Saraband

This septet form is taken from the musical dance form which has an alternate meter of: 3 - 4, and what could be more fitting than having a poem derived from a dance. The original Saraband was a dance of Asian origin introduced into Spain in the 16th century and later to the courts of France and Italy.

The meter follows the dance with two stanzas. The first one of 3 lines, and the second of 4 lines.

The rhyme scheme is;

a. x. a.....b. c. b. c. etc.

In the Tercet all three lines may rhyme, in the French version, only lines one and three rhyme.

The Quatrain can vary from the Spanish (shown in the example); French; b. b. c. c. or Italian; b. c. c. b., and it is not uncommon to mix Quatrains, ie. Spanish with French or Italian when writing long poems.

For the purist each line comprises of Eight (8) syllables but there are examples of Iambic and Trochaic pentameter also.

Pasted from <http://thepoetsgarret.com/2010Challenge/form13.html>

Thanks to the Poetsgarret.

Sample Poem

Dinner Music     (Saraband)

The dining room was quite hi-brow

but suddenly there came an urge;

I needed to pass gas right now!

The music playing was most loud;

I came up with a plan unflawed,

I farted with the beat,  uncowed.

Ooops! Music came from my iPod.

© Lawrencealot - November 10, 2013

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