Two Ways..

232 Replies

A glass half drunk, a glass half full
Two ways to look at life, my friend
Which way is right, which way doth pull?
A glass half drunk, a glass half full
Does one lead wrong, on eyes put wool?
From life steal hope, give frown no end
A glass, half drunk a glass – half full
Two ways to look, at life my friend

Each tick the clock, should fill that glass
Forget the gaps, which once were found
Forge on, don’t pause, no life to pass
Each tick the clock, should fill that glass
Forget your woes, no screams “Alas!”
Fill life with smiles, burn frowns to ground
Each tick, the clock should fill that glass
Forget the gaps which once were found

The form of poetry here is the Triolet. A triolet is a one stanza poem of eight lines. Its rhyme scheme is ABaAabAB and often all lines are in iambic tetrameter. The first, fourth and seventh lines are identical, as are the second and final lines, thereby making the initial and final couplets identical as well.

Shared at the Thursday Poets Rally, Week 40. (March 24 to March 30, 2011)

Image courtesy of Tess Kincaid at Magpie Tales. Image was given as inspiration for Magpie 10 in April 2010.

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232 thoughts on “Two Ways..”

  11. Amity

    This is a very interesting form of poetry Vinay! A very successful attempt you made! I like this Triolet… :) I may try one day… :P
    My VIllanelle failed, I realized I faltered in the rhyme scheme aba :P Maybe I was already drunk drinking my tea and noticed it was too late I kind of got lazy to make the necessary revisions…:P

    Have a nice day ahead Vinay… ;) I thought you would link… :P

    Reply ↓
  13. danroberson

    The more words you pour from your glass, my friend,
    “”The more glasses you’ll fill and others you’ll send,
    Your glass will never be half empty when you share,
    There will be more than a river flowing there,
    Your words will continue swift and wide,
    Filling glass after glass from deep inside.

    Beautiful poem. May all your glasses be as full as your dreams.

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  15. Nanka

    The central theme, your thoughts and words are so admirable Vinay that you have done a perfect poetry!!
    ~ a Triolet coming from you after a long time and so very well done, a treat!!
    I loved danroberson’s comment here, he has expressed it so marvelously!!
    Wishing you the very best!!
    Cheers!!

    Reply ↓
  17. Clariice

    Hey Vinay! Smashing triolet you have there! Honestly, this is the first time I have come across it but definitely your theme struck me to the core – mainly because I have been thinking about this issue for the longest time since last year..

    Each tick the clock, should fill that glass
    Forget the gaps, which once were found
    Forge on, don’t pause, no life to pass

    From these 3 lines I do have some questions.
    1. How does ticking of the clock fill the glass? Does it mean the fruit of time will fill up the other half to make it more filling?
    2. Which gaps are you referring to?
    3. How much should we start to forge on whenever we dont seem to achieve what we want? ie. Eg there is something I want to get but somehow the event just doesnt happen no matter how much I try, do I forge on ahead and give up? Or should I continue to push it on in life? How much should I hold on while moving forward? Or does that mean I am not moving on?

    Clariice

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay Post author

      Hi Clariice.. glad u liked my triolet and found it smashing.. and it is something that a lot of us think about a lot I feel.

      They say time heals all wounds… so I feel that rather than wasting a tick mulling over something that has taken a lot out of life, we can try to solve it or try to think of something that we did right. When thoughts are happy, the glass seems to be filling rather than half or completely empty, doesn’t it?

      The gap I refer to is the gap that time gives to life’s glass. We don’t feel it is full at times.. and the gaps come in the thought of continuity. We seek an escape rather than a way to fill it.

      We all have some or the other thing that we want, yet don’t seem to get. Some dream that never seems to become true, right? Yet as time moves on, there are other dreams that do become true and that gives us some hope and courage to forge on. The old dream either completely goes away, or goes deep and hidden. In the future, there might come a time when the possibility of the old dream to come true arrives. When that happens, the old dream will also raise a question if it can happen then. Up to you to decide if you can pursue it at that moment, or continue with the other.. Holding on to something forever isn’t wise I guess.. better to let it lie redundant while u make another come true. Go with what opportunity comes IMO. You don’t have to hold forcefully. If it means a lot to u, it’ll stay with u, asleep deep in ur heart. If it doesn’t, then it never meant much to you in the first place, so why hold on to it tight?

    2. Clariice

      Thanks very much for your prompt response! It triggered further thoughts from me.
      When thoughts are happy, the glass seems to be filling rather than half or completely empty, doesn’t it? – I have never thought of it in that way seriously, when you put in that perspective – I suddenly see it in a whole new light.

      Do you mean when people start to kill time rather than continuously pursuing something? I do feel slightly conflicted about killing time sometimes. It’s like time is supposed to be precious isnt it? Should we always be doing something?

