Tyger Tyger Issue 11 – Formal Poems, May 2026

Welcome to the eleventh issue of Tyger Tyger Magazine, the Formal Poems edition!

Here you’ll find an exhilarating range of formal poems, from tiny haiku to twirling villanelles, via clerihews, double dactyls, triolets, rondels, tanka, limericks, ottava rima, terza rima, quaterns, and pantoums.

This selection demonstrates beautifully how the form of a poem shapes and sharpens its subject matter, impacting pace, mood and music in fascinating ways. Different poems in the same form also demonstrate the magic that happens when a poet puts their unique fingerprint on an established pattern.

You’ll encounter pebbles, villains, adventures, fables, frozen puddles, creatures, characters, falling leaves, playtime, pets, old creaking barns, patient dogs, mums, cats, moons, and bookworms among these treasures. Enjoy!

Each poem is available as a free poem poster to download, print and display, and there are free lesson plans exploring ‘Don’t Go, Joe’ by Susanne Connolly, ‘Moon speaks in the form of a villanelle’ by Emma Purshouse and ‘Night Owl, Reading’ by Patrick Fisher.