The following description is reposted with permission from Poetry Magnum Opus, with thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on that fine resource.
Spanish Poetry
The Letrilla is a short strophic form from 16th century Spain that is usually humorous or satirical. The form can sometimes be found in religious verse also. This lyrical verse is written with a theme refrain of any number of lines which usually begins and ends the poem.
The Letrilla is:
- strophic, any number of lines contained in the strophe.
- syllabic, often written in 6 or 8 syllable lines. Lines should be short and approximate length.
- composed with a refrain which begins and ends the piece.
- rhymed, rhyme scheme would depend on the length of the strophe. The theme refrain AA (or however many lines) and the strophe rhyme is often envelope rhyme AA bccb ba AA or AA bcccba AA etc .
| Letrilla by Francesco de Quevedo 1580-1645 Poderosos caballero es don Dinero Madre, yo al oro me humillo el es mi amante y mi amado, pues de puro enamorado, anda contino amarillo; que pues doblon o sencillo, hace todo cuanto quiero poderoso caballero es don Dinero. |
Letrilla by Francesco de Quevedo translated by Judi Van Gorder A powerful horseman is Mr. Money. Mother, because of gold I make a fool of myself, It is my lover and my beloved because it is purest love. it walks a golden path. Whether complicated or simple It does all that I want A powerful horseman is Mr. Money. |
My Example
Form: Letrilla
Fresh as a Daisy
I’ve written doggerel a lot.
Purposely? Well, usually not.
While I’m smart as a whip
when I write about June
and I rhyme it with moon
it is sometimes a slip
not a purposeful quip,
just the best that I’ve got.
I’ve written doggerel a lot.
Purposely? Well, usually not.
© Lawrencealot – February 15, 2015