
photo by Kenny Louie
Welcome to dVerse Poets, my name is Brian Miller and I will be your host for Form4All….err….MeetingTheBar…
Someone break out the smelling salts, I think Gay may have passed out — because I am about the last person you would think that would choose to do a form prompt. Ha.
It’s not that I dont think form is great…just a bit constraining. You know.
But be that as it may, today, we will be writing paradelles…
What you never heard of them? Well, it’s and eleventh century french form…regaled as the most demanding fixed form…and really it was all a joke / a parody of form poetry and in particular the villanelle, that billy collins pulled a few years ago…
When Billy Collins wrote Paradelle for Susan he included a note at the bottom that explained the form to be a French form, first appearing in the langue d’oc love poetry of the eleventh century. And it fooled quite a few people. If you read his example, especially having to end the last line with “my into it was with to to” i think you will find a bit of tongue in cheek at form poetry and their rigid structures.
Here are the rules:
The paradelle is a 4-stanza poem, where each stanza consists of 6 lines.
For the first 3 stanzas, the 1st and 2nd lines should be the same; the 3rd and 4th lines should also be the same; and the 5th and 6th lines should be composed of all the words from the 1st and 3rd lines and only the words from the 1st and 3rd lines.
The final stanza should be composed of all the words in the 5th and 6th lines of the first three stanzas and only the words from the 5th and 6th lines of the first three stanzas.
I will suggest that when you get to the last stanza you may want to make you a word bank to choose from of all the words…and if you stare at them long enough, they are like those magic pictures — where all of a sudden a 3D image appears…ha.
A few examples to get you going:
Paradelle for Susan by Billy Collins
Here in the Heart of the Heart by Mary Debow
Shadow Poetry has several examples
So, give it a try…and don’t stress if you come out sounding kinda weird in that last stanza…if you remember Billy’s last line, you should be fine.
If you are new here, let me tell you how we do it:
- Write a paradelle and post it to your webpage or blog
- Click the Mr Linky button below and enter your name and direct web address to your poem.
- Visit other, tell them what you liked, how it moved you, what you appreciate about their poem or some mild critique
- If you use social media, use #dversepoets or @dversepoets so we can find you and help promote.
- Have fun.
I will see you out on the trail. ~Brian
doors are open…about to get a little crazy in here…
have fun with the form…and hey if you don’t quite get it
i still want to see it…smiles.
Yours was just great Brian.. No tongue in cheek at all,
i was totally going to go goofy on it too…and it just kinda rolled out straight up….mary’s is awesome…great flow
Mary’s has a simplicity that just makes it great.
Thanks, Bjorn!! I had fun with the form.
Thanks, Brian, for the compliment. Once I had the first line the whole poem kind of came to me, stanza by stanza. I really do LIKE this form and would even do it again sometime.
man – this is one rigid form, I like that it was tongue in cheek.
ha. that last stanza is the beast…i have read the first five…and they have been pretty good honestly…so if you are looking for further examples check them out….
seems like – write the last stanza first, then backfill the others from the words.
i dunno if you could pull that off…if so, let me know…ha…
man six lines, 4 stanzas, that’s alot of poetry – mine are usually only 17 syllables.
you know i have a growing relationship with micropoetry…i actually used to write it twice a week and got away from it…but found a gorgeous book not too long back that is pulling on me…i plan on reading through it again over the weekend and seeing what it does to inspire me….
kinda glad i did not pick the other form i considered…its a 50 line poem, each line weaving off the last…
smiles.
are you sure you’re not a math major ? 🙂
look at it this way, of the 24 lines, 6 of them are refrains…so its really only 18 lines…if you can make each line one syllable you are only 1 over your norm…ha.
not quite as short as one syllable, but peggy did some really short lines that played really well with the form…check it out
This was the most rigid form I ever wrote in.. But a lot of fun too… As you said the last stanza was extremely tricky to do.. I tried to do it in my head while out walking… But no I needed to sit down and concentrate 🙂
haha. i usually rebel against the rigidity…but…what they heck if you are going to do it—go all in…yeah, i had several pages of legal pad i was using to work mine out…lol…my son was like — what are you doing?
