Se di quest’Arte tu non hai nozione di perder altro tempo non è il caso qui troverai un po’ di informazione anche se dal saper non sarai invaso. L’Ottava Rima è vecchia tradizione l’ispirazione viene dal Parnaso caro lettore presto alla magia sarai iniziato di questa poesia…
Ottava Rima (Eighth Rhyme) is a poetic form which has its roots in 13th-century; a form in which stanzas have 8 lines of 11 syllables in a rhyme scheme of abababcc. Is the standard form for epic and narrative verse in Italy (Boccaccio, Ludovico, Ariosto and Torquato Tasso). This form It has also been used for a very particular expression of oral poetry widespread most in Central Italy (Tuscany and Lazio) and for competitions: in its competitive form, two poets improvise verses (selected by the audience) and they can improvise for hours about different topics like politics, news, daily life, jobs and so on. In the past this folk singing poetry has been particularly important for people to say their own thoughts and spread news and ideas so much so that had suffered censorship and manipulation by politics and church.
If you travel in Central Italy you can still find some of which are called “poets”: villagers, carpenters, farmers that still sing verses and rhymes carried on a extraordinary folk art.
Im 2008 I wrote my BA thesis about social and political facets of Ottava Rima, since that time I have been working to hunt, interviewing, filming and get to know the “peasant poets” and stay in touch with what’s left of a strong tradition of folk poetry and strong expression of the “art of the word”.
Here are some of my video documentaries about Ottava Rima. Subtitles in english are coming slowly slowly…for the moment you can enjoy the voices, the faces, the gestures of these extraordinary people.
Some of my videos. Just some on them has english subtitles, the others will come soon…
