Monostich

Monostich

A monostich is a poem which consists of a single line.
The following is an example:

'Skunks,' the squirrel said, 'are sent to try us.'
Ralph Hodgson

A monostich could be also titled; due to the brevity of the form, the title is invariably as important a part of the poem as the verse itself:

COWARD
Bravery runs in my family.
A. R. Ammons

Some examples of one-line poems were created by Ancient authors (Martial e.g.). Modern monostich was started in Russia in 1894 when Valery Bryusov published the single line of pretty absurdic essence:

О закрой свои бледные ноги.
(Oh, cover your pale legs.)

In Western poetry monostich was reinvented by Guillaume Apollinaire in his "Chantre" (1914).


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Monostich — Mon o*stich, n. [Gr. ?, from ? consisting of one verse; mo nos single + sti chos line, verse.] A composition consisting of one verse only. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • monostich — [män′ə stik΄] n. [LL monostichum < Gr monostichon < monos, single (see MONO ) + stichos, a line, verse: see STILE2] 1. a poem consisting of one metrical line 2. one line of poetry …   English World dictionary

  • monostich — n. [Gr. monos, one; stichos, row] 1. Cells arranged in a row along one side of an axis. 2. (NEMATODA: Adenophorea) Esophagi in Stichosomida (=Trichocephalida; Mermithida) in which the cells are external to the esophagus and along one side;… …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • monostich — monostichic, adj. /mon euh stik /, n. 1. a poem or epigram consisting of a single metrical line. 2. a single line of poetry. [1570 80; < LL monostichum < Gk monóstichon, n. use of neut. of monóstichos consisting of one line of verse. See MONO ,… …   Universalium

  • monostich — noun a poem consisting of a title and a single line …   Wiktionary

  • monostich — mono·stich …   English syllables

  • monostich — mon•o•stich [[t]ˈmɒn əˌstɪk[/t]] n. 1) pro a poem or epigram consisting of a single metrical line 2) pro a single line of poetry • Etymology: 1570–80; < LL monostichum < Gk monóstichon; see mono , stich …   From formal English to slang

  • monostich — /ˈmɒnəstɪk/ (say monuhstik) noun 1. a poem or epigram consisting of a single metrical line. 2. a single line of poetry. {Late Latin monostichum, from Greek monostichon (adjective neuter) consisting of one line} …  

  • monostich —   n. one verse line; poem of one verse line.    ♦ monostichous, a. in one line or row …   Dictionary of difficult words

  • monostich — I. ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌstik noun Etymology: Late Latin monostichum, from Greek monostichon, from neuter of monostichos consisting of one verse, from mon + stichos line, verse more at stich : a single verse; also : a poem of one verse II. adjective …   Useful english dictionary

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