Line count: 14
Foot: iamb
Line length: tetrameter
Rhyme scheme:

A
B
A
B
C
B
C
C
B
C
B
A
B
A

The Sal is an invented English poetic form, taken from the Hebrew word for basket: סל. It is unique by its symmetrical and “woven” rhyme scheme. It consists of 14 lines of iambic tetrameter with the rhyming pattern shown above.

It consists of only three rhymed endings (A, B, and C). It is influenced by the Hebrew chiasm, a symmetric form where the first and second halves mirror each other, culminating in the center. It is also influenced by the Terza Rima form wherein rhymes are woven through each other.

Development

I was first drawn toward developing this form when I was working on The Vision of the Beloved. This poem was centered around seven attributes of Christ, seven being the “perfect” number. I wanted it to have a truly symmetric shape, where similar attributes (such as hands and feet) were paralleled to each other. I also wanted it to have its climax in the center while still retaining a linear progression through the full poem. I was inspired by the chiasm, a form often used in Hebrew literature.

A chiasm is a generic literary form that can be used in both poetry and narrative. It is characterized by its “sandwich-like” shape, where the outer components (the bread) parallel each other and the climax is in the center (the meat). A typical chiasm will have something like the following form:

A
B
C
B’
A’

The initial components (A and B) are mirrored by their descending components (A’ and B’). These components can be linked thematically; they could be parallels or opposites of each other. They could also be linked phonetically (i.e. they could be lines that end with the same rhyme).

While playing with a chiastic rhyme scheme, I’ve found that the rhymes can be hard to hear the larger the chiastic unit becomes. For example, suppose I have written a simple chiastic stanza of eight lines, where each lettered pair rhyme.

A
B
C
D
D’
C‘
B‘
A’

When reading this poem, the center rhyme (D/D’) is very clearly heard, since they are essentially a couplet: two consecutive lines that rhyme. The reader may also hear the C/C’ rhyme, and maybe even the B/B’ lines, but it is unlikely that they will hear the rhyme of A/A’. Too many words have passed and the reader has long since forgotten the ending sound of the first line. After a second look they may be able to visually see the rhyme, but it will take a bit of effort on their parts to hear it. In my opinion, the only reason to restrict yourself to keeping end-rhymes is if the reader can actually hear them to their satisfaction.

My solution to this auditory problem was to weave the rhymes throughout the lines such that each line was always within two lines of a connecting rhyme. This inspiration I took from the Terza Rima form. The resulting scheme was the following (letters indented for ease of viewing):

While not enforced by this form, I also structured The Vision of the Beloved such that each pair of consecutive lines formed a complete thought about one of the (seven) attributes.

(You can find more explanation of this poem here.)

This form was challenging to work within but very satisfying when a solution was properly worked out. The most difficult part was choosing what my three rhymes were going to be, especially for the B rhymes, which are used the most throughout the poem. The result, however, was a poem that said more than what could normally be said in a mere fourteen lines. The form itself added poetic value, in what aspects were mirrored, in how the first half compared with the second half, and with what was positioned in the center.

Variations

I’m curious to see how variations on this form would work. If each line were pentameter instead of tetrameter, it would make this form have the same "mass" as a sonnet (14 lines of 5 feet each). I attempted this when I was first creating the form, but my mind so naturally tended toward tetrameter that I gave up the effort.

Additionally, the Sal could be expanded or contracted to different line counts. A version of the Sal that only uses two rhymes would be 8 lines as follows:

A
B
A
B
B
A
B
A

What’s more, a Sal that uses four rhymes would be 20 lines long, as follows:

A
B
A
B
C
B
C
D
C
D
D
C
D
C
B
C
B
A
B
A

If you're interested, give this form a try yourself! I'd love to see what others could do with it.