Cento
A cento is a poem made up entirely of lines or phrases taken from other poems or written sources. It is a form of collage poetry, where the poet creates a new piece by “patchworking” together existing lines. These borrowed lines are often chosen for their thematic resonance, sound, or meaning, and can be from a variety of poets, eras, or genres. While the cento does not typically involve original writing, it relies on the poet’s ability to create cohesion and new meaning from the fragments of others’ words.
Also known as a collage poem, the cento is an art form that challenges the poet to find a way to stitch together disparate pieces into a unified whole. The following Cento is from the poems by Sarah B. Royal “The Croaker” “Landslide in the Rain”, “The Rain” and “The Dirge”

The Croaker Rain Dirge

The brook is deep,
The sky is heavy—filled with rain,
The rain falls in sheets,
The winds—they moan a lonesome strain,
a thousand secrets shared—
The sky is dark. Dark—the moon is dead,
Softly they lie, beneath the willow’s shade.
A cold wind blows. Cold, the world is led.

The hills are steep,
No sunlight breaks the endless gray.
Each drop a memory,
Hope, it fades as night holds sway.
Each puddle, an over flowing tear.
The clouds roll in. Clouds, so full of dread.
The echoes of their laughter slowly fade.
Winds whisper soft. Whispers, so full, so dead.

The wind will sigh,
Beneath the earth, the roots decay,
The sky is heavy,
The world turns cold, and we must stay,
laden with thoughts unsaid—
Each breath a sigh, each step we tread,
A breath of wind is a sigh in the air.
A path we walk, a path where we’ve bled.

The trees will cry!
Forever bound by endless pain.
clouds cloaked in gray sadness,
dreams, once bright are lost in vain.
as the earth holds its breath.
To remind the world—once they lingered here.

Dimeter

In poetry, dimeter refers to a metrical line consisting of two feet. A foot is the basic unit of a poem’s meter and can contain various combinations of stressed and unstressed syllables, depending on the type of foot (e.g., iamb, trochee, dactyl, anapest). Dimeter lines are typically brief, concise, and impactful, often used to create a rhythmic or emphatic effect within a poem.
Length:

Each line contains exactly two metrical feet.
Meter Types:

Can include iambic (unstressed-stressed), trochaic (stressed-unstressed), anapestic (unstressed-unstressed-stressed), or dactylic (stressed-unstressed-unstressed) patterns.
Effect:

The short lines of dimeter can create a sharp, rhythmic, or dramatic tone, emphasizing brevity and intensity.

Landslide in the Rain

The brook is deep,
The hills are steep.
The wind will sigh,
The trees will cry.

Steps to Analyze Meter:
Break Down Each Line into Syllables:

Identify the syllables in each line and mark them as either stressed (´) or unstressed (˘). Stressed syllables are louder or more emphasized, while unstressed syllables are softer.
Group Syllables into Feet:

A foot is a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables. Identify the pattern of stress within each group. For example:

Iamb (˘ ´): unstressed followed by stressed (e.g., “the brook”)
Trochee (´ ˘): stressed followed by unstressed (e.g., “deep is”)
Dactyl (´ ˘ ˘): stressed followed by two unstressed (e.g., “the hills”)
Anapest (˘ ˘ ´): two unstressed followed by stressed (e.g., “will cry”)
Identify the Dominant Pattern:

Look for the repeating pattern in the poem to determine the meter type (e.g., iambic, trochaic).
Line 1: The brook is deep
Syllables: The brook is deep
Stress: ˘ ´ ˘ ´
Feet: Iambic dimeter (two iambs, ˘ ´ | ˘ ´)
This poem is written in iambic dimeter, where each line consists of two iambic feet (˘ ´ | ˘ ´). The alternating unstressed and stressed pattern creates a rhythmic and lyrical effect that emphasizes the natural simplicity of the subject matter and the concise and rhythmic nature of dimeter. It is often used to create a sense of urgency, simplicity, or lyrical beauty.

Croaker

In the context of poetry, a croaker refers to a type of poem or poetic voice that is characterized by pessimism, gloom, or cynicism. The term “croaker” comes from the sound made by certain frogs, known for their deep, resonant croaking, which often symbolizes foreboding or gloom in literature. A croaker poem might express feelings of despair, hopelessness, or resignation, and it often focuses on dark or negative aspects of life.

The term can also be used informally to refer to a person who tends to complain or predict negative outcomes, but in poetry, it is more often associated with a voice that emphasizes negative or melancholic themes.

A croaker poem might explore the inevitability of death, the futility of human endeavor, or the harsh realities of the world, using somber tones and pessimistic imagery.

Croaker

The sky is dark. Dark—the moon is dead,
A cold wind blows. Cold, the world is led.
No warmth, no light, no hope ahead,
The dreams we had, they all have fled.

The clouds roll in. Clouds, so full of dread.
Winds whisper soft. Whispers, so full, so dead.
Each breath a sigh, each step we tread,
A path we walk, a path where we’ve bled.

This poem reflects the Croaker’s style—simple, repetitive, and focused on emotional desolation.

Dirge

A dirge is a solemn and mournful poem or song, typically composed to express grief and lamentation, often for the deceased. It is closely associated with funerals or memorials and is intended to evoke feelings of sorrow, remembrance, and reverence.
Characteristics of a Dirge:
Tone:
Somber, reflective, and melancholic.
Expresses deep emotional pain, loss, or mourning.
Purpose:
To honor and remember the deceased.
To give voice to collective or personal grief.
Structure:
Can vary widely, from free verse to formal poetic structures like elegies. Often includes repetitive or rhythmic elements to evoke the solemnity of a chant or hymn.
Themes:
Death, loss, and the passage of time. Reflection on mortality and the impact of the departed.

The Dirge

Softly they lie, beneath the willow’s shade,
The echoes of their laughter slowly fade.
A breath of wind is a sigh in the air.

To remind the world—once they lingered here.

A dirge captures the depth of sorrow associated with loss, serving both as a tribute to the departed and as a cathartic expression of grief for those left behind. It is a poetic form steeped in tradition, resonating with the universal experience of mourning.

Connotation

In poetry, connotation refers to the additional meanings, emotions, or associations that a word carries beyond its literal definition (denotation). These implied meanings can be shaped by cultural, personal, or historical contexts and contribute to the depth and richness of a poem. Poets often use connotation to evoke emotions, create mood, or deepen the reader’s understanding of a theme or subject.

For example, the word “home” might literally mean a place where one lives, but its connotations can include warmth, safety, comfort, or family. The poet’s choice of words with specific connotations helps to convey feelings and ideas more subtly and powerfully than direct statements.

By choosing words with strong or layered connotations, poets can evoke complex emotional responses and offer multiple interpretations, enriching the poem’s meaning.

The Rain

The sky is heavy—
filled with rain.
The rain falls in sheets,
a thousand secrets shared—
each drop a memory,
each puddle, an over flowing tear.
The winds—
they moan a lonesome strain,
The sky is heavy,
laden with thoughts unsaid—
clouds cloaked in gray sadness,
as the earth holds its breath.

“Secrets” and “tears” connotate emotions of sorrow, while “laden” and “cloaked” suggest an atmosphere of heaviness. The rain becomes more than just weather, symbolizing unexpressed feelings and the weight of unvoiced truths.