The Mental Misconception

The Mental Misconception is a reflective poetic form, originating in The Freeman of Supplying. The rules of the form are applied by poets to produce individual poems which can be recited. The poem is divided into three distinct parts: six tercets, three septets and another three septets. The Mental Misconception is always written from the perspective of a relative of the author. Use of assonance is characteristic of the form. Forms of parallelism are common throughout the poem, in that certain lines often share an underlying meaning and they are required to maintain phrasing. Every line of the poem has a terminal caesura.

• The first part is intended to describe the past. The second line of each tercet has the same grammatical structure as the first line. The third line of each tercet presents a different view of the subject of the first line. The third line of each tercet must expand the idea of the first line. It has lines with two syllables. The rhyme scheme respecting the full poem is AAB.
• The second part is intended to offer a different perspective concerning current events. Certain lines have similar grammatical structures. The seventh line of each septet presents a different view of the subject of the second line. The third line of each septet must expand the idea of the first line. It has lines with ten syllables. The rhyme scheme respecting the full poem is AAAAAAA.
• The third part is intended to reflect on previous ideas concerning the future. Certain lines have similar grammatical structures. The sixth line of each septet presents a different view of the subject of the third line. The third line of each septet must expand the idea of the second line. It has lines with thirteen syllables. The rhyme scheme respecting the full poem is BCBCCCD.

Events