[Michael Cantor]

David -

Here's Rhina's intro to the ovillejo, from an old thread:

Originally posted by Rhina P. Espaillat:

...the "ovillejo," an old Spanish verse form that means "tight little bundle." "-ejo" is one of our blessed diminutives, and "ovillo" means "tangled ball of yarn." I've seen only a few of them, but it was love at first sight, because of the
fun involved. Here's a home-made sample that will show why it's called what it's called, and illustrate the way the lines are related to each other. The last line is a "redondilla," a "little round" that collects all three of the short lines. The rhyme scheme is established, but the meter is at the poet's discretion, although in Spanish the longer lines tend to be octosyllabic. Here goes:

OSTINATO

Evidence says I lie
....But I--
Though all the world concur--
....Prefer
One voice, and one alone:
....My own.
The experts cluck and groan,
"No, no! It's round, not flat!"
Their data second that.
But I prefer my own.

Ovillejos don't have to be light verse, of course.

And here's mine:

1001 Ovillejos

“There are, my Lord, the slave girl said,
.... in bed,
“One thousand poems I can recall.
.... They’re all
on varied forms of sex: I claim
.... the same
great skills in love as verse; and came
with joy tonight – and will each night.”
She smiled, and thought, with fists clenched white,
In bed, they’re all the same.


Quick Additional Gloss: Ten line poem. Rhyme scheme aabbcccddc. L2, L4, L6 are one foot each. They then combine to form L10.



[This message has been edited by Michael Cantor (edited November 21, 2006).]