Rispetto
A Rispetto is an Italian form of poetry with two rhyming quatrains and a strict meter.
Structure…
The meter is usually iambic tetrameter with a rhyme scheme of abab ccdd other variations of this can be used most notably with the last stanza.
Another form of Rispetto is the Heroic Rispetto which is written in Iambic pentameter. There have also been Rispetto written using hendecasyllabic lines both of these forms usually feature the same rhyme scheme as above.
Terms…
Iambic
– as we have discussed before iambic is a common metrical “foot” in poetry which consists of syllables (a single foot). A short (unaccented) syllable followed by a long (accented) syllable such as with the word “diverge” “di-verge” di being the short (unaccented) syllable and verge being the long (accented) syllable this is a single iambic foot.
NOTE – There are other terms for different “foot” measurements used in poetry that measure three and four or more syllables as a single “foot”.
Tetrameter
– is a metrical measurement of poetic verse which consists of four metrical feet. For example the word “diverge” is one Iambic foot
Pentameter
– is a metrical measurement that consists of five metrical feet
Hendecasyllabic
– this type of verse was used a lot by the Roman poet Catullus. (The simple definition is “a verse of eleven syllables”). Hendecasyllabic is a quantitative metre with the basic pattern for a Rispetto of (spondee, dactyl, trochee, trochee, trochee) for a single line of verse. Now you are probably saying…what the hell are you talking about! In order to not confuse you to much this is the only example (at this time) of a hendecasyllabic verse I am going to give…are there others? Yes but this is the only one you are getting at this time. As I said, a single line of hendecasyllabic verse consists of a “spondee” which is two long (accented) syllables followed by a dactyl which is a long (accented) syllable and two short (unaccented) syllables followed by three trochee’s each of which contain a long (accented) syllable and a short (unaccented) syllable. This gives us a total of eleven syllables. For a better idea of what this would look like here is a diagram…A will represent an accented syllable and U will represent an unaccented syllable.
AA(spondee) AUU(dactyl) AU(trochee) AU(trochee) AU(trochee)
NOTE – as always if you would like a further explanation or more information on anything discussed here all you have to do is ask and I will be more than happy to provide further more detailed information.
History…
The Rispetto is an Italian form particularly a Tuscan folk verse form and a version of strambotto. In its earliest form the rhyme scheme was usually abab abcc. Later, the scheme abab ccdd became more prominent, and other variations can also be found. The form was devised from my best estimates around the thirteenth to fourteenth centuries and reached its most prominent period in the fifteenth century with poets such as Angelo Poliziano and Lorenzo de Medici.
Now my poem…
Inspire
Let us stimulate the imagination
Of our children in every possible way
Give them the desire and inspiration
Engage them in conversation every day
Resurrect a good tale from legends past
The stories that will for generations last
Tell them the history before it long fades
Tell them stories they will pass on for decades
Tue Aug 08, 2006 7:35 am
Sunny
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Posts: 1571
Location: Massachusetts
Eire,
Delightfully inspiring poem And yes, you read my mind. I was saying "What the hell are you talking about?" Those exact words! I did read and thank you for shedding more light on "Hendecasyllabic " though I can't pronounce it I really like the addition of the "Terms" section in your posts. Thanks so much
Over a period of time I am going to be going back and editing all of the posts to add a "Terms" section to each of them and maybe clean up the format to some of the earlier posts since over the course of doing this section things have slowly evolved to where a basic format has taken shape.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum