~ The Poet's Place Cafe~

While Dave is riding out the storm waiting for Dorian to pass he has asked me to step in today. He may not be the only one evacuated because of the hurricane so we will keep it simple and piggyback on the activity of Ultimate Poetry Contest and give the Dizain a try.

The Dizain   is an old French form (14th-15th century}, a member of the Ballade family of forms. The Ballade gave birth to a whole family of forms which all tend to be relatively long and somewhat stingy with their rhyme allotment It was brought to England by Chaucer. The Dizain is one of the shorter members of the family, a decastich, the whole poem made up of a single Ballade Supreme stanza without envoy.

The elements of the Dizain are:
         1. a decastich, a poem in 10 lines.
         2. syllabic, may be written in lines of either 8 or 10 syllables each. Whichever the poet chooses, all lines must be equal length.
         3. turned on only 3 rhymes, rhyme scheme ababbccdcd.

Dizain for the evolutionary
socialist dream of edouard Bernstein

Sleep no more, you working classes,
don't fight the pulse to congregate.
Rise, you power of the masses,
and from the grip of wealth luxate
your dignity that is innate.
Don't spill blood like those in power,
don't prattle like those who cower
behind the stench of flame and flag;
for those who live in the tower
will fall: we will not have to drag.
                   ~~ DC Martinson

Click here more history on the Ballade Family of Forms.  

I have yet to write a Dizain myself so I am right with you on this. Let's support Dave in his absence and have a whole bunch of Dizains waiting for him when he returns. Stay safe Dave, we are sending prayers for you and everyone fleeing the storm.

~~Tink