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Warning: long post. Impatient readers should scroll straight to the end to get to The Point
The Englyn is an ancient form of Celtic (primarily Welsh) poetry – short and concise, and very disciplined, favouring irregular (as in unfamiliar in more modern terms - uneven etc) meter and odd syllable count above the more common Western tradition of even numbered syllables. However there is also another element to the traditional Englyn as written in Welsh: Cynghanedd. This is a line by line stylisation of alliteration and consonance designed specifically for the Welsh language. If you’re familiar with how Welsh sounds, you’ll know it has a sing-song quality – Cynghanedd is a structured system of writing which embellishes that nature and can be for this reason likened to the use of specific metric feet in English and central European poetry as the defined location per verse of specified consonants frames individual vowels, and forms sonic nuance that adds melodic and paced rhythm.
Cynghanedd lusg
The last syllable before the caesura is intended to rhyme with the penultimate syllable of the same line, but this must constitute a location in a polysyllabic word
Cynghanedd sain
The Cynghanedd sain makes use of internal rhyme. Take a line divided into three sections by two caesuras, the first and second pieces rhyme, and the third section repeats the consonantal patterns of the second.
Cynghanedd groes
All consonants surrounding the main vowel before the caesura (natural pause) are repeated in the same order on the following line. The final consonants of the last words on each line must be different, as should the main vowel be.
However, Cynghanedd relates to a certain style of consonant usage and vowel constructs/sounds/formations that are common to Welsh language and grammar and therefore less common in English, also certain letter groupings that only appear in Celtic languages. It is damn near impossible to implement into English language poetry with great success for this reason, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been attempted – Dylan Thomas, for example, used a watered down, derived and anglicised version of Cynghanedd in several of his poems (especially those written to classical form) – nor does it mean that traditionalist Englynists refrain from using some form of derived methodised Cynghanedd. It has been stripped away from English language Englynion, though several features similar to original Cynghanedd have been worked into the anglicised Englyn forms by design to give a semblance of the tradition.
Below are the Anglicized versions of Englynion without true Cynghanedd, yet featuring a watered down method integrated into the form instead:
Englyn Unodl Crwc
The structure is 4 lines -- 7, 7, 9 (or 10), 6 and rhyme is injected by way of end rhyme in L1, L2 and L4 - the rhyme is repeated in L3 twice in syllable 5, 7, or 8 (9 if formed from 10) but never as the end. The actual Rhyme is consistent A, so no secular rhymes.
Example:
an open door to forests
of lies, deceit that digest
the dire need, solemnest; impress you
as you stand there undressed
Englyn penfyr
The short-ended Englyn is a tricky one to compose because it follows a rhyme scheme of a repeated sound in a syllable usually at the end of a word or that is the whole word and also incorporates the use of consonance to frame the rhyme. The form is composed of 3 lines, L1 is 10s, and L2 + L3 are 7s each. The rhyme is end-rhyme in L2 and L3, but is introduced to the piece in L1 as the 7th, 8th, or 9th (sometimes as both 7th and 9th, but when using the 8th will not be repeated on the line). The final consonant of the final word of L1 will frame the rhyme in L2 at the 4th syllable by direct consonance.
Example:
A wash of stained-glass hues, reels the scene as
reverted, ceaseless dark dreams
and eternal undead schemes
Englyn Unodl union
Make acquaintance with the Englyn of rhyming ones - or, in less literal translation, the straight one-rhymed Englyn. These are lovely, lyrical and syllabically melodic poems composed of 4 lines of 10, 6, 7, and 7. The rhyme here enters into the poem first at syllable 7, 8, or 9 in L1 - but unlike other forms of Englyn it only features once and is then repeated in L2, L3 and L4 as end-rhyme. There is a twist, and a rather fanciable one too - the rest of L1 that follows after the introduction of the rhyme is Forced Rhyme B in an equal number of syllables as the opening part of L2.
