Saraband

[Tinker]

Explore the Craft of Writing Poetry
Spanish Verse
The Saraband is a stanzaic form; the rhythm of which is an imitation of a dance pattern from the East that was brought to the Spanish court in the 16^th century. The form quickly spread to the French and Italian courts, each country adding its stamp in the rhyme scheme. In long poems it is not uncommon to mix Spanish, Italian and/or French septets. This was found at Poet's Garret. There is also a sonnet variation of the Saraband.

• The elements of the Saraband are:
  1. stanzaic, written in any number of septets, each made up of a tercet followed by a quatrain.
  2. originally octasyllabic, but iambic and trochaic pentameter have be used.
  3. rhymed, Spanish rhyme aaa bcbc, English rhyme axa bcbc , French only axa bbcc, Italian aaa bccb or axa bccb. X being unrhymed.

     Italian Saraband by Judi Van Gorder
     
     The courtier extends his toe
     in step with the musical flow
     and to his lady fair bows low
     The lady feigns in pantomime
     the role of a shy shepherd girl
     then winks and gives her skirts a swirl.
     The chamber strings are quick in time.

• The elements of the Saraband Sonnet are:
  1. stanzaic, a quatorzain, composed of only 2 septets.
  2. octasyllabic or iambic or trochaic tetrameter but an extra foot can be added to use the sonnet classic iambic pentameter meter.
  3. rhymed, rhyme scheme English Saraband  axabcbc axabcbc, Spanish Saraband aaabcbc aaabcbc, French Saraband  axabbcc axabbcc or aAabbcc aAabbcc,  Italian Saraband axabccb axabccb or abacddc abacddc, x being unrhymed.