Tag Archives: line refrain

Letrilla

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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

Tina’s Zigzag Rhyme

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Tina’s Zigzag Rhyme is a form created by Christina R Jussaume and found at Poetry Styles (site no longer accessible).

  • It starts with a sestet, refrain, quatrain, refrain and quatrain.
  • It must be uplifting subject.
  • Rhyme in first two lines is at left,
  • next rhyme is center in lines 3 and 4,
  • and rhyme in lines 5 and 6 is an end rhyme.
  • Refrain is first two lines of poem.
  • After refrain you use center rhyme, then end rhyme, continue with refrain… etc.
  • It is an 8 syllable per line poem. No limit to stanzas but must have, at least one sestet, refrain, and quatrain.

My Example

Form: Tina’s ZigZag Rhyme

Now is a Present

Behold! It’s clear that I can think.
I’m sold that men are so imbued.
There is no need for fairy tales
or a dogma’s creed to comfort.
I think that if you think you’ll see
that things are just as they should be.

Behold! It’s clear that I can think.
I’m sold that men are so imbued.

All of us should enjoy right now
seeking what is good in others.
Happiness is an attitude
that worry’s likely to exclude.

© Lawrencealot – February 1, 2015

Visual Template

Cascade

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Created by Udit Bhatia, the Cascade form “is all about receptiveness, but in a smooth cascading way like a waterfall”. There is no set meter or rhyme scheme. The defining feature of the form is that the lines of the first stanza are repeated as refrain lines in subsequent stanzas to give a “cascading effect”. S1 L1 is repeated as the last line of S2, S1 L2 is repeated as the last line of S3, and so on until all lines in S1 have been used. The number of stanzas is therefore one more than the number of lines in S1.
Example rhyme scheme for a three stanza Cascade: ABC xxA xxB xxC, (ABCxxAxxBxxC)
Rhyme optional, Meter optional, 6 lines or more, line refrain.
 Example Poem
Write a Cascade
The cascade poem can grow in length and width. It’s flexible.
If three lines in one stanza, then stanzas will add up to four.
That means a cascade can be used for many types of contests.
This is an example , a small sample, meter is ignored.
Allowing able alliteration,  but without end rhyme.
The cascade poem can grow in length and width. It’s flexible.
You shall see in Cascade Two that rhyme was planned for and was used.
This monstrous, frigging thing  clamors for abundant verbiage.
If three lines in one stanza, then stanzas will add up to four.
Since this was didactic write, with no metaphor and image.
The flowing effect of my repeating lines might not appear.
That means a cascade can be used for many types of contests.
(c) Lawrencealot – April 22, 2012
Visual Template
 This poem by Discoveria of AllPoetry
(A four line Cascade)