Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are based on the authors' lives and experiences and may be changed to protect personal information. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
tim's Bits and Pieces - 30. Memories of the Meadow - a Ballade
I’m not sure why I decided to write a Ballade. It’s not a simple form and you need a lot of rhyming words. The rhyming pattern is: a, b, a, b, b, c, b, C. The capitalized C is because it has a repeated refrain.
There are three octaves, and each octave is 8 lines and the poet can choose the number of syllables per line. I chose 10 in this case.
There are three octaves, followed by a quatrain which has the rhyming pattern: b, c, b, C
I decided to write the first few lines and then wrote out lists of rhymes for a, b, and c. I then decided on what the refrain would be.
I’d chosen a theme for the Ballade, and had the lists of words, all that was left was to weave them into the syllable pattern I’d chosen within the form’s rhyming pattern. Easy right? Mmmm. This was a challenge and I hope you find it worth reading.
Memories of the Meadow
In the morning in the first light of dawn,
I walk where dew lies and fresh grasses grow;
over the hill is to where I am drawn.
Often, I’ll see deer in the green meadow
and the oak is home to a squawking crow;
she is louder than her nestling's crying.
Smiling, I move on toward the grotto—
Moments I’ll recall as I lay dying
In the long grasses is hidden a fawn,
close by, grazing, is the devoted doe;
they seem content if I sit and look on.
Minutes slipping by me before I know,
rising to my feet, it is time to go.
Observing the deer is gratifying;
they seem to accept I am not their foe—
Moments I’ll recall as I lay dying
By the quiet river I watch the swan,
gliding easily in the gentle flow,
calling to a mate who rests on the lawn.
Overhead great boughs let through the sun's glow;
dappling the water and green bank below.
Then with great effort the swans are flying
This morning Nature has had much to show—
Moments I'll recall as I lay dying
Ideas aplenty, Nature's seeds sow;
for my attention, each one is vying.
While what I receive is more than I’ll owe
Moments I'll recall as I lay dying
~~~~
Thanks to you who read. You thoughts are welcome!
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Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are based on the authors' lives and experiences and may be changed to protect personal information. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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