The Blues Stanza is poetry derived in the late 19th century from the Afro-American melancholia music or lamentation, it can however be sarcastic and ironic.
Its basic structure is that lines 1 and 2 of each stanza end on the same word, and line 3 rhymes with the previous two, bringing the stanza to a climax.
There is no set length.
The Rhyme scheme is thus: A. A. a. B. B. b. C. C. c. etc.
Iambic pentameter was the language of the Puritan settlers and far from that of Afro-Americans who were not bound by the rules of "Proper English", and it should be left to the poet to "do yo thang". (thepoetsgarret.com)
However, there is no rule to say that your poem should be written in the vernacular.
Blues Time (Dialect)
It seems de whole worl is singin de blues
No more happy songs, jus darkness and blues
Nothing positive on de evenin news.
Everywhere you turn dere's sadness dere's pain
Families and nations, wridin'in pain.
Is dis part of some sinister campaign?
Wha happen to peace an love an goodwill,
It seems de worl needs a dose of goodwill
Odderwise we'll keep on goin donghill.
We singin de blues, we singin de blues,
Man, woman an chirren singin de blues,
Buh at end of day is we have to choose.
© Maryse Achong
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| Spiritual Singers in Charleston |
The Blues Sonnet
The Blues Sonnet takes the idea a step further. It is a triplet form (Three rhyming lines) with lines 1 and 2 rhyme repeating and line 3 bringing the stanza to a climax in a manner similar to the Haiku.
The rhyme scheme is: A.A.a. B.B.b. C.C.c. D.D.d. e.e.
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| Blueprint DVD |
Kerry, I enjoyed this challenge! Have a great weekend, everyone.
ReplyDeleteYa gotta love Cajun. :)
ReplyDeleteGosh, I had a lot of fun writing this one!
ReplyDeleteBig bluesy fun! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteDe Jackson (WhimsyGizmo)
www.whimsygizmo.wordpress.com
Well, this was a big challenge for me, as I always feel a bit hobbled by form. But I gave it a try. I think I will have to give it another try and come back again! Good this is a two-day challenge.
ReplyDeleteI will get my head into the form or the prompt challenge by Sunday or Monday ~
ReplyDeleteThanks and have a good weekend ~
That was wicked fun fer sure!! Thank you, Kerry!! I may give the second one a try a little later! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the new header and all the red. Beautiful design changes, ladies. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I sang the blues in my poem, but in free verse. Form and I often don't play well. Thanks so much for the challenge Kerry. I am in love with the blues!!
ReplyDeletesing the blues? why, i might be able to do that passin' fair. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAfter wrestling unsuccessfully all night with it, I finally gave up on the blues stanza and had to go with the free verse option--it still has a bit of blues flavor to it, I think. I'll be back to read a bit later.
ReplyDeletewoke up feeling blue and here's a prompt asking for exactly that. i'll be back.
ReplyDelete