Poetry Forms - the letter C

[Primula]

The thread for the Letter A is here.
The thread for the Letter B is here.

This thread contains the following:
Cancione - pg. 1
Carole - pg. 1
Casbairdne - pg. 2
Cautionary Verse - pg. 3
Cento - pg. 3
Chantey - pg. 3
Choka - pg. 4
Clogyrnach - pg. 4

As before, everyone is welcome to try either the current form or to give any past form a whirl. Many thanks are given to Mr. Lewis Turco and his work The Book of Forms.

Let's start out this letter with a nod to grand and lovely things. The Cancione, or Canzo

According to Turco, 'This is a lyric laid out in any nonce stanzaic form with lines in either heptasyllabic (seven-syllable) or hedecasyllabic (eleven-syllable) lines.'

This means the flow is intended to be musical, and the 'song' it produces is generally about beauty and/or love. In this case nonce means it is written to commemorate or celebrate an occasion, rather like an ode. We still have this Middle English word in our phrase 'for the nonce' but it has mostly slipped out of usage.


My own attempt, using the 7-syllable option, commemorating the spring display I generally get to enjoy about April. I chose a strong rhyme, but yours needn't match rhymes on every line this way:

Order

See the tulips, how they grow!
Red or blushing, pink or snow,
Staves of color, down they flow,
Lined up perfect in their row.

Spring's own beauty, how they glow!
Midst the petals bees will stow,
In soft breezes bob and blow,
Swung in cradles to and fro.

In the riot as I mow,
Weeds dug gently by the hoe,
Peace in order do I know;
Lined up tulips, in a row.

-

Your turn! This should be a no-brainer for Doc, being around music as much as he is.

[DoctorGamgee]

I tried to go for the symmetry you mentioned in the last of the B section with this one, reversing the rhyme pattern from the middle. It is done in short time, so is not great, but follows the seven-syllable pattern requested.

Cancione Primadonna

Home to nothing, cyberspace
now is filled with every race.
Elf and Hobbit, Ent and Man.
All were labled, "Tolkien fan."

From one lone board, fast and true,
The fellowship quickly grew.
And all the world now can see,
The acorn once; now a tree.

And in its shade's dappled light,
a friendship flame lit the night.
A loyal few gathered there.
And grew into something rare.

One found solace, balm for care,
Others spoke of elven hair,
Some there were, with gifts to write
tales unseen by elven sight.

Some tales of love; bended knee,
Others filled with joyful glee.
Others still of arrows flew,
of silly fights; rainbow goo.

Homage given when we can,
For what was termed: Master plan.
Hobbit lass with kindly face,
Built this Home in cyberspace.

[daisy gold]

A beautiful poem Prim. Your tulips have the spirit of spring.

Dr G., a great poem of homage and I love the way you used symmetry.

[DoctorGamgee]

Thanks, Daisy. And in case you couldn't tell, I really like our boards!

Dr.G

[Primula]

What a wonderful ode...tribute... thing! We may be slowing down in our old age, but this group just keep plugging along together. I was at a forum recently where someone was being astonished and amazed at themselves that they'd been there a whole year! - "I've never stayed at any forum for that long!" they gushed. And here we are what, seven years into it or something?

[DoctorGamgee]

Thanks, Prim. I find that 7 syllables is hard to work, as I am so used to Iambs only in poetry (not including limerics). A whole year?!?! Who would have believed it.

Amazing what we have accomplished over the years.

Dr.G

[daisy gold]

Yes Dr G. the 7 syllables is hard work. I keep hearing eight in my head. Anyway I gave it a try.
There are Irish poems and songs on the theme of boy meets milk maid at the dawning of the day. It seems to be a busy time of day for the courting here . (I now know my mistake was enjoying too many sleep ins )I used this traditional form for my song. Each verse ends with 'At the Dawning of the Day'.

It is sung by Sam about his courting dear Rosie.



At the Dawning of the Day


As I roved out one morning
in the merry month of May.
I saw a fair young maiden
come a-strolling down my way.
She smiled at me so sweetly
Oh! My heart she stole away.
The morning dew was shining
at the dawning of the day.

I plucked for her a wild rose
from the briary hedgerows green.
On the grassy bank we sat
where the violets can be seen.
"Oh! Let me call you my sweet
love", I hopefully did say.
And all the birds were singing
At the dawning of the day.


