body

soul-surge (paradelle)

oh, dream that hides the peace of sighs

oh , dream that hides the peace of sighs

that swims where one rest lifts the mind

that swims where one rest lifts the mind

peace that hides where swims the rest,

oh, one dream that lifts the mind of sighs

i find a deep ocean carries me down

i find a deep ocean carries me down

it weighs but a shoal of that frown

it weighs but a shoal of that frown

but a shoal that weighs a frown of me,

i find it carries ocean deep down

the thought that leaves for warmth, my love

the thought that leaves for warmth, my love

dissolves and drowns beneath sea drift

dissolves and drowns beneath sea drift

my love dissolves the thought and drowns

beneath sea leaves that drift for warmth

beneath the sea drift, that shoal of sighs

carries that thought that swims but hides

it lifts the one that weighs me down

and drowns the dream, leaves me a frown;

dissolves deep rest for warmth of mind,

oh ocean, my love, where peace i find

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. even though the form was invented as a hoax, the paradelle has taken on a life of its own.

(i found it extremely difficult to write, very hard. and i am not sure i have performed all the rules, i could not keep close track, to be honest)

the paradelle 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

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