What is a Tyburn?

A Tyburn poem is a six line poetic form where the first four lines consist of just a single two syllabled word each that all rhyme. The last two lines are nine syllables where the fifth to eighth syllables are the words from the first four lines.

A Tyburn poem

Crashing
Clashing
Splashing
Thrashing
Crashing, clashing sea
Swims a little splashing, thrashing me.

Why don't you try writing a Tyburn poem and enter it into one of our poetry competitions.

For information on poetry types other than a Tyburn visit our poetry glossary – poetry types.