The 7/5 Trochee, created by Andrea Dietrich, of 2 or more quatrain stanzas with the following set rules:

Meter: 7/5/7/5
Rhyme Scheme: a/b/c/b   or   a/b/a/b

The meter is trochee, which means alternating stressed and unstressed beats in each line, with each line beginning and ending in a stressed syllable. This is a simple lyrical type little poem, so rhymes will be basic, nothing fancy. The poem itself should give a description of something of interest to the poet. There is not a set number of these quatrain type stanzas, but a typical 7/5 Trochee would consist of two quatrains, with the second stanza serving to tie up the idea presented in the first stanza.

Example #1:

Honey Bun
(The 7/5 Trochee with Rhyme Scheme a/b/a/b)

How I love my honey bun,
soft and buttery,
warm and swirled with cinnamon,
frosted heavily. . . 

You can bake one up for me.
You could bake a ton!
Then I’d call you happily
my sweet honey bun!

Copyright © 2009 Andrea Dietrich

Example #2:

A Painter’s Daydream
(The 7/5 Trochee with Rhyme Scheme a/b/a/b)

Palette paint arranged in reds
wait there to become
cardinals in flower beds
painted with my thumb.
 
Adding just a bit of blue
they take off in flight!
How I wish to join them, too...
but they’re out of sight!

Copyright © 2009 Jan Turner

Example #3:

Honeymoon
(The 7/5 Trochee with Rhyme Scheme a/b/c/b)

Magic stardust showers down 
from romantic skies; 
dreams are twinkling all about, 
lost in lover's sighs. 
 
Nighttime bliss, a kiss for two 
underneath the stars; 
moonlight shared by us alone 
under mystic Mars. 

Copyright © 2009 Jan Turner


One variation of this form is to employ internal rhyme in lines 1 and 3 so that the middle of each 
of those lines matches the rhyme at the end of each one, respectively, as illustrated by this final 
example poem.  

Example #4:

A Springtime Song
(The 7/5 Trochee with Rhyme Scheme a/b/c/b plus Internal Rhyme)

Showers fall and robins call.
Buds grow on the trees.
Meadows green; long grasses lean
warmed by April’s breeze.
 
Flowers beam and streamlets gleam
on each mountain slope.
Colors sing and everything
blossoms love and hope.

Copyright © 2009 Andrea Dietrich