not sure if i did justice to the form but had great fun…hope to see you all tomorrow..it’s long past midnight here… 🙂
sleep well…yours was def fun….
love that video…lol
Well, Brian, if you are going to write form…a parody of form seems quite fitting! If you have to follow rules…make sure it’s the letter of the law and not the spirit, eh? Kinda like when I was in Bible College, and we had to wear ties at Sunday evening services. Yep…the rules said we had to wear ties…but they didn’t say I couldn’t wear the UGLIEST ties I could find and the local thrift shops…
ha. i should have thought of that…
i did follow the letter this time…not the spirit…usually
the spirit is good enough for me..
how are you bryan…
doing OK…my wife and I are still really struggling with her dad’s death, but life WILL go on. Thanks for asking!
hugs to your wife man.
i walked that a bit with my own wife
when her mom died…and i am kinda
waiting for her dad as we have had a couple
scares
Thanks. Yeah, hugs are pretty important right now. Take care. Sorry about your father-in-law’s health situation.
Thinking back on my Bible College days gave me the inspiration I needed for writing my poem! 🙂
A nice step away from the freedom of your own unique style; what a fun prompt. Billy Collins, while not counting his money, found time to put smiles on all of us. I took your lead on using another font for the refrain lines, but hey, I thought I was so clever to make up a word check-off list to prepare Stanza 4–& of course, great minds & whatever, you had already gone there. Oddly, for me the form is reminiscent of a Ballad, or the “call & response” portion of the blues or jazz.
ha. great minds indeed…i can hear the call and response…esp in lines 1/2 & 3/4…i respect billy as a poet…and enjoy his works…
i am not a fan of his marketing….reprinting 100 previously released poems and adding 80 new ones, does not constitute $35 in my opinion…just saying…
I think I’ll pass on this one – paradelle tarradiddle! My brain says enough’s enough.
But I’m looking forward to reading what everyone writes.
ViV
what?! come on viv…you can do it…smiles.
Good grief, Brian. You choose a form and it’s about the hardest I’ve ever heard of. I was out on the golf course this morning (pathetic–more so than usual). I’m going to have to ruminate on this. Maybe a nap would help!
ha. and a nap after writing it…just saying…lol…
its not too bad once you find your hook…its like a puzzle
after that….
Really, Victoria, It is fun wordplay and not as hard as you initially think.
So far I’ve read only yours Brian..I am out the door to run errands and as usual do my catch up this evening when it’s calm and cool..and cook for company…I like trying the different forms..it must have something to do with the left or right side of the brain…there is no other…smiles..
ha. its been a while since we wrote form…
who do you have as company?
hope it is a good eve, see you in a bit.
Ha. This was kind of fun!
you astound me sherry…ha…vertigo and all…and you still pull it off nicely…
Well I am smiling at the title already Brian ~ I am not linking up but just reading some as my mind is on vacation ~ Have to take note of how to do that last stanza, very tricky form indeed ~
enjoy that mind vacation…smiles….i am playing catch up after my vacation last week….trying to get mine back into poetry mode…smiles.
I was awed by the form at first but then found it was much more fun than it looked. Good one, Brian!
thanks gabriella — have a good day?
Very good, Brian. Thanks for asking. 🙂
good.
