Serenade

[Chris L. W.]

I recently wrote a serenade, using the params that were shown in the Turco book of forms. After doing some research on the serenade, I'm starting to doubt that the params were right. Does anyone have params for a serenade, other than the ones that are mentioned in Turco?
I'd very much appreciate some help.

Chris

ps. I have to apologize. I feel like a parasite, posting this question, as I have not been on this forum in a while. It is due to a pure lack of time, please forgive.


Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

[HowardM2]

The only "parameters" of a serenade are that it must be (a) a love poem (b) set at night. In other words, it's defined by content, not structure. Byron's "She Walks in Beauty" (http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poem365.html) and Shelley's "The Indian Serenade" (http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poem1891.html) are both typical examples. You will observe that are no real similarities in terms of formal details.

[Chris L. W.]

Howard,

Thank you for the prompt reply. Yes, I read the Indian serenade (which was the one that inspired me to write my own serenade), as well as a few other rather famous serenades. When I didn't see any similarities in form, I was getting suspicious.
The fact that Turco wrote down exact parameters for a serenade threw me off.

Thanks again and have a happy Thanksgiving.

Chris W

[HowardM2]

Turco lists no parameters for the serenade in my edition which is the second (The New Book of Forms); if he lists some, it must be in the 3rd edition which I don't have.

[Chris L. W.]

Howard,

You are right. I checked again (I have the third edition). Indeed, I wrongly concluded that the poem which was given as an example, automatically represented the params to the serenade. The example given in the third edition is "Tis midsummer moon with you; you are mad"

Sigh, one has to admit, it gets confusing at times and I'm not the brightest one in the bunch. If it's any excuse, I am used to reading the Jan Haag site where the poems represent the params.

Thanks again,

Chris