So I missed scribbling last Sunday; but I am in the process of learning something new. On the other hand, I think that is true almost of everyday for everyone, right? But as of now, I am working a little more diligently is learning about the vast tangled world of college applications. And that is a tangle of tangles this year with the pandemic situation.
On the one hand, it is straightforward; on the other, there are a lot of things I know we need to know. So I am learning something new: learning so I can possibly answer others and more importantly, learning what I might need to ask once I feel I am done learning!
And I welcome any and all tips you – my dear readers – can give me on this process…. 🙂 Of course, once I am through with this whole learning, I will share it as well here.
For now, we can learn a poetic form together as always for Poetic Sundays
Poetic Sundays
The Forms so Far
- Eintou
- Pregunta
- Kenning
- Gnomic Poem
- Magic 9
- Balassi Stanza
- Alphacouplet
- Limerick
- The Harrisham Rhyme
- Concrete Poetry and the Loop
- ZaniLa
- Slam Poetry
- Triveni
- The Luc Bat
- Copla de Pie Quebrado
- Sijo
- The Quinzaine
The Chatushka
Travelling to Russia in the 1800s today for Poetic Sunday. Not sure if I was thinking about Russia more with my previous post a few days ago about Misha and Vasilisa the beautiful!
What is the Chatushka?
A chastushka (plural: chastushki) is a simple rhyming poem which would be characterized derisively in English as doggerel. The name originates from the Russian word “chastit” which means “to speak rapidly.” It is a single quatrain in trochaic tetrameter with an abab, abcb, or aabb rhyme scheme. It is usually humorous, satirical, or ironic in nature; and chatushki are often put to music and accompanied by the balalaika or accordion.
You can read more about this form as well as read many examples here, here and here.
The chatushka’s characteristics:
- normally a single quatrain (or four-line verse); but sometimes chatushki are strung together for musical performances with a musical refrain between chatushka to allow audiences to laugh (as it is almost always humorous in one form or the other).
- rhymed: has a rhyme scheme of ABAB, ABCB, or AABB
- metered: trochaic tetrameter. This simply means that the poem has four trochees; a trochee refers to a long or stressed syllable, followed by a short or unstressed one. Often, the last foot is a single stressed syllable rather than a trochee. So syllabic as well because of the four trochees in each line.
- themed: humorous, satirical, or ironic in nature; often lewd and vulgar.
My Example Chatushka
My first attempt
Stare-Master
She stared me down quite fearlessly
Moments turned to eternity
I thought I held my own, really,
I did, against that cute kitty!
-Vidya (LadyInRead)
Since I Last Scribbled
So I biked the week before, after a really long time (don’t ask me how long!) And it was easier than I expected (it turned out to be hotter than expected too!) I started off small and biked about 3.5 miles, and hope to do more each time. While I hoped to get more biking done this past week as well, it somehow never happened. We did go hiking, and to the beach where we had a glorious time (last weekend). And quite a bit of gardening as well as prep work for my son’s Eagle project.
My Most Recent Posts
My latest posts: (since the last scribbling!)
- Book Review: The Wish Carvers
- Throwback Thursday Thirteen
- World of Words Wednesdays – Looking for Bapu
- Book Review: You’re Pulling My Leg
- Blog Tour & Book Review: Lobizona
- World of Words Wednesdays – In Retrospect
- Ten Books for People Who Love Words and Language
- Book Review: The Library of Lost Things
- Sunday Scribblings #41: Where We Spent Time Looking Skyward
MyPhotoADay
My bookstagram attempts
ONE
TWO
And the others
ONE
TWO
THREE
Upcoming
On My Blog and Home-front
For my blog, I have a couple of books that are due for a review and I will get them here this week.
As for the home-front, we have school starting the week after, so we have some things we need to get done this coming week in preparation for that. Scheduled drive-throughs at their school to get photos taken for their ids; to pick up their text books; and a couple of online meetings to get students and parents ready for the coming school year.
This Week’s Celebrations
A wide variety this week for you!
- Maybe I will not be doing much tomorrow, or try to do the opposite for National Lazy Day on the 10th of August!!
- And celebrate my kids on National Son’s and Daughter’s Day on the 11th of August.
- This week, we are also celebrating the birthday of the Indian god Krishna on the 11th of August and is called Janmashtami. This follows the Hindu calendar and thus shifts a bit each year, but around this time of the year always. So I cannot be lazy tomorrow as I do need to make some special snacks and sweets for the occasion. Each Indian festival has some food associated with it, which means over the course of all the festivals, we eat a whole variety of delicious dishes!!
- In addition to being lazy, we get another chance to take it easy this week with National Relaxation Day on the 15th of August.
- And spread a few smiles and laughs with jokes on National Tell a Joke Day on the 16th of August (also my mom’s birthday!!)
- I did not forget the foodie holidays! We have National Creamsicle Day on the 14th of August; National Lemon Meringue Pie Day on the 15th!
- And one important celebration is World Honey Bee Day on the 15th of August (celebrated annually on the third Saturday of August)
Wrapping up my Sunday Scribblings
So dear reader, this was it for my Sunday Scribblings. I would love to hear your comments on my post(s), poems, poetic Sunday section, and anything else. And which of these days do you plan to celebrate (or any other)?
Linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Salon.
I am always happy to see that you have done a Sunday Scribblings. I look forward to seeing your poetic forms. Long ago, when I used to write poetry every day, I read a book that was one of my favorites. It’s called Strong Measures, and your post today inspired me to buy a copy of it again. It contains many contemporary poems that are written in traditional forms.
I also enjoy seeing your photo-a-day pictures. The combination of a powerful photo with a powerful quote is especially wonderful.
I wish I could advise you about college applications. My only opportunity to go to college was to attend a local school and live at home. My sons were on their own with applications, too. It helps so much to have someone to help you with these things.
I’m guessing this was my mom’s favorite. Doggerel was her specialty.
Interesting Sunday Scribblings. What a cute poem about the car staring you down.
I enjoyed this style of blog post. I haven’t learned anything new in a while, but I have been focusing on getting better at what I already know. I love poetry as well.
You are so well-versed in prose and poetry. I wish I could have more time to create written content such as these! 🥰
I had no idea National Lazy Day exsisted! Love your Sunday Scribblings!
Oh I love everything Russian. I should read more Chatushka. Thank you!
What interesting insights on poems. I haven’t read poems for a long time, and it is nice to read something different.
Such a fun way to learn something new. Poetry has never been something I actively seek out to read, but I’m always fascinated when I do
I missed Sons and Daughters Day. Yay for bike rides. I love all your Instagram photos. Hope this week is awesome!
This is so interesting! I’ve not yet heard the term “chastushka ” but I’m going to look them up so I can actually hear one! Thank you for teaching us something new!