The Pantoum s written in interlinked quatrains, and the poem begins and ends with the same line. The rhyming is a-b-a-b, and the particular aspect of the form is that the second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the following stanza. In the final stanza the unrepeated first and third lines are used, but in reverse order, so that the last line in the poem is a repeat of the first line in the poem.
Here is one that I have written to illustrate the form:
The Traditional Floor Maltster’s lament.
Strands of my knowledge are useless
although they took years to collect,
if I could purge them I’d be ruthless
randomly they weave through the intellect.
Although they took years to collect
the chances to use them are minimal
randomly they weave through the intellect
and some even verge on subliminal.
The chances to use them are minimal
empiric skills that are mainly historic
and some even verge on subliminal
managing events that merge to the mystic
Empiric skills that are mainly historic
elementary control of air, water and fire
managing events that merge to the mystic
awakening embryos to form acrospires.
Elementary control of air, water and fire
If I could purge them I’d be ruthless –
awakening embryos to form acrospires –
strands of my knowledge are useless!