Her eyes shone bright with delight,
Her cheeks were a cherry-red.
"With you I'll go a-roving,
My own darling love." she said.
We walked along on paths made
white by blossoms of the May.
We were as two cooing-doves,
At the dawning of the day.

Daisy Gold.

[DoctorGamgee]

Daisy, that is simply delightful. I love it.

Dr.G

[Primula]

This is just lovely Daisy! I can almost hear it being sung by some hobbit-bard strolling over a grassy knoll, lambs capering from his path as he regales everyone with the famous tale of Sam and Rosie.

[Primula]

Skipping past the capitolo, which is essentially just a satirical terza rima and hence only introduces theme rather than form, let's take a look at something familiar that you may not have ever attempted to write yourselves, the Carol/Carole.



Carols are 'joyous hymns' and in more modern times have been considered to have no particular pattern associated with them, but previously the set form consisted of:

* A two-line burden (couplet) that rhymed A1, A2.
(A1 and A2 indicate they may be different refrains that rhyme with one another, rather than the same refrain every time)

* Followed by any number of quatrain (4-line) stanzas rhyming bbba (or c, or A1 or A2), ccca (or d or A1 or A2), etc.

The last lines of these stanzas rhyme with the burden, or echo/repeat one or the other of the burden lines.

The meter is usually short with no set verse foot though whatever meter is chosen for the stanzas it should be running meter - i.e. the lines are all the same length.


My own attempt:

Silver frost, candlelight,
It is God's blessing we're in His sight.

Wintertime branches are laced with frost,
Grateful our hearts; safe from winds, storm-tossed,
In blankets and firelight fears are lost,
Silver frost and candlelight.

Like the branches that stay evergreen,
Lacking in faith here is seldom seen,
He has forgiven what we have been,
It is God's blessing we're in His sight.

Even in wintertime children grow,
By snow and fireside, share all they know,
Providence holds us in shining glow;
Silver frost and candlelight.

We know that one day Spring will unfold,
Tho' new flowers sleep beneath the cold,
Like the evergreens, this thought we hold:
It is God's blessing we're in His sight.

Silver frost, candlelight,
It is God's blessing we're in His sight.

[daisy gold]

Wonderful, Prim. You make winter sound so lovely

[DoctorGamgee]

To try this form, the Doctor will,
but first he must the Fire Ants Kill

An evening balmy, calm and bright
Will see the onslaught of the fight,
before the sun falls into night,
The Doctor ants must Kill!

Like orcs from Mordor, on they come.
My lawn they're making into home,
Their red heads pouring from the dome.
The Fire Ants leave the Hill.

But know they not the wizard's craft,
And with dark glee, the Doctor laughed,
For these orcs knew naught of the shaft
that brought them from their Hill.

As white as ash, the unction came,
and burned the ants like wizard's flame.
And DoctorGamgee was to blame!
He joyed to this small thrill.

For Doc destroys the curséd Hill!
And get them all, he surely will.

Dr.G

[Primula]

Yes! Yes! I crown this one with the prize - you should put this to music and make your choir sing it. Totally!

[DoctorGamgee]

LOL! I will get to work on it immediately, and in the August Texas Moot, we shall surely sing it.

**Ponders whether traditional harmony would be better or a Round for harmonic effect ....**

Your's Prim, is simply delightful. For someone who never sees snow, it is lovely indeed.

Dr.G

[daisy gold]

Dr G and the fire ants... I so enjoyed your poem . It is great. If I ever have any fire ants I'll know who to call.

Here is my try. I set it in the Shire as I am not too keen on New Year celebrating. I always find it so sad.

The Turning of the Year - A Hobbit Carol
.
.
Come celebrate, be of good cheer,
And raise a toast to the New Year.

.
Winter winds blow cold and squally,
Inside homes are warm and jolly,
Hung with pine and boughs of holly.
Come celebrate, be of good cheer.

.
Welcome in your guests and kin,
Let your homes with laughter ring,
Kindled by the joy within.
And raise a toast to the New Year.

.
Kitchen fires are burning bright,
Much good food and beer delight,
Merry voices fill the night.
Come celebrate, be of good cheer.

.
Beat the drums, let trumpets play,
Sing and dance the hours away,
Then to greet the new-born day.
And raise a toast to the New Year.

.
At the turning of the year,
Lay to rest your pain, your fear,
Remember friends once held so dear.
When the midnight hour draws near.
.

Now the old year’s fading fast,
So let it go, let it past,
All hold hands, each lad and lass,
And raise a toast to the New Year.
.

Daisy Gold