Since this strikes me as being something that will likely make me lose what little remains of my sanity, I thought that I would make it about my favorite subject: Lovecraftian mythos!
The King in Yellow
In Lake Hali does Hastur dwell
In Lake Hali does Hastur dwell
Near to Lost Carcosa, city of the damned
Near to Lost Carcosa, city of the damned
Near to the damned city of Lost Carcosa
In the lake of Hali does Hastur dwell
The terrible king in yellow tatters is his avatar
The terrible king in yellow tatters is his avatar
The Yellow Sign foretells his coming
The Yellow Sign foretells his coming
The Yellow Sign foretells his coming avatar
Is the terrible King in Yellow Tatters
What madness possessed me to open up the book?
What madness possessed me to open up the book?
Why did I cling to the onyx clasp?
Why did I cling to the onyx clasp?
Why, the onyx clasp possessed me
What madness did cling to open up the book
Why, what madness the Yellow Sign foretells
His avatar possessed me to
I did cling to the onyx clasp, open up the book
The terrible King in Yellow Tatters is coming
Near to his city of the damned, Lost Carcosa
In Lake Hali does Hastur dwell
~H.P. Liebekraft~
My Ride
The Paradelle is a modern poetic form invented by Billy Collins as a parody of the villanelle. Billy Collins claimed that the paradelle was a difficult, fixed form consisting of four six-line stanzas with a repetitive pattern invented in eleventh century France, and the press believed the story and ran with it. Due to the extensive publicity, the Paradelle has made its rounds in the poetic community. Eventhough the form was invented as a hoax, the Paradelle has taken on a life of its own. It is still a difficult form, nonetheless, to practice which can be fun and rewarding even though the inventor may not have intended it to be.
The Paradell Structure
First Three Stanzas:
The first two lines as well as the third and fourth lines of the first three stanzas must be the same (repeat). Where it begins to get difficult and become more of a poetic puzzle is when reaching fifth and sixth lines. These lines must contain all the words from the preceding four lines within the stanza using them only once to form completely new lines.
Last Stanza:
For the most difficult piece of this poetic puzzle, the final stanza of the paradelle does not repeat like the preceding stanzas, rather the final six lines must contain every word from the first three stanzas, and only those words, again using them only once to form completely new lines.
The Design is simple:
Stanza 1: 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4
Stanza 2: 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8
Stanza 3: 9, 9, 10, 10, 11, 12
Stanza 4: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
Example #1:
Beneath the Dripping Cypress Trees
'Tis the breeze beneath the cypress trees,
'Tis the breeze beneath the cypress trees,
Where shady branches bend and bow,
Where shady branches bend and bow.
Beneath the bend and branches breeze,
Where the cypress' bow 'tis shady trees.
Ink like stains of sap fold down,
Ink like stains of sap fold down,
Brown and dripping tears that keep,
Brown and dripping tears that keep.
Sap like ink and stains of brown,
Tears that fold keep dripping down.
Will such variegated colors blend,
Will such variegated colors blend,
Away within envelope of leaves,
Away within envelope of leaves.
Of such colors envelope within,
Variegated leaves away will blend.
Within the sap 'tis shady brown,
And keep the breeze of that fold down,
Variegated stains away will blend,
Where colors bow and branches bend.
Tears of ink envelope like leaves,
Beneath such dripping cypress trees.
Copyright © 2003 Sally Ann Roberts
