Poetic interpretation of the Lord's promise in Ovillejo style |
Zechariah 2:8 After a period of glory, the LORD of Heaven's Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, "Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession. Who am I to the Most High God? A gift unflawed The source of my soul’s conviction? crucifixion Where is reward beyond measure? Mine to treasure Seek out thy fortune and pleasure To God alone goes the glory Make your mark, write your own story A gift unflawed, crucifixion, mine to treasure Ovillejo Poems The ovillejo is an old Spanish form popularized by Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616). This 10-line poem is comprised of 3 rhyming couplets (or 2-line stanzas) and a quatrain (or 4-line stanza). The first line of each couplet is 8 syllables long and presents a question to which the second line responds in 3 to 4 syllables–either as an answer or an echo. The quatrain is also referred to as a redondilla (which is usually a quatrain written in trochaic tetrameter) with an abbarhyme pattern. The final line of the quatrain also combines lines 2, 4, and 6 together. As such, here’s how the whole poem comes together (line-by-line): Line 1: a rhyme in 8 syllables Line 2: a rhyme in 3-4 syllables Line 3: b rhyme in 8 syllables Line 4: b rhyme in 3-4 syllables Line 5: c rhyme in 8 syllables Line 6: c rhyme in 3-4 syllables Line 7: c rhyme in 8 syllables Line 8: d rhyme in 8 syllables Line 9: d rhyme in 8 syllables Line 10: (Line 2) (Line 4) (Line 6) First Place: "The Lighthouse Poetry Contest" |