Example (see bold as B and italic as A):
He creeps as a silent host - a whisper,
a wintered, hoarse voiced toast
passed silently on through most -
yet held so tight on approach
Englyn proest gadwynog
Translates loosely as the chained forced rhyme Englyn. This is a simple construct with hidden teeth. There are 3 variants of this form;
Variant A -- 4 lines, 7 syllables, persistent A and consistent B. The A rhyme is full and features as the end rhyme of L1 and L2. The B rhyme is a half-rhyme of the first vowel of A (regular half-rhyme), or Hung-rhyme of the last 4 syllables of L1 - both as end rhyme on L3 and L4.
example (forced):
As only the will to walk
can break the incessant talk
I find my senses are forked
with bile, yet my limbs are caulked
example (hung):
As only the will to walk
can break the incessant talk
I find sense is skilled to fork
yet my limbs are filled and caulked
Variant B -- 4 lines, 7 Syllables, persistent A and consistent B. The A rhyme is as in variant A but features on L1 and L3. B rhyme as Variant A but on L2 and L4.
Variant C -- 4 lines, 7 Syllables, persistent A, consistent B. The A rhyme is a half-rhyme that appears on L1 and L4 as end rhyme. B rhyme is a full rhyme on L2 and L3 as end rhyme.
example:
As only the will to fork
can break the incessant walk
I find myself lost in talk
and bile, yet my limbs fall short
Englyn 'n ddrylliog odla
I think this would best translate as the broken verse Englyn, or damaged rhyme Englyn. Basically we have an inconsistent rhyme scheme with little predefined rule. However, syllable count is very important here, as is the total aversion to end-rhyme. The rules relating to the rhyme, loose as they are, need to adhere to speech pattern rather than placement in the line and we can use as many rhymes as we like in any manner. The line structure is as follows, 2 lines of either 6s, 7s or 8s, a single line of 10s and a closing line of either 5s or 7s. The opening line needs to be alliterated in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and last s – and including the 6th if 8s is used. When we think of speech pattern we need to turn our thoughts to hard and soft resonance; pair that understanding with the predisposed alliteration of the opening line and you end up with something similar to iambic meter, but not overly comfortably.
example:
The lashing lick that laps the lips
is stitched with strictest
rags from sashes ripped and whipped, thrashing
hips dragging kisses.
Englyn milwr
The warrior’s Englyn is made up of three 7s lines. All three lines use end-rhyme in the final syllable only (no polysyllabic words). All verses require the syllable preceding the rhyme to be alliterated with the 2nd of line 1, 3rd of line 2 and 4th of line 3
Englyn cyrch
The haunted Englyn has four lines of 7s. The final syllables of the first second and last line rhyme; last syllable of the third line rhymes with the second, third or fourth syllable of the last line.
Englyn proest dalgron (with no apparent Cynghanedd)
The caught rhyme Englyn consists of four 7s lines that half rhyme with each other via pseudo end-rhyme.
_____________________________________
The point:
After much research into Cynghanedd and the Englyn form, despite my already present familiarity – I have come up with an Englyn form of my own which uses a custom derived method of Cynghanedd specifically designed and integrated into the form. Based off the Sain and Lusg methods, I tweaked a rhyming construct that makes use of consonance and internal rhyme. When I refer to consonants I also mean merged consonant sounds (i.e. 'th', 'sh', 'ch' etc). The Englyn consists of 4 lines. L1 is 6s, L2 is 10s, L3 is 7s and L4 is 5s; the rhyme is located at the final syllable of L1+4, and at the 2nd and penultimate syllable of L2+3; the consonant of the 2nd s in L1 is the consonant of the penultimate s in L3 and the consonant of the final s of L1 is the consonant of the 2nd and 4th s in L2 – the consonant of the penultimate s in L2 is the consonant of the 2nd s in L3 and the first consonant of the last s in L4:
the twisted mouth is curled
in curtained, clandestine wishes, churlish
as church vows spun by twirling
forfeit promise churned
I don’t yet have a name for this Englyn form, but am toying with ‘Tormented English Englyn’ (Englyn Saesneg Poenydio). Feel free to play with it, or have a turn at any of the other forms listed – just let us all know which you are attempting.
