Poetry Is Pretentious

The nonet poetry form is a stanza consisting of nine lines, with each line containing a specific number of syllables that decrease from nine to one. The form gained popularity in the 20th century as poets embraced its structured yet flexible nature. Its popularity has waned since, but the challenge it provides is timeless.

Despite its simplicity, the nonet poetry form offers a creative challenge by demanding precision in syllable count while allowing poets the freedom to explore a wide range of themes, emotions, and subjects within the confined structure.

Rules of Nonet Poetry

1. It is a poem of 9 lines
2. The first line is 9 syllables, second line is 8, third is 7, etc.
3. There is no set meter or rhyme scheme

Variations of Nonet Poetry

Rules of the Reverse Nonet

1. It is a poem of 9 lines
2. The first line is 1 syllable, the last is 9
3. There is no set meter or rhyme scheme

Rules of the Reflective Nonet

1. It is 2 stanzas of 9 lines
2. The first stanza is a traditional nonet
3. The second stanza is a reverse nonet

Examples of the Form

Monday, hiking Kennesaw Mountain—
Ten-thousand steps and two hours
later, the peak is at last
in sight. Waiting at the
top, so alone, is
a plastic tub
of spicy
chicken
pho.

Dust has never done a thing to me
I doubt that dust could hurt a soul
And yet, I am expected
to wipe it from this earth.
What is murder if
not the wiping
of dusty
window
sills?

Example of the Reverse Nonet

Our
old fridge
used to make
great ice, until
we got a new one.
It comes out in oblong
shapes, the size of my thumb, too
big for any human to chew.
My teeth (and my dentist, too) rejoice.

See also:
Cinquain
Reverse Cinquain