllables, moras, kigo and corte

The 5-7-5 is an important tradition, but it is not mechanically equivalent to the Japanese metric. Understand moras, kigo and corte to choose a coherent form in Portuguese.

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Caderno aberto sobre mesa de madeira com versos manuscritos, marcações de escansão, ondas de ritmo e uma mão anotando com lápis ao lado de livros e café.

Forms and Language15/08/202611 min read

How to count poetic syllables without getting lost: scansion, vowel clusters and rhythm in practice

A practical method for scanning verses: count to the last stress, test vowel clusters by ear, and use rhythm and context to resolve ambiguous cases.

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Folha com poema em verso livre e diferentes possibilidades de quebra de linha marcadas durante a revisão.

Forms and Language09/08/20269 min read

Free Verse Is Not Broken Prose: How to Decide Where to Cut Each Line

In free verse, each cut can change rhythm, emphasis and meaning. See a practical method for testing line breaks and reviewing the poem aloud.

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