The Englyn is an ancient form of Celtic (primarily Welsh) poetry – short and concise, and very disciplined, favouring irregular (as in unfamiliar in more modern terms - uneven etc) meter and odd syllable count above the more common Western tradition of even numbered syllables. However there is also another element to the traditional Englyn as written in Welsh: Cynghanedd. This is a line by line stylisation of alliteration and consonance designed specifically for the Welsh language. If you’re familiar with how Welsh sounds, you’ll know it has a sing-song quality – Cynghanedd is a structured system of writing which embellishes that nature and can be for this reason likened to the use of specific metric feet in English and central European poetry as the defined location per verse of specified consonants frames individual vowels, and forms sonic nuance that adds melodic and paced rhythm.
Cynghanedd lusg
The last syllable before the caesura is intended to rhyme with the penultimate syllable of the same line, but this must constitute a location in a polysyllabic word
Cynghanedd sain
The Cynghanedd sain makes use of internal rhyme. Take a line divided into three sections by two caesuras, the first and second pieces rhyme, and the third section repeats the consonantal patterns of the second.
Cynghanedd groes
All consonants surrounding the main vowel before the caesura (natural pause) are repeated in the same order on the following line. The final consonants of the last words on each line must be different, as should the main vowel be.
However, Cynghanedd relates to a certain style of consonant usage and vowel constructs/sounds/formations that are common to Welsh language and grammar and therefore less common in English, also certain letter groupings that only appear in Celtic languages. It is damn near impossible to implement into English language poetry with great success for this reason, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been attempted – Dylan Thomas, for example, used a watered down, derived and anglicised version of Cynghanedd in several of his poems (especially those written to classical form) – nor does it mean that traditionalist Englynists refrain from using some form of derived methodised Cynghanedd. It has been stripped away from English language Englynion, though several features similar to original Cynghanedd have been worked into the anglicised Englyn forms by design to give a semblance of the tradition.
Below are the Anglicized versions of Englynion without true Cynghanedd, yet featuring a watered down method integrated into the form instead:
Englyn Unodl Crwc
The structure is 4 lines -- 7, 7, 9 (or 10), 6 and rhyme is injected by way of end rhyme in L1, L2 and L4 - the rhyme is repeated in L3 twice in syllable 5, 7, or 8 (9 if formed from 10) but never as the end. The actual Rhyme is consistent A, so no secular rhymes.
Example:
an open door to forests
of lies, deceit that digest
the dire need, solemnest; impress you
as you stand there undressed
Englyn penfyr
The short-ended Englyn is a tricky one to compose because it follows a rhyme scheme of a repeated sound in a syllable usually at the end of a word or that is the whole word and also incorporates the use of consonance to frame the rhyme. The form is composed of 3 lines, L1 is 10s, and L2 + L3 are 7s each. The rhyme is end-rhyme in L2 and L3, but is introduced to the piece in L1 as the 7th, 8th, or 9th (sometimes as both 7th and 9th, but when using the 8th will not be repeated on the line). The final consonant of the final word of L1 will frame the rhyme in L2 at the 4th syllable by direct consonance.
Example:
A wash of stained-glass hues, reels the scene as
reverted, ceaseless dark dreams
and eternal undead schemes
Englyn Unodl union
Make acquaintance with the Englyn of rhyming ones - or, in less literal translation, the straight one-rhymed Englyn. These are lovely, lyrical and syllabically melodic poems composed of 4 lines of 10, 6, 7, and 7. The rhyme here enters into the poem first at syllable 7, 8, or 9 in L1 - but unlike other forms of Englyn it only features once and is then repeated in L2, L3 and L4 as end-rhyme. There is a twist, and a rather fanciable one too - the rest of L1 that follows after the introduction of the rhyme is Forced Rhyme B in an equal number of syllables as the opening part of L2.
