Alphabet of poetic forms ~ B for Ballade

The Ballade is a french form which was standardised in the 14th century. It was often set to music between the 13th and 15th century. It contains 3 verses with eight lines and an envoy with four lines. In English you can use an iambic tetrameter even though modern-day French is more decasyllabic which means it is a line of 10 syllables.

Poetry in different languages uses different styles depending on what is fitting for the language. French, Spanish and Italian regulates a poem more by syllables while English or German uses more a stress accent.

The Ballade usually has a refrain at the end of the stanza and envoy and its rhyme scheme is

a, b, a, b, b, c, b, C (the last C is the refrain)

and the envoy b, c, b, C (again the last C is the refrain)

If you want to learn more about the Ballade have a look here: http://thepoetsgarret.com/2011Challenge/form8.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballade

My take on the ballade looks like this:

First snow

My world was covered, white and all

when first I looked upon my street

has nature ever played us ball

when frozen times have come to beat

our mood and often all birds tweet

it feels like getting in a bout

with ice and snow the whitest sheet

it covers all without a doubt

 

I hope it won’t be for long haul

when nature can’t be indiscreet

nevertheless I get my shawl

and cover up very complete

when I go out and roam the street

All winters power has its clout

on those white covers without heat

it covers all without a doubt

 

I look like one big dressed up doll

and wished I could be easy freed

from winters heavy yearly trawl

I know it’s not my only plead

as my mind hears their ruly skeet

I want to run and hide or shout

it covers all without a doubt

 

My home feels like that lovely treat

so I decide to do a rout

for home and tea and a warm sheet

it covers all without a doubt

 

I suppose if I work on it it will get somewhere

 

 

 

Ballade avec un âne - 23 (Photo credit: Pascal Vuylsteker)

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