The Compound Word Verse is a poetry form invented by Margaret R. Smith that consists of five 3-line stanzas, for a total of 15 lines. The last line of each stanza ends in a compound word and these compound words share a common stem word which is taken from the title. (In the example below the stem word is “snow” from the title “The Unexpected Snow”; the compound words related to the title are snowflakes, snowdrifts, snowstorms, etc.)

The Compound Word Verse has a set rhyme scheme and meter as follows:

Rhyme Scheme: a,a,b
Meter: 8, 8, 3

Example #1:

The Unexpected Snow

Tree limbs become old fashioned lace;
camillias wear the cold embrace
of snowflakes.

The early snow brings such delight,
though day turns quickly into night
as snowdrifts

capture roads, and pile at the door;
the bitter winds moan tales, the lore 
of snowstorms.

Light dances from the gleaming grate
until at last the winds abate, 
still snowbound.

Pale dawn reveals a world of white
transformed by nature in the night, 
a snowscape.

Copyright © 2010 Margaret R. Smith

Example #2:

Earthquake

One moment life was calm and grand
and in the next they could not stand...
earthshocking!

Poseidon's wrath, his power shown:
their houses, cars and buildings groan...
earthshaker!

Tsunami followed as it roared
with waves of death that loomed and poured...
earthmoving!

With swallowed towns and ocean riled
each mother shrieked to find her child...
earthwomen.

An 'act of God'... a tragic crime;
a country wrecked in moment's time...
earthshaking!

Copyright © 2011 Jan Turner