Palindromes

Sotades invented palindromes in Greek-ruled Egypt, back in the 3rd century BC. In fact, palindromes were once known as "Sotadic verses." He was thrown into the sea (wrapped in lead) by King Ptolemy II, for insulting the king in one of his verses.

They were quite popular in the 1800's, but have not shared much popularity since around the 1930's.

Palindrome comes from the Greek words "palin" (again or back) and "dramein" (to run). So if you read that backwards, it translates loosely into "to run back."

The palindrome simply reads the same forwards and backwards, usually with a central focal point from where it begins to read backwards. There are several ways to write palindrome poems, three are presented here, along with examples.

1. It can be read backwards, with the same words, such as the example below.

Example:

Love/Hate Relationship
by Paula Brown

Love
Mimics hate:
Passionate always, forging forward.
Unquiet rage screams
Poetry.
Tangled mercilessly;
Emotion
—mirrors—
Emotion,
Mercilessly tangled.
Poetry
Screams rage, unquiet.
Forward forging, always passionate:
Hate mimics
Love.

2. Here is another way of writing a palindrome poem, more difficult-- it reads the same forwards and backwards by letter.


Mood's mode!
Pallas, I won!
(Diaper pane, sold entire.)
Melt till ever sere, hide it.
Drown a more vile note;
(Tar of rennet.)
Ah, trowel, baton, eras ago.
The reward? A "nisi."  Two nag.

Otary tastes putrid, yam was green.
Odes up and on; stare we.
Rats nod. Nap used one-erg saw.
(May dirt upset satyr?)

A toga now; 'tis in a drawer, eh?
Togas are notable.
(Worth a tenner for Ate`.)
Tone liver. O Man, word-tied I.

Here's revel!
Little merit, Ned? Lose, Nap?
Repaid now is all apedom's doom.

--by Hubert Phillips:


3. Another version of a palindrome poem is the line palindrome, which reads forwards and backwards, by lines.

As I was passing near the jail
I met a man, but hurried by.
His face was ghastly, grimly pale.
He had a gun.  I wondered why
He had.  A gun?  I wondered... why,
His face was *ghastly*!  Grimly pale,
I met a man, but hurried by,
As I was passing near the jail.

-- Author Unknown


Some information gleaned at this helpful web site: www.ecs.umass.edu/ece/hill/eng…