Goliardic Verse (Germanic verb to sing or entertain) was a popular verse of the Goliards, wandering scholars of the 12th and 13th century in rhymed and accented Latin. The form became linked with satire specifically, mockery of the Church.
Goliard Verse is:
• syllabic, 13 syllable lines, in hemistiches of 6 and 7 syllables. Sometimes L4 is only 12 syllables.
• stanzaic, written in any number of quatrains.
• mono-rhymed, lines end in feminine rhyme. Rhyme scheme aaaa bbbb.
Lament by Judi Van Gorder
Mother Church serves the poor, it is one of her niches.
Now she’s been tested with threat to her riches
by former altar boys, abused, turned into snitches,
claiming clerics have strayed, unzipping their britches.
Pasted from <http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?showtopic=1077>
My thanks to Judi Van Gorder for years of work on this fine PMO resource
German and Austrian Poetic Forms:
Bar Form, Dinggedicht, Goliardic Verse, Knittelvers, Minnesang, Nibelungen,Schuttelreim
My Example
Unless Twice Perverted (Goliard Verse)
All cults and churches too, deserve a bit of mocking
(On fables they are based); that millions bite is shocking.
We’ve all heard tales of priests and choirboys they’ve been stalking.
I’ll bet there’ve been girls too, but they have not been talking.
© Lawrencealot – November 14, 2014
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