Example (see bold as B and italic as A):
He creeps as a silent host - a whisper,
a wintered, hoarse voiced toast
passed silently on through most -
yet held so tight on approach
Englyn proest gadwynog
Translates loosely as the chained forced rhyme Englyn. This is a simple construct with hidden teeth. There are 3 variants of this form;
Variant A -- 4 lines, 7 syllables, persistent A and consistent B. The A rhyme is full and features as the end rhyme of L1 and L2. The B rhyme is a half-rhyme of the first vowel of A (regular half-rhyme), or Hung-rhyme of the last 4 syllables of L1 - both as end rhyme on L3 and L4.
example (forced):
As only the will to walk
can break the incessant talk
I find my senses are forked
with bile, yet my limbs are caulked
example (hung):
As only the will to walk
can break the incessant talk
I find sense is skilled to fork
yet my limbs are filled and caulked
Variant B -- 4 lines, 7 Syllables, persistent A and consistent B. The A rhyme is as in variant A but features on L1 and L3. B rhyme as Variant A but on L2 and L4.
Variant C -- 4 lines, 7 Syllables, persistent A, consistent B. The A rhyme is a half-rhyme that appears on L1 and L4 as end rhyme. B rhyme is a full rhyme on L2 and L3 as end rhyme.
example:
As only the will to fork
can break the incessant walk
I find myself lost in talk
and bile, yet my limbs fall short
Englyn 'n ddrylliog odla
I think this would best translate as the broken verse Englyn, or damaged rhyme Englyn. Basically we have an inconsistent rhyme scheme with little predefined rule. However, syllable count is very important here, as is the total aversion to end-rhyme. The rules relating to the rhyme, loose as they are, need to adhere to speech pattern rather than placement in the line and we can use as many rhymes as we like in any manner. The line structure is as follows, 2 lines of either 6s, 7s or 8s, a single line of 10s and a closing line of either 5s or 7s. The opening line needs to be alliterated in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and last s – and including the 6th if 8s is used. When we think of speech pattern we need to turn our thoughts to hard and soft resonance; pair that understanding with the predisposed alliteration of the opening line and you end up with something similar to iambic meter, but not overly comfortably.
example:
The lashing lick that laps the lips
is stitched with strictest
rags from sashes ripped and whipped, thrashing
hips dragging kisses.
Englyn milwr
The warrior’s Englyn is made up of three 7s lines. All three lines use end-rhyme in the final syllable only (no polysyllabic words). All verses require the syllable preceding the rhyme to be alliterated with the 2nd of line 1, 3rd of line 2 and 4th of line 3
Englyn cyrch
The haunted Englyn has four lines of 7s. The final syllables of the first second and last line rhyme; last syllable of the third line rhymes with the second, third or fourth syllable of the last line.
Englyn proest dalgron (with no apparent Cynghanedd)
The caught rhyme Englyn consists of four 7s lines that half rhyme with each other via pseudo end-rhyme.
_____________________________________
The point:
After much research into Cynghanedd and the Englyn form, despite my already present familiarity – I have come up with an Englyn form of my own which uses a custom derived method of Cynghanedd specifically designed and integrated into the form. Based off the Sain and Lusg methods, I tweaked a rhyming construct that makes use of consonance and internal rhyme. When I refer to consonants I also mean merged consonant sounds (i.e. 'th', 'sh', 'ch' etc). The Englyn consists of 4 lines. L1 is 6s, L2 is 10s, L3 is 7s and L4 is 5s; the rhyme is located at the final syllable of L1+4, and at the 2nd and penultimate syllable of L2+3; the consonant of the 2nd s in L1 is the consonant of the penultimate s in L3 and the consonant of the final s of L1 is the consonant of the 2nd and 4th s in L2 – the consonant of the penultimate s in L2 is the consonant of the 2nd s in L3 and the first consonant of the last s in L4:
the twisted mouth is curled
in curtained, clandestine wishes, churlish
as church vows spun by twirling
forfeit promise churned
I don’t yet have a name for this Englyn form, but am toying with ‘Tormented English Englyn’ (Englyn Saesneg Poenydio). Feel free to play with it, or have a turn at any of the other forms listed – just let us all know which you are attempting.
Last edited:
' to rhyme in the penultimate syllable of L2 - and while I see the 'g' as a starting point, unless it is 'gr', it's a bit of a cheat, nonetheless, it would go without as it doesn't rhyme.