LAI

To be oversymplified for the sake of instruction, we'll just say that this medieval narrative or lyric poem, flourishing in 12th century France, consisted of units of couplets of five-syllable lines separated by single lines of two syllables. The number of lines (Our example will be nine.) was not fixed, and each stanza had only two rhymes, one rhyme for the couplets and the other for the two-syllable lines. Succeeding stanzas formed their own rhymes. aabaabaab ccdccdccd etc, to look like this:

xxxxa
xxxxa
xb
xxxxa
xxxxa
xb
xxxxa
xxxxa
xb

There is no set number of stanzas and, again, the stanzas are not linked to each other in terms of rhyme. Puting all this together we'll get something like this:


Gaze across the land
Heath, still water, sand
The bay.
Would you call it grand
If within my hand
It lay?
All at my command
For the final stand
Today.

Nights grow long and dire
Those who call me sire
Amass.
Purposes grow higher
Dare I start to tire?
The grass -
Swept across with fire
Vast, uncaring pyre
Alas!

© Brian Buckley, FARP (used by permission)



virelai (VIHR-uh-lay)

A development of the lai form consisting of stanzas of indeterminate length and number, with alternating long and short lines and an interlaced rhyme scheme, as abab bcbc cdcd dada.

Hi Daniel.

Thanks for posting this form. This looks like one I will enjoy trying! Sometimes, the meter-maid is just not in the house!

I made one edit to your explantation above and that is in the 2 syllable lines - you had 3 (xxb).

A lovely sample poem too BTW!

Would you call it grand
If within my hand
It lay?

Yeppers!

Cheers
~Cleo

A 'musing I go
surpassing plateau
want ad.
These thoughts undergo
desire to know
sketch pad.
The light bulb does glow
words bounce to and 'fro
lead-clad.

Thanks, Lori!!

I cain’t count ta 2,
so I’s glad th’t yoo
fix’t it.
It seems my debut
barely came to;
no hit!
My tryin’ ain’t through;
‘til I c’n subdue
respite.

Lightly, Daniel

If it were my choice,
wind would stir its voice
and speak

© MLee Dickens'son 25 Aug 2006