Re: Insane Question

| -----Original Message-----
| From: Sally Caves
| Subject: Re: Insane Question
|
|
| And what is the name of that type of poem in
| which you are allowed about
| seven words that you keep repeating finally?
|  Is it the sestina?  I can
| NEVER remember this.  All I know is that it
| is incredibly hard to write.
| What are its requirements?

        Never heard of that, but it sounds interesting. Please post details!

        I'd also like to throw in:
        Some Japanese poetry, like the Haiku, is limited to a specific
number of syllables / mora spread over a specific number of lines. The
normal Haiku is 17 mora over three lines, usually with the first and last
lines being close or the same (usually 5 each), and the middle line the
longest. Descriptions tend to be minimalist, slightly abstract, but
evocative.
        Chinese poetry tries to say the most with the least. They try to
paint a picture with as few words as possible. If the poem has various
readings that are related, even better.
        Old Semitic poetry is often described as "step poetry". In this, one
phrase or idea is repeated regularly and expanded upon each time. The
Beatitudes from the Gospels (New Testament Bible) is considered a classic
example of such poetry. The pattern is "Blessed are the (group of people),
for they shall (receive reward)." This is repeated ten times, each time
varying the idea to describe the rewards of a different group of
oppressed/suffering people, and each time keeping a certain rhythm and
cadence that is not entirely dependant on syllables and stress. (I wonder
how poetically "accurate" it would have been in the original Aramaic?) It is
very typical of the poetry Jesus and the Apostles would have grown up
listening to.

______________________________________
Mike Karapcik   *       Tampa, FL
Network Analyst *       USF campus
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Research Center
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