Minute Poem

A minute poem is a short poem made of three stanzas — that’s twelve lines in total. Each stanza follows a special pattern where the first line has 8 syllables and the next three lines have 4 syllables each.

The pattern looks like this: 8, 4, 4, 4 — and then it repeats for all three stanzas. So, you’ll end up with 8,4,4,4; 8,4,4,4; 8,4,4,4 — 12 lines total.

A traditional minute poem usually rhymes and follows this rhyme pattern: AABB, CCDD, EEFF. It also uses a smooth, steady rhythm (called iambic meter), which makes it fun to read aloud.

Example

God’s Artful Touch

- written by mountainwriter49

Not all minute poems have to rhyme. Some writers prefer to keep the same syllable count but skip the rhyme. That’s called a non-traditional minute poem.

Non-Traditional Example

Humanity’s Questions