Three Hundred Years Old

Three hundred years ago, or even more,

there was a luthier from Italy, who

made instruments of high class, I adore.

Since the day I started playing, I knew

a lot about what he did, his fame with

using lots of special wood, it is true.

High quality — he goes to that woods clue,

giving him a high-end tree — as he gives

not away his reputation, all flew

with him. After his death, to make a bliss,

to another three hundred years from now,

and give then— then the audience — a good quiz.

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A Terza Rima is an Italian poetry form, in tercet. It was invented by Dante Alighieri.

Rules:

- Comprised in tercets (three-line stanzas)

- Eight to ten syllables (iambic meter)

- The lines have one and three rhyme in each tercet

- Line two need to rhyme with the lines one and three of the next tercet (rhyme scheme is this: aba/bcb/cdc/ded etc.)

- This poem may end on a tercet, couplet, or a single line

Note on the ending:

- Single line ending: aba/b

- Couplet (two-line stanza): aba/bb

- Tercet ending, first option: aba/bab

- Tercet, second option: normal pattern, rhyme scheme line two of final stanza with lines one and three from first stanza of the poem.

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a. Three hundred years ago, or even more,

b. there was a luthier from Italy, who

a. made instruments of high class; I adore.

b. Since the day I started playing, I knew

c. a lot about what he did, his fame with

b. using lots of special wood, it is true.

c. High quality — he goes to that woods clue,

d. giving him a high-end tree — as he gives

c. not away his reputation, all flew

d. with him. After his death, to make a bliss,

e. to another three hundred years from now,

d. and give then— then the audience — a good quiz.

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a. new sentence

b. new sentence

a. new sentence, with a rhyme end on a.

b. new sentence, with a rhyme end on b.

c. new sentence

b. new sentence, with a rhyme end on b.

c. new sentence, with a rhyme end on c.

d. new sentence

c. new sentence, with a rhyme end on c.

d. new sentence, with a rhyme end on d.

e. new sentence

d. new sentence, with a rhyme end on d.

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Have you played a very old instrument? I haven’t played a Stradivarius violin, but my violin could be very old, although there is no name tag in it. I would love to know your take on your instrument, by writing a Terza Rima.

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This poem has been published on Medium earlier:

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About the writer

Agnes Laurens is a writer. She writes for the local newspaper. Agnes lives in The Netherlands, with her husband and three daughters. You can find her on Vocal, Medium, Elephant Journal, HubPages, Music List. Writing is — aside from playing the violin — one of her passions since childhood. She is on Twitter and Instagram. You can subscribe to my mailing list, and you can subscribe to my Thoughts. Check out her books. She has an online web store, and she has a merchandise store. If you want to be informed about my online store and my merch, please follow this link.