Borrownyms For Dummies: A Tutorial

The borrownym is a series of stanzas each of which consists of three pentameter lines. The first line of each stanza is identical or nearly so to some well-known line of canonical poetry. Each of the five accented syllables of its second line rhyme with the five accented syllables of the opening line in order. Its last line’s final accented syllable rhymes with the end rhymes of the first two and scans similarly as they to supply a nonsense summary.

Example:  

(1) Opening line: 

A loaf      of bread,    a jug       of wine    and thou 

long o     short e       short u     long i          ow

(2) Line two with rhyming strong syllables: 

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou 

on sofa bed we snuggle, kleine frau. 

(3)  Line three with end rhyme: 

From purse of silk we’ll fashion ear of sow.

(4 ) Thus the first stanza of this borronym: 

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou

on sofa bed we snuggle, Kleine Frau:

from purse of silk we fashion ear of sow. 

(5) Stanza two of this borrownym: 

Come, fill the cup, and in the fire of spring...

(Don't spill! Heads up, you pinhead: wire and string
won't help! First, set aside your teething ring!) 

...and so on. 

Bananagrams For Dummies: A Tutorial

The bananagram, a verse form of Ulysses Poe's own invention, is a poetic elaboration upon a single word, the so-called spring word, which functions as a partial, near- or quasi anagram in that numbers of smaller words can be spelt using one or more of its letters. These single words, so-called sub-words or seed words, are then used as end rhymes in the lines of an extended poetic composition, the final word of which is the spring word.

Example:

 
(1) The spring word: M A C H I N E 

(2) A partial list of seed words derived from the spring word:

Ham, came, am, name, Che, 'Ni,' CIA, me etc...

(3) Ideally there will be some among the seed words that rhyme

with each other. These can be paired to create rhyming couplets or in other rhyming patterns.

 
(4) An example of a bananagram using the seed words listed above:

 
Though he claimed, “I’m descended from Ham,”
as he conquered and saw and then came,
he’s descended from Eve, like I am.
Still, I fear I’ve forgotten his name.
   Next, he chanted, “I’m Cuban, like Che.
And you’re right: I’m a knight who says 'Ni'.”
(I suspect the guy’s gay, or is ex-CIA
on a visit -- or is it just me…?)...

And so on for, in the case of this example's final form, a total of 60 lines. 

The split bananagram is similar to the bananagram except that every other end-rhymed line uses a word derived from the poem’s spring word.