      What’s IMO? Totally agree about dream coming true. Mine did after 7 years! I made a drastic change and I had thought it was never destined to come true though I did continue working hard and accumulating experience in between – secretly deep down I still wanted it. Although the final result and process differs from my expectation, but still the basic dream was achieved somehow in a way…I guess I will hold the rest of my other dreams – asleep in my heart for now..

    3. Vinay Post author

      No Clarice, I don’t say that we’ve to be doing something every moment of our life. That’d be draining, wouldn’t it? I’ll take an e.g. I flunked an exam and I find no support whatsoever from my family and that drains my already low morale even more. Every moment afterward, I spend mulling the fact that I failed. Its killing time, bcoz rather than using it to study harder and clear it next time out along with other subjects that need my attention, the time is lost to misery. I’ve a right to be sad, yes. But for how long can I repent what has happened? I’ve no time machine to go back right? Mull over what u did wrong, for some time.. and then go to what can be done right from that moment on.. I think that will help. Don’t do something every moment, but rather the moments that u have to do something, try to make it balance what had gone wrong, so life seems equal again..

      IMO = In My Opinion.. its an abbreviation :) and 7 years isn’t that long once the satisfaction of it coming true calms your heart I think.. Other dreams can awaken sometime too, else it won’t be much of an issue. Cheers!

  25. -D

    wonderfully penned and I always, always loved your poems.
    Indeed, there are two ways to look at things, the way we view our circumstances will affect our lives. We live according to we know how.

    Reply ↓
  33. sarah

    Not just wonderfully penned but also impacting! I have alwaysss been motivated by the glass theory ( i m calling it that way )..simple yet grants one not just faith but a lot of positive vibes given the fact that its our perceptions that define our lives :) good wrk!

    Reply ↓
  48. Sam

    strange enough I had a discussion with a friend yesterday regarding the Glass Half full or Half empty, well I do believe that both are right because both are true, and that’s life it is a duality which we should gladly accept… Loved the flow of your words…:-)

    Reply ↓
  51. Kay Salady

    So often, I have said, “Stop the clock!” I’d wished for my glass to be fuller. Yesterday’s wine was lovely. Yet in the wanting of more, I’d not taken the time to savor it’s sweetness. Your poem is excellent. Thank you!

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay

      rhyming isn’t always necessary for a poem to be complete, however in this case, the form triolet demands both repetition and rhyming :) glad u liked my poem and thank u for returning the visit, Gomagoti! :)

  66. Julie Laing

    Nice triolet! I love that the glass isn’t half empty but half drunk–it gives a lovely other layer to the piece that the cliche misses. I’m fine-tuning a piece that uses the empty-full cliche, and now you’ve got me thinking of ways to play with it!

    Thanks so much for your comment on my rally entry as well–I’m glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay

      hi Julie.. thank u :) glad u liked the way I played with the cliche! if its empty, it was either full and drunk from (or) empty and half filled.. either ways, I think it needs more filling ;)

  69. Rekha

    An awesome piece that expresses the dilemma so clearly…the optimist always has the advantage of making the best of the gifts of life while the other digs a deep hole fuelled by their fears.

    Reply ↓
  75. squashedmosquito

    interesting… I’m reminded of the dualism we experience on this earth (good/bad, empty/full etc) … this, I’m told, is a defining characteristic of our experience on earth, as is the experience of time as a linear line (rather than the omnipresent nature of time experienced as a continuous past, present and future all happening in the NOW moment). I appreciate that probably sounded a bit weird… in essence what I’m trying to say is that you’ve captured a universal truth (as we experience it on earth) in this poem. Nice work.

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay

      depends, Eclipse :) its okay if you’ve been drinking the positive thoughts in your glass, rather than keeping a half full one I think. either ways, filling has to be done :P

      Triolets are a bit tough, but fun to try nonetheless :) cheers!

  82. The Lonely Recluse

    Great poem Vinay, loved the form. The glass is half empty when being drunk and half full when being filled, there is always time for seeing both the positive and negative of every situation, as such there is no right way to look at it. Or so I see things. Again I loved the words, and the style.
    The Lonely Recluse.

    Reply ↓
  90. Paula Tohline Calhoun

    Thanks so much for visiting my site, Vinay. I am frequently visiting yours (though I apologize for not always commenting – time is at a premium, especially lately, and I generally tend to make LONG comments! :-D ) I really appreciate the explanation of the Triolet form. Interestingly enough, thoug I do not restrict my poems of that type to 8 line stanzas, I have sort of come to that form many times all on my own. It just seems to work somethimes, although I will say that my version would not strictly be considered Triolet.

