Hold me closer tiny dansa!
Today I am devoting my energies to the dansa poetry form. It owes its orign to the Occitan language of Catalonia.
Here are the guidelines for writing the dansa:
Opening quintain (or 5-line stanza) followed by quatrains (or 4-line stanzas)
The opening line of the first stanza is the final line of every stanza, including the first
Rhyme scheme in the opening stanza: AbbaA (capital A represents the refrain)
Rhyme scheme in all other stanzas: bbaA
There are no rules for subject, length, or meter. So here's my attempt at a Dansa...
Whistler In The Winter Wind
An unfriendly wind slapped my face
An icy blast devoid of grace
I wrapped my coat more tightly around me
Winter is a bully.
The bus shelter offered little respite
The prospect for refuge out of sight
I willed the bus to arrive
Winter is a bully.
Then I heard whistling rising up
It reached my heart, filled my cup
A whiskered man, whistled defiantly
Winter is a bully.
Christmas carols in this forsaken place
The inner joy from a weathered face
One man's whistling rescued the day
Winter is a bully.
A nightingale moment on a winter street
Whistling, resplendent, sweet
I thanked the man for his defiant stand
Winter is a bully.
Alan j Wright
It is Poetry Friday and our host this week is Rose Cappelli at Imagine The Possibilities
Rose presents poems that pay homage to the wonderful birds that regularly visit her garden.
Thank you for introducing me to this fun form, Alan. Another one to play with. I love your wintry poem
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Sally. Hope you have fun with some dansa dalliance!
DeleteThank you for introducing me to another form, Alan. I agree - Winter is a bully. I love the phrase "nightingale moment" and how the whistling reached your heart.
ReplyDeleteHappy to make the introduction, Rose. Glad you enjoyed the poem I found within this form.
DeleteYou had me at "tiny dansa." :)
ReplyDeleteIt was irresistible, Irene.
DeleteI kept re-checking your directions/guidelines, Alan, thinking I'd see something about syllable count. But no? Because what I loved is the meter/flow of the lines and how the refrain gives each stanza it's own breath/pause, yet links the entire poem together. Really fun. I will take a stab at one! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSo pleased that you found the Dansa holds something you want to make your own, Patricia. May you find delight in the Dansa!
DeleteI've copied the form's instructions, Alan, and love your story, most especially that man who gave all of you a gift, your "nightingale moment". Thanks for all, and wishing you a lovely weekend, with or without the wintry day.
ReplyDeleteLinda, the form is less complicated than it first appears. Once you get rolling, a pattern emerges. That encounter with the whiskered whistler remains one of my enduring NYC memories.
DeleteI could feel the cold in your poem, and the old man's defiance as he whistled. Yet another form! Thanks for sharing it. Have a great weekend, Alan.
ReplyDeleteThe aim of the writer is to evoke a response, so if the cold seeped through, I am pleased. Thank you for the feedback on this new poetic form.
DeleteThe man in your poem is a role model for me -- if you can't beat it, whistle your defiance! Hoping that strategie brings us warmer days SOON!
ReplyDeleteMary Lee, the idea of whistling defiance appeals immensely. My whistler was a standard bearer.
DeleteAlan, I am intrigued! What an interesting form! I enjoyed your dansa very much! I was right there in the cold with your whistling, whiskered man. Thank you for the introduction! : )
ReplyDeleteI like the fact you are intrigued, Tracey. Glad you liked the Dansa.
DeleteAlan-- what a fun challenge! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Sarah. It's always fun to go somewhere new and return with a gift to share.
DeleteWhat a wonderful "nightingale moment," Alan. And what a form--so many constraints, and yet you've managed to show kindness/cheer offsetting the bully. Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteThank you Laura for your most positive response to my Dansa poem.
DeleteOh, yes, winter can be a bully. Such a great metaphor. I have never heard of the Dansa before, so I am making a note of your post and going to try it soon. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Denise. Pleased to hear you see some potential in this new form.
DeleteAlan, thank you for the new poem format and the way you weaved your poem. Your ending line is a topic of discussion in many places.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, I love the repetition of winter being a bully. Here in the Middle East - we long for winter to stay awhile longer (or at least what passes off as winter with a 15 degree celsius weather) - as the summer can be unforgiving.
ReplyDelete