Whittled Words – Rimas Dissolutas Poem
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Welcome to the weekly series, Whittled Words. A series highlighting the innumerable types and styles of poetry to challenge any creative wordsmith. This week’s selection:
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RIMAS DISSOLUTAS POEM
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Another French troubadouric form, popular with 12th and 13th century poets, Rimas Dissolutas is a poem that rhymes and does not rhyme. For instance, each stanza contains no end rhymes, but each line in each stanza rhymes with the corresponding line in the next stanza–sometimes employing an envoi at the end.
For example, here is how the end rhymes would work in a Rimas Dissolutas with three five-line stanzas:
Stanza 1, Line 1, end rhyme -a
Stanza 1, Line 2, end rhyme -b
Stanza 1, Line 3, end rhyme -c
Stanza 1, Line 4, end rhyme -d
Stanza 1, Line 5, end rhyme -e
Stanza 2, Line 6, end rhyme -a
Stanza 2, Line 7, end rhyme -b
Stanza 2, Line 8, end rhyme -c
Stanza 2, Line 9, end rhyme -d
Stanza 2, Line 10, end rhyme -e
Stanza 3, Line 11, end rhyme -a
Stanza 3, Line 12, end rhyme -b
Stanza 3, Line 13, end rhyme -c
Stanza 3, Line 14, end rhyme -d
Stanza 3, Line 15, end rhyme -e
(If the poem had an envoi, it might be 2-3 lines long using the c, d, and/or e rhymes.)
Note: There are no rules for meter, line length, or syllables–except that it should be consistent from stanza to stanza.
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Examples of Rimas Dissolutas Poems:
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THE CAT OF SADNESS
By Robert Lee Brewer
the cat of sadness does not purr
late at night anymore or hunt
for creatures to offer up still
half-alive & held in her teeth
oblivious to trembling furr
focused on performing her stunt
& pleasing her king on the hill
who loved her above & beneath
but who left her for a new thrill
as she curled up into a wreath
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GROCERIES
By Lawrencealot
We touch and kiss and hold and hug,
and work to earn our daily bread.
Our foodstuff’s ready in the store –
our meat our milk our wines our cake.
A small bird looking for a bug
about to be a meal instead
we breed to fatten, kill, and more
are we more proper than the snake?
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SPEAK
By Brad Osborne
Bequeathed to me, what lies unseen
The secrets and the unspoken
Where true becomes a fallacy
In the words that we never hear
And the truth that was left unknown
The treasures worthy of a Queen
A heart offered as mere token
Is bound in tragic malady
In the words that always hold fear
And the love that was left unshown
This is how it has always been
When silence remains unbroken
Love withheld is a tragedy
For all the ones we deem so dear
Trapped by a silence that has grown
Left unsaid, it will always be
The silence of the coming years
In the seeds that we leave unsown
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I hope you have enjoyed this entry to the series, Whittled Words. I look forward to your comments, and if you dare, maybe share your own Rimas Dissolutas poem. Thanks for reading!
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commonsensiblyspeaking 
how sad the seeds unsown. had you lived in another time, I have no doubt you would have been a troubadour as your profession
Thanks, Beth! I still have hopes of being a troubadour when I grow up.
This looks like another challenging form, but I suppose all form poetry is challenging to some degree. Once again, I loved yours the most! The seeds left unsown is a sad thought, but it was beautifully written.
Thank you, my friend! All writing is challenging at some point. I think that is why some of us do it. Have a great weekend!
Touche! Thank you, my friend. I hope you have a great weekend, too!
I’ve never heard of this before, but love the example.
Thank you, Jacqui!
I love this series, you always find such interesting poems. “When silence remains unbroken”—such a powerful and important topic. Well, done.
It is fun to try new forms and styles. Thank you for all your support and kindness!