100 Forms of Poetry: #74 Rispetto

Ode to My Mother

There was a long time ago that I knew
A woman who loved me no matter what
Losing her left us so broken and blue
But some doors were opened when this one shut

Memories last and traditions are held
Ideas are shared in so many ways
All things that I learned has left my heart swelled
I keep up her beauty all of my days

©2024 CBialczak

Rispetto #1: Poem comprised of two quatrains written in iambic (unstress, stress) tetrameter (four feet–or, in this case, 8 syllables).

Rispetto #2: Poem (or song) comprised of 8 hendecasyllabic (11-syllable) lines–usually one stanza.

Both versions appear to follow this rhyme scheme: ababccdd (though I also found a mention of an abababcc pattern). Plus, I found more than a few sources which claim rispettos were originally written to pay “respect” to a woman.

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