DOUBLE DACTYL

         
       The double dactyl, like the limerick has a fixed structure and is usually humorous. It is seen as more rigid and difficult to write, however, than the limerick.  

       Two stanzas are required, each containing three lines of dactylic dimeter (/uu /uu) followed by a line made up of just one choriamb (/uu/).  The two stanzas must rhyme on their last lines. 

       The first line of the first stanza is repetitive nonsense. The second line of the first stanza is the subject of the poem, which is supposed to be a double-dactylic proper noun (though Hecht and other poets sometimes bent or ignored this rule). Another requirement is at least one line, preferably the second line of the second stanza, that is one double dactyl word. Some purists still follow Hecht and Pascal's original rule that no single six-syllable word, once used in a double dactyl, should ever be knowingly used again.  

       These little poems are given titles.

       Here's an example by John Hollander:

Higgledy Piggledy 

Higgledy piggledy,

Benjamin Harrison, 

twenty-third president,

was, and, as such, 

served between Clevelands and, 

save for this trivial 

idiosyncrasy, 

didn't do much.

MORE EXAMPLES

Donald the Trumpeter

Elephant smell-ephant

Donald the Trumpeter

Blasting his crazy horn

Spit blowing mutt

First Chair Re-thug-lican

Lunatic's ensemble

Incontrovertibly

Twit-brained wingnut

Words 

Higgledy Piggledy
William Wordseeker
pins on the wall
all the words he has found.

He likes to say that his
lexicographical
treasures are now
erinaceously bound.

Good luck with your attempts at this fun but difficult form.

florencebruce@att.net