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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Balassi Stanza


This is a Balassi Stanza.  There are no limits on number  of stanzas.
The Rhyme Scheme is: bbaccadda
Syllable count is: 667667667 

The Balassi Stanza is attributed to Bálint Balassi (1554-1594) who is probably Hungary's best known Renaissance poet. His work included poetry about his battles with the Turks and his love poems to a woman he called Julia. His poetry was known for the richness of its forms and was a blend of Turkish, Polish and Hungarian folk poetry.

It is believed that this stanza form was used by the Hungarian poet Balint Balassi, who rationalised it from a three line form consisting of 19 syllables per line, and broke it up by the use of internal rhymes.
This evolved into a rhyme scheme as follows


x. x. x. x. x. a.
x. x. x. x. x. a.
x. x. x. x. x. x. d
x. x. x. x. x. b
x. x. x. x. x. b
x. x. x. x. x. x. d
x. x. x. x. x. c
x. x. x. x. x. c
x. x. x. x. x. x. d


May be presented as three-line stanzas.


Fun to Watch   (Balassi Stanza)

Tournament basketball
is winter's gift from fall.
I went just to watch the best.

A lady sat in front;
her stature made me want
to miss plays and watch her chest.

Her skin was silky smooth
as any point guard's move,
which I missed, it's now confessed.

  © Lawrencealot - January 11, 2013







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