    As far as this particular poem of yours goes, I do love the subject matter and idea. While it is not my absolute favorite among your many wonderful poems, it is definitely a good effort! I’m not sure I gave you the link to my poetry anthology site on WEbook. When and if you have the time, please feel free to drop by. Found at: http://www.webook.com/project/Sense-and-Nonsense-Between-the-Lines

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay

      hey Paula, no issues :) comment whenever your time permits, no force on my part :D its only the second time I’m attempting a triolet, the first time I actually did it in iambic tetrameter … I’m a free verse poet as well most of the time :)

      glad u liked the poem, though it wasn’t your absolute favorite :) maybe my future triolets can be more impressive :D I don’t think I remember seeing that link, will drop by when I do find time.. office work and blogging take up most of my time always :) cheers!

  91. jmsimpson

    Hi Vinay,
    I’m a newbie at this, so please excuse. Wow! How do you attract so many people to your site? Well, one thing is for sure. Your design/layout/images are striking! This is a fun poem … glass half full, half empty … depending on if you have enough for another cheap draft (just kidding). I enjoy the repetition and rhyme pattern. Just wondering if you’ve tried revising any of the rhymes that seem a bit forced. I’ll have to look at more poems on your site! Again, thanks so much for getting me started.

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay

      Hi Julia, welcome to my blog..

      I just read, and so people read me back I guess :) glad u liked the poem and found it fun.. the rhymes aren’t forced as such, but the poem overall needed some effort, to get the rhyme scheme right. A triolet is of course formaic poetry. :)

      Welcome to read more poetry here.. any time :) cheers!

  94. Baishali

    Gosh I was just going down and down ( no pun intended :-D ) to reach the comment box … so many comments! and that tells me how popular a poet you are! :) ….. Loved reading it and you have really worked it up so wonderfully as for the form of the poem. would come back to your blog again. all the best.

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay Post author

      lol :D like I said to Suja, the more people read, the comment form seems to go more down.. hehe.. glad u liked the read.. and ur welcome any time here, Baishali.. thank u for dropping by..! :)

  97. Suja

    Whoa! I’m evidently late for this one, thankfully I didn’t have to go too far down for the comment box. I’m kidding :-P

    I like ur take to the prospect, and I agree with you that its needed to be positive to push on in life after a slow day! The triolets have come out gr8 Vinu :)

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay Post author

      well, more people read, so more will come by, and the comment box will go further down :D can’t help it I think, Suja. glad u liked my take on the prospect and agreed with it too. thankoo..!

  103. gossamercy

    Ah, the repetition here is so cool! I usually shy away from repetition because I’m always afraid I overdo it, but this works so well! I’ll probably use it as a model in the future. Also, I really enjoy “Each tick the clock, should fill that glass”. It’s just a superbly interesting imagery. Thanks so much for sharing~!

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay

      I think the triolet repetition works well, coz it is part of the form and we know exactly where to put it, Gossamercy.. when we do it by ourselves in free verse, you’re right.. we do tend to over do it :D glad u liked my poetry, and that imagery.. have a nice week :)

  104. The Fool

    Nice one, Vinay. Not seen you do only haikus and free verse mostly. Good to see you attempting form poetry. I am somehow more attracted to form poetry than free verse as I am comfortable with restriction form poetry places on me. Free verse would give me too much rope for me to hang myself in.
    And thanks for the invite for Thursday poets rally. Will be able to participate from next week only. This week I think time available is too less to write a new poem. I am still only a 20 day old poet to be reeling out a verse within a matter of few hours that too wihout a meme. From the rules, I understand it is not ok to submit an older one. Shall check out a few of the other entries though.

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay

      I do write formaic, TF.. but you’re right.. I do tend to lean toward haikus and free verse. I don’t know if I hang myself with the liberty of free verse though :D

      You don’t have to write a new poem as such da.. Feel free to share an old one, even if its linked to another meme, its okay. Just mention it in a comment at the blog that its old and has been submitted to another meme. Have fun! Next rally is next week I think.. April 6th onward.. will get a hold of you earlier next time :D I’d forgotten this time :-P :)

  105. The Fool

    Nice one, Vinay. Seen you do only haikus and free verse mostly. (Or maybe just that I haven’t read enough of your works) Good to see you attempting form poetry. I am somehow more attracted to form poetry than free verse as I am comfortable with restriction form poetry places on me. Free verse would give me too much rope for me to hang myself in.
    And thanks for the invite for Thursday poets rally. Will be able to participate from next week only. This week I think time available is too less to write a new poem. I am still only a 20 day old poet to be reeling out a verse within a matter of few hours that too wihout a meme. From the rules, I understand it is not ok to submit an older one. Shall check out a few of the other entries though.

    Reply ↓
    1. Vinay

      I do write formaic, TF.. but you’re right.. I do tend to lean toward haikus and free verse. I don’t know if I hang myself with the liberty of free verse though :D

      You don’t have to write a new poem as such da.. Feel free to share an old one, even if its linked to another meme, its okay. Just mention it in a comment at the blog that its old and has been submitted to another meme. Have fun! Next rally is next week I think.. April 6th onward.. will get a hold of you earlier next time :D I’d forgotten this time :P

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