When I read The Tradition by Jericho Brown, I was drawn to his duplex poems. I was fascinated by how slight changes in the repetition of a line could completely change and deepen the meaning of both lines.
Inspired by Peter’s prompt at dVerse Poets Pub to attempt a circular poem, I thought I would try my hand at a poem inspired by this form.
I found a great post on the Poetry Foundation website by Jericho Brown From the Archive: Pulitzer Prize Winner Jericho Brown’s “Invention” in which he talks about how he invented the form and what its boundaries are.
The Total Eclipse
In the woods, the villain is stronger
changing allegiances, spending the night
I change allegiances and spend the night
to bury the things I’m holding tight
I replant the things I already have
that felt truly special in the other house
I felt truly special in the other house
stronger than the hero passed out in the car
Passed out in the car in protest of me
to shine a light on how dark I can be
And I can be dark, a total eclipse
when eclipsed by absurd rejection
The rejected change allegiances
in the woods, the villain is stronger
I don’t think I totally got it, but I’m glad I gave it a try. The poem went in an interesting direction.
Experience Writing 
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This is gorgeously rendered! 💝💝
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Thank you.
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Such a clever circuital and echo poem. Really love the repetitions and change in meaning from stanza to stanza.
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I really love how you used the form with small subtle changes to change the meaning.
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Thank you.
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Thank you for introducing us to this form–and to your embrace of it. A very special poem, here.
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Thanks Maria, what an intriguing piece and such a clever form – I so liked how the meaning shifts between lines – altered by punctuation, placement and tense. The imagery is striking – ‘In the woods the villain is stronger’ ; ‘the hero passed out in the car’ – and as you say, the repetitions and alterations deepen and intensify. A lovely write – and a form worth exploring.
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Thank you.
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