The Sweet Sound of Mother’s Laughter – Pantoum Poem
Pantoum’s poetry was very popular in Europe and North America in the 19th century and mainly in the 20th. This poetic form first appeared in France, in the work of Ernest Fouinet in the 19th century. Thereafter, poets such as Victor Hugo and Charles Baudelaire popularized the form. The lines of this poetic form are grouped into a 4-line stanza quatrain, with the last line of the last stanza being the same as the first line of the first stanza. This poem can have any number of quatrains; however, one must figure out the best point to end the poem. The lines in each stanza can be any length and can also vary between long and short. The Pantoum normally has an abab rhyme scheme in each quatrain, causing the rhyme pattern to alternate. The following is a poem by Pantoum written in the abab alternating quatrain stanza format.
The sweet sound of our mother’s laughter
We never complained because it was so hard to beat.
They made us so rich in hugs, laughter and kisses;
Buying us special treats and pampering ourselves was always so good
We never complain with our silent desires
They made us so rich in hugs, laughter and kisses.
Applesauce with mashed bananas that our mothers fed;
We never complain with our silent desires
They even sing us sweet songs before going to bed.
Applesauce and crushed banana that our mothers fed
Our mothers really had us laughing, kicking our feet, and giggling;
They even sing us sweet songs before going to bed.
Bottom of our tiny feet and toes kept tickling us
Our mothers made us laugh, kick and giggle
After crawling on the floor while looking at the door;
Bottom of our tiny feet and toes kept tickling us
When they stopped, we cried, jumped up, and asked for more.
After crawling on the floor while looking at the door
They put us in our cribs and we blew out our eyelids;
When they stopped we cried, jumped up and asked for more
Freedom songs were on our lips though we were children
They put us in our cribs and we blew our tops off
Buying us special gifts and pampering ourselves was always so nice;
Freedom songs were on our lips though we were children
We never complained because it was so hard to beat.
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