Cywydd [Cuh-with] Form, Wintery
By Rhiannonw
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Skies scythed by trees skeletal,
scene tired, dour, leafage scant, dull.
Frost sparkles, frozen snow specks
bite, prick cheeks, but parka checks
creeping cold, keep digits clad
– Sing warmth of blooms, Spring’s ballad.
Gardens’ proud garnered produce
stacked or jelled, squashed into juice.
Delayed dawn, daylight winds down.
Leafy mulch – fungal meltdown!
– fleecy warmth – wind-fall from trees:
seeds buried, deep-sleep beauties.
[IP this weekchoose a poetry form and write something within its strictures – have a go about writing about winter]
The cywydd [cuh-with (hard 'th' as in 'the']is one of the most important metrical forms in Welsh traditional poetry. It consists of a series of seven-syllable lines in rhyming couplets, with all lines written in cynghanedd. (complex alliteration rules see https://www.abctales.com/story/rhiannonw/english-englyn ) One of the lines must finish with a stressed syllable, while the other must finish with an unstressed syllable. The rhyme may vary from couplet to couplet, or may remain the same. There is no rule about how many couplets there must be. I found the stressed/unstressed rhyme scheme difficult, maybe it is actually easier in the Welsh language. Also attempts at something like cynghanedd is difficult, whose complex rules I have not sought to learn and follow. My sister says these lines have a slight sound of it. So, this is not actually totally by its strictures, especially as the language is incorrect!
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Comments
This is well deserving of
This is well deserving of cherries Rhiannon and today they are gold in colour. I've read this a few times now and can appreciate how difficult the form must have been to use and make the poem work as well as you have. Congratulations, this is our Facebook/Twitter pick of the day.
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Congratulations on a very
Congratulations on a very clever move, Rhiannon. Your knowledge of Welsh poetic forms was obviously an advantage but the English adaption was done very skilfully. I always relish the competition but even before reading your excellent rendition I had realised that my own efforts were rather puny but could not judge their worth as criticism did not materialise.
Well done, Luigi x
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Well Done! The form you chose
Well Done! The form you chose does sound very difficult, but you've made it look easy, The stress/unstress rhymes rule must have been so tricky. And you fitted in some of your brilliant alliteration - I really like "Skies scythed" and
"snow specks
bite, prick cheeks, but parka checks" sounds like teeth chattering!
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That's really interesting
That's really interesting Rhiannon, sounds like a challenge and you've added all the textures of nature. Beautiful to read.
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So much of Winter is
So much of Winter is described here in your poem Rhiannon.
Loved everything about it, especially in those first five lines, which summed up the season for me.
Thank you for sharing and congrats on the gold cherries, well deserved.
Jenny.
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This IP is proving wildly
This IP is proving wildly successful - we will have to get Ewan to choose one every week! Congratulations on the well-earned golden cherries Rhiannon
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Loved the alliteration in
Loved the alliteration in this, it is very poetic. You were stalwart to try difficult poetic forms. It all worked out well for you !!!
Hilary
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