About Poetry – How to Write a Clogyrnach

What a clogyrnach is

Origin: A traditional Welsh syllabic form, part of the classic 24 Welsh meters.
Stanza length: Usually 1 or more stanzas, each of 5 or 6 lines.
Feel: The lines get shorter as you go, so the stanza “tightens,” giving a sense of gathering focus or punchline.

Basic structure

For a 6-line stanza, the usual pattern is:

Line 1: 8 syllables — rhyme a
Line 2: 8 syllables — rhyme a
Line 3: 5 syllables — rhyme b
Line 4: 5 syllables — rhyme b
Line 5: 3 syllables — rhyme b
Line 6: 3 syllables — rhyme a

So the rhyme scheme is:

a a b b b a

You can also combine lines 5 and 6 into one 6-syllable line, keeping the internal rhyme:

Line 5: 6 syllables, with b somewhere in the middle and a at the end
(so it still sounds like b…a)

That gives you a 5-line version.

How to write one (step by step)

Choose your two rhymes.

a-rhyme: will appear in lines 1, 2, and 6 (or end of line 5 if you combine).
b-rhyme: will appear in lines 3, 4, and 5.

Draft line 1 (8 syllables, a-rhyme).

Tell us the scene, mood, or statement.
Count syllables carefully.

Write line 2 (8 syllables, a-rhyme).

Develop or twist the idea from line 1.
Same end rhyme as line 1.

Write lines 3 and 4 (5 syllables each, b-rhyme).

These often narrow the focus, add detail, or shift tone.
Both end with the b-rhyme.

Write line 5 (3 syllables, b-rhyme).

Short, sharp—can feel like a little drumbeat.

Write line 6 (3 syllables, a-rhyme).

A tiny “turn” back to the original rhyme—often a punchline, twist, or echo.

Repeat the stanza pattern if you want a longer poem—each stanza follows the same syllable and rhyme rules.

A simple example

Here’s a quick clogyrnach I’ll tailor to you and poetry:

Draft:

Old words in candlelight glow (8, a)
you weigh each line, then let it go (8, a)
a fox in the mind (5, b)
tracks verse, tail entwined (5, b)
soft find (3, b)
of glow (3, a)

You can hear how the stanza “tightens” as it goes—long lines, then medium, then those tiny last beats.

©✍️CarolynCrossley