Abhanga
There are not many verse forms whose names begin with the
letter A.
The abhanga is
a Marathi form, Marathi being one of the major languages of India. It is the
official language of Maharashtra, and is also spoken in several neighbouring
states in the west of the country, including Goa and Karnataka.
The form is simply described: four lines, with
syllable counts of 6, 6, 6, 4, and lines 2 and 3 rhyming.
Pasted
from <http://www.volecentral.co.uk/vf/abhanga.htm>
Thanks to Bob Newman for this wonderful resource.
Abhanga, "the completion" is a
stanzaic form commonly used for devotional poetic composition although it has
also been used for cynicism, satire and reflective moods. It was popular from
the 13th thru 17th centuries Marathi Region of India and is described as
complex and classic.
...
The Abhanga is:
- stanzaic, written in any number of 4 line stanzas.
- syllabic, 6-6-6-4 syllables each
- rhymed L2 and L3 rhyme. Often internal rhyme is employed. End rhyme scheme x a a x , x being unrhymed.
Thanks to Judi Van Gorder for this wonderful resource.
Example Poem
Nurturer
(Abhanga)
When life it brought
into
our world with
woman's pain
before the child's
refrain
sends it away…
the nurturing begins
with boys and girls,
and yes,
with men we must
confess.
The woman builds.
When this small fact
is found
to be untrue, then
what?
Then you've defined
a slut,
female, that's all.
The care and love
rendered
describe a woman's
ilk.
Their touch is soft
as silk
but strong as glue.
As aging wrinkles up
my face, I'm
satisfied
a woman's by my side
and she has cared.
© Lawrencealot -
November 26, 2013
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