The Glosa – How To

Very interesting form I must say.  Learned of it searching around for various poetic forms and came across this.  It’s almost like a form to honor not only a poet, but a piece of their work as well.  Here is one I came across and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Irish Pride and Prejudice 
(Glosa verse by Darren Anderson)

In the deserts of the heart
Let the healing fountain start,
In the prison of his days
Teach the free man how to praise.

W.H. Auden
In memory of W.B. Yeats

A putrid scene of civil conflict
returns without regret,
festering in dead hearts,
lacking the fortitude to forgive.
Waiting, we long for a successor
to match Yeats’ intuitive art.
A Celtic hero able
to play with hostile minds
and brave the poisoned part
in the deserts of the heart.

His whirling intellect sliced
through disaster and distress.
Fervor enough to bend reality,
and imagination to create it.
Yet, now he lives within his page
Unable to take part
in the drama unfolding
on that great Irish stage.
We need an actor with his heart.
Let the healing fountain start.

Sectarian riots grow
a blistering boil of religious identity.
Deep scars riddle
faces of Catholic and Protestant alike.
“Unity of Being”, an Irish serenity,
forgotten nationalist ways
buried by bludgeoning stones,
thrown by the hands of hatred.
A feat that would not amaze,
In the prison of his days.

The tall, young man
with lanky cloak and hat,
no longer strolls the streets of Dublin.
His stunning tone no longer heard,
only imagined by the reader.
Ireland must revive his ways,
for brutality never pays.
Let Oisin and Patrick speak his words,
inspire beyond the grave
teach the free man how to praise.

The Origin

The form arose in the early Renaissance period by a number of poets in the Spanish court.  It was their way of paying tribute to fellow poets, more commonly those who had since passed, and building upon their work.

The Mechanics

The Glosa is comprised of 1 quatrain followed by 4 stanzas of 10 lines each.  The poem begins with a quatrain (4 line stanza) that has been borrowed from another poet’s poem.  This is also called the Cabeza.  At the end of the Cabeza, you cite the poet and the title of their work and begin work on your 4 stanzas.  Choose your Cabeza wisely, for these 4 lines become the 10^th line of each stanza in the order they appear in the borrowed poet’s work.  It is also common to italicize the borrowed lines at the end of the poem, making it appear a bit separate from the poem.  There is no real syllable structure, but to stay true to the forms original construction, the lines 6, 9, and 10 should rhyme.  It isn’t required in modern construction though.  Also make note that aside from the 6^th, 9^th, and 10^th lines, the poem does not need to rhyme.  In fact, it’s more like a structured free verse.

Putting what we know together, the skeleton of the Glosa looks like this:

Title

Line 1 of borrowed quatrain

Line 2 of borrowed quatrain

Line 3 of borrowed quatrain

Line 4 of borrowed quatrain

Origional Poet’s Name

Title of Origional Poem

Stanza 1

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

F

F (Line 1 of borrowed quatrain)

Stanza 2

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

F

F (Line 2 of borrowed quatrain)

Stanza 3

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

F

F (Line 3 of borrowed quatrain)

Stanza 4

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

F

F (Line 4 of borrowed quatrain)

My Approach

There really is no easy way to do this.  My advice is to be very familiar with the poet and poem you are borrowing from.  Take note of the concept, tone, feel, and flow of that poem, especially the borrowed lines, and let that fuel your writing.  Another piece of advice when choosing your borrowed lines is have an idea of how you want the piece to end.  The lines you choose should really tie the whole piece together in powerful way.

And that is that.  Try it out!  I would love to see what you come up as well so link back and let me know where to go.  Ciao!

The Villanelle – How To

One of my all-time favorite forms to write.  I actually stumbled upon this form while taking the AP exam a few years ago during my Sophomore year in High School.  The essay section of the exam contained a poem that absolutely blew me away.  The flow, tone, style, and everything was just like wow to me  I had to figure out the form and such on the spot.  Haha not the best thing to have on your mind in a middle of an exam, but it all turned out well.   Anyways, the poem was by W. H. Auden and went like this:

If I Could Tell You

Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

If we should weep when clowns put on their show,
If we should stumble when musicians play,
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

There are no fortunes to be told, although,
Because I love you more than I can say,
If I could tell you I would let you know.

The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,
There must be reasons why the leaves decay;
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

Perhaps the roses really want to grow,
The vision seriously intends to stay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

Suppose all the lions get up and go,
And all the brooks and soldiers run away;
Will Time say nothing but I told you so?
If I could tell you I would let you know.

The Origin:

The Villanelle actually started off as an Italian Renaissance dance song structure that appeared formless.  It wasn’t until the French took a liking to it that the now traditional form was born.  Jean Passerat, a French poet, put the style on the map with his “J’ai perdu ma tourtourelle” (I’ve Lost My Turtle Dove”).  It’s a great poem as well, check it out if you get the chance, and a translator haha.

Mechanics:

Let’s break it down.   This is a 6 stanza poem in which 5 of those stanzas are made of 3 lines each and a 6^th  and final stanza has 4, totaling out to be a 19 line poem.  There are only 2 rhymes throughout the entire poem, we’ll label those “a” & “b”,  and no real syllable count, though many tend to go with the 8 to 10 count when putting their poems together.   What makes this poem special are the refrains.  The 1^st and 3^rd lines in the first stanza will alternate as the 3^rd line in the remaining 4 stanzas, and are coupled together in the final stanza.  Lets call those “A1” for the first line and “A2” for the second.    Putting what we know together, the skeleton of the Villanelle looks like this:

Stanza 1
A1
b
A2

Stanza 2
a
b
A1

Stanza 3
a
b
A2

Stanza 4
a
b
A1

Stanza 5
a
b
A2

Stanza6
a
b
A1
A2

My Approach

When I decide that the best way to convey my message is through the Villanelle form, I actually think of how it is going to end first. Meaning, I pick my refrains. These are actually really important, since they are going to be what really drives the message throughout the piece and sticks with the reader. Now, if you look at Auden’s poem above, you will notice that he actually altered the refrain a little (A1) bit in the 6th Stanza. This is also common among seasoned writers, but the alteration is usually very minor and still carries the same meaning it had originally. I found this technique useful when trying to really make the last line linger in the reader’s mind more. Anyways, after choosing the refrains, I write the first stanza by choosing a “b” based on how well it connects the 1st and 3rd lines and tone. Once that’s done, all that’s left is to fill in the remaining 10 lines (After you choose your refrains and write the first stanza, you already have 9 of the 19 lines written, crazy right?)

 

Try it out! I’d love to see what you come up with as well.  Ciao!