Grumble. We only get 6 lines to play with, really, All the words come from those! Next time–if there is one–I think I’ll write 3 hot couplets and then do the rest as if a jigsaw puzzle. OK, done grumbling. You do some silly things in Summer, Brian, which is how summer builds memories. I’ll try to get around to everyone in the next couple of days.
ah, well my summer ends on monday so…back to the books…in more ways than one….so i should be the one grumbling…ha….your subtle adjustments made it nice and smooth…
I never really cared for those 3D images hidden in a 2D picture…they made my head hurt. somehow I doubt this form will be much different than that…
ha. not too bad. a nap will even that out…smiles.
actually the last stanza was hardest, but i gave away my secret
on that one already…
okay, I’ve got the first three stanzas…I don’t suppose it can pay anyone to write the last…
going once…going twice….
haha. you are almost home…make that word list…and push this one over…
Dude. This is way too hard. I couldn’t even get past the first part! I’m impressed with those who accomplished this.
ha. its not too hard…at least you dont have to count feet…or syllables….lol
gotta run a few errands…will catch up later this eve….
back. smiles.
Holy smokes! Ok…maybe tomorrow can give it a whirl…sheesh!
yay! look forward to that…its not so bad once you get started..smiles.
seriously
Sounds like a fun but difficult prompt. 🙂
oh it is…look forward to yours…
I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears… but this tongue-in-cheek form does suit you, Brian! I’d love to take part and check up on everybody, but I’m just about to head out to the airport and am not sure how much Internet connection I’ll have over the next 2 weeks. If I have even a hint of Wifi, I’ll come round for a visit…
How did you survive without Internet, by the way, Brian?
it was interesting…after a couple days, the tremors stop….it was good to be away actually and just be…but it was great to be back monday and catch up with people….travel light…
Very silly, therefore lots of fun. To play the game properly, I tried very hard to write something which seriously made sense — which made the first three verses particularly bad/funny when I read them over afterwards. Eager to see now what others came up with. It sounds as if Mary might actually have managed what I was attempting.
smiles….there have been several that actually pulled it off….
there is actually a who book of paradelles that was put together in 2007,
its pretty funny how what was a hoax got a life of its own…
Okay, this was not easy. It was interesting however but I am not sure I actually got it right but I did try.
i am not sure if you can actually get it wrong…ha….
be over in a minute…
heh-heh, Brian, for sure you’ve ‘lost it’! 😉
ah but others seem to be finding it…which is a good thing…ha
heh-heh…just as well! Seriously, what a great prompt 🙂
Back at the bar for a drink after writing a paradelle…whew! I feel like I just exposed my bad homework assignment to the world! Good challenge though…
oh that is ok, i think we need a bit of humbling at times as writers/poets…
there is def a poem or story in that one…ha.
arggghhh – ok, it is posted and I am reconsidering how I feel about Brian Miller – any way – I will return to read and commiserate this afternoon – smiles
hahahaha. i am of the devil — well at least for this prompt…lol…
i am sorry.
smiles.
I’m incredibly late in submitting this. So sorry. I started last night, but was exhausted. Hope it’s ok. Thanks as always Brian for comming up with unnusual and innovative aspects of poetry. I felt this form could have been originated by you, but someone else just beat you to it.
oh you are not late at all…and it was well worth the wait…you did remarkably well with a difficult form…i loved it!
Brian – for a person who is not a lover of poetic forms you are a sadist for choosing this one. And I a most willing masochist for tackling it. ** smiles **
hahaha…yes we are….will be over in minute to check yours out…
i have another form i will play sometime in the future that may be just as tough…lol
Hi Brian…I linked a poem. It was actually fun…I’m sorry I grumbled a bit last night. :~) Wouldn’t mind trying this silly thing again some time. Have to run out for a bit but will visit when I return…not to worry. Thanks!
ha. that is ok…this one was made for grumbling….smiles…
be safe, see you in a bit.
Hey Brian, I stuck to just one verse and cheated. I may try a non-cheating one, but I am an inveterate cheater when it comes to poetic forms. Hope all well! k.
http://manicddaily.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/a-time-not-paradelled/
Pingback: My Paradelle Gate ~ #001 August 2014 Haiga and Paradelle for dVerse Poets Pub Prompt | A 19 Planets Art Blog 2010/2014
Hi. Like always am late for this prompt. Let me share with you anyways.
http://shadiatique.blogspot.dk/2014/08/the-hobo-observes.html