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Friday, March 22, 2013

Empat Empat


Empat Empat form poetry
Early form of rhyming verse from Malaysia.

Four Four line stanza
Stair case refrain of line 1
Meter:  8 or 10 syllable per line - though I have see it with but 4


Rhyme Scheme   Abab cAca adAd eaeA

Example Poem

Sentry Pup       (Empat Empat)
















While set on pause I'm actively alert.
My ears are peaked and will not miss a sound.
I'll rest my head on any shoe or shirt
or artifact of master's that I've found.

Though not so big, or armed with mighty jaws,
while set on pause I'm actively alert.
I hear the flapping crows and hear their caws
and I ignore the sounds that cannot hurt.

I'll sense intruders, stealthy and covert
I am a biological alarm.
While set on pause I'm actively alert.
Protecting all from things that may cause harm.

When not on paws' I'm set with throttle full
to romp with my boy through the grass and dirt,
to chase a ball of find some thing to pull.
While set on pause I'm actively alert.

  © Lawrencealot - March 10, 2013




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1 comment:

  1. Why is the example so different from that in Wikipedia? 4 words per line, ideally 8 syllables.

    ReplyDelete