Iljena/Verse

iljena poetry is based on word shapes. There are twelve possible word shapes

• CCVC
• CCVCV
• CVCC
• CVCCV
• CVCVC
• CVCVCV
• VCCVC
• VCCVCV
• VCVCC
• VCVCCV
• VCVCVC
• VCVCVCV

and the arrangement of these word shapes within the lines forms the structure of the verse.

The simplest and most popular form of verse consists of couplets, where the second line of each couplet repeats the word shapes of the first. Quatrains of the form ABAB and ABBA are also common. In these quatrains, the pattern of word shapes in the B lines is sometimes the reverse of that in the A lines.

One form of verse which is considered quite sophisticated by Leyen poets is a 9 line stanza of the form ABACACABA.