Double Dactyl
The form has a pleasing, sing-song rhythm; its stringent rules provide a challenge to the poet:
- The poem has eight lines, divided into two equal stanzas;
- all lines except those at the ends of the stanzas are double-dactylic, having two dactylic feet (STRONG weak weak STRONG weak weak);
- lines at the ends of the stanzas are shorter (STRONG weak weak STRONG);
- the stanzas rhyme;
- the first line is a piece of nonsense ("higgledy- piggledy" is often used, and double dactyls are sometimes called higgledy-piggledies);
- the second line is the double-dactylic name of the poem's subject, usually a famous person;
- another line of the poem, most commonly the sixth, must be a single double-dactylic word.
Firmness by Anthony Hecht Higgledy-piggledy |
Historical Reflections by John Hollander Higgledy-piggledy |
Career Move by Jan D. Hodge Hollywood covergirl |
|
A Second Opinion (from "Das Kapital") by Blossom S. Kirschenbaum Gribbledy grabbledy Psychoanalysis |
Appearance & Reality by John Hollander Higgledy-piggledy |
Double Dactyl [Jesus of Nazareth] by Kristin M. Johnson Higgledy-piggledy, |
No Foundation by John Hollander Higgledy-piggledy |
Point of View by Anthony Hecht Higgledy-piggledy, |
"Firmness" and
"Point of View" © 1966 Anthony Hecht, "Historical
Reflections," "Appearance & Reality," and "No
Foundation"© 1966 John Hollander,
all from
Jiggery Pokery:
A Compendium of Double Dactyls edited by Anthony Hecht and John
Hollander, © 1966 Anthony Hecht and John Hollander;
"A
Second Opinion"
© 1988 Blossom S. Kirschenbaum, from Clerestory;
"Career Move"
© 2001 Jan D. Hodge;
[Jesus of Nazareth] © 2001 Kristin M.
Johnson