Kristin,

Quickly, because I'm running out the door. The "nonce" term is not as widely used as some may think... I'd never heard it until I joined this site.

One of the things I find unseemly in that 'book of forms' is that the author shies away from accepting a form until more than one person uses it. Seems disingenuous, although perhaps pragmatic for his ends.

From a research standpoint, I think I'd change my search terms. I'd look for 'innovative' forms, or look for people who've developed their own forms. Berryman comes to mind. I always giggle when people quote Frost and say "I want to make every poem sound different." Tell that to Berryman, who wrote 385 poems in a single form, one he'd invented, and which (as far as I know) no-one else ever used. Is that a 'nonce' form? Does he make it into that book? I have to admit I don't know, because I threw it across the room when I got to that definition... ;)

Someone mentioned Meredith, which was an excellent hint. And there are lots of people who have invented their own forms, and then run with them, exploring what it let them do. If you look for those people, you may end up with a pretty interesting 'nonce' paper. I, for one, would love to read it!

Best,

Bill

You could also focus on the invention of several different known forms, such as sonnet, villanelle etc., then tie it back into how they were both nonce forms at the time of their creation. It might change the focus of your paper a bit, mind you, but it certainly satisfies the "history of nonce" idea, and there's certainly a lot more information on the history of many of these forms.

Hardy wrote 800 poems without ever repeating himself, "So various in their pith and plan." Oh sure, I still write an occasional Shakespearean sonnet or heroic couplet, but most everything I write is nonce these days, far more so than when I was a rookie.

That reminds me. In Mary Sidney's versification of 127 psalms, she used 126 different verse forms.

Ah, Tim, the Sphere does lend itself to hyperbole. And Hardy did create dozens and dozens and dozens of nonce stanza forms, but hardly 800 of them. Leafing briefly through his work, I spotted no less than twenty poems in standard ballad form: a4b3a4b3 (with usual metrical variations, of course) including poems as varied in content as "The Oxen," "The Dear," "Geographical Knowledge," and "The Bedridden Peasant." The 6-line variation a4b3a4b3a4b3 pops up several times ["Shut Out That Moon," "First Sight of Her and After," etc.], as do x4a3x4a3 and a4b4a4b4, and "The Darkling Thrush" has 8-line stanzas, simply doubling the ballad form. No less than six of the "Satires of Circumstance" are tetrameter ababcc, though he does play variations on the form in others. Even some of the more idiosyncratic stanzas are sometimes repeated. Impressive variety indeed, but not quite infinite.

I'd offer two other examples of poets who also revel in formal variety, creating many nonce forms--George Herbert and Robert Browning.

Jan

But Tim, you made exactly that claim at West Chester, and immediately had to walk it back, when confronted with actual evidence. Even Mezey told you it was inaccurate. So why keep repeating it? I simply don't understand, and I'm curious about the motivation. I must be missing something. Help!

Best,

Bill

This is an accurate statement, if you hold it up to the light, cut it in half and turn it sideways. Tim said Hardy never repeated himself -- which is too bad, since some of his poems are so good I wouldn't mind reading them again, and it would save time. If he'd said Hardy never repeated a form, well. . .

Best,

Ed