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The ballad of Soso

Come, listen to my song (for I shall sing it, willy-nilly!)
It's the story of a man whose name was Soso Djugashvili.
He came from Georgia - that's a country mountainous and hilly,
Where the summers are exceeding hot, and winters monstrous chilly!

His father was a cobbler in the little town of Gori...
At least, his mother's husband was! (For I have heard a story
That his real Dad was Przewalski, who won scientific glory
As a palaeohippologist... but with that, I'll not bore ye!)

They lived in direst poverty - to hear would turn you queasy!
Hence Soso sought a way of life more comfortable and easy,
And when in course of time a chance came by that he could seize, he
Went off to learn to be a priest in Tiflis (now Tblisi!)

But Soso soon grew tired of homilies and tomes patristic.
He started to write poetry with subtext anarchistic.
His Profs in fury punished him with penalties sadistic,
Which turned his mind to politics, and concepts Communistic.

He was expelled - or else, just left (I've heard both explanations!),
So while his fellows toiled at essays and examinations,
Soso harangued the workers with his 'comradely' orations,
And planned a bank robbery or two, known as 'expropriations'!

The Powers-That-Were grew weary of his deeds... and then grew wearier!
And Soso was arrested and dispatched to far Siberia.
A dismal fate indeed! (I can imagine nothing drearier!)
But dreaming of the Change to come made Soso feel much cheerier!

And in due time the Change did come - a mighty Revolution,
And Soso proved most useful in the subsequent confusion,
He helped to crush all who preferred a different solution
And to stomp on little nations who had dreamed of devolution.

And then, one January day, when winds blew cold and blistery,
The Leader died... and Soso took his place through subtle twistery!
What's that? You've never heard of him? My friend, there is no mystery!
His nom-de-guerre was 'Stalin'... As they say, the rest is history!

Author notes

For reasons which should be obvious, I have attempted in this poem the stanza form used by the mediaeval Georgian poet Rustaveli in his epic "The Knight in the Panther Skin".

That is: mono-rhyme quatrains, lines of 15 or 16 syllables, all rhymes double or triple. I cannot at present recall the Georgian name for the form - most non-Kartvelophones who know of it refer to it as "Rustavelian quatrains".

A contest entry

Please do not feel obliged to comment - and if you do comment, please understand that it may be some time before I can respond...

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Comments

1 - 17 of 17

  • Mairi bheag gold member
    July 25
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    Soso! I pounced on this poem, having read the two wonderful biographies by Simon Sebag Montefiore, and having re-worked one of his poems myself. You have had great fun with this.

    (I forgot that I had commented before)


  • cricketjeff gold member
    July 25
    Edit | Reply
    Superb of course!

    Multiple rhymes being a feature of Russian and neighbouring poetry I believe (mostly from your notes I am sure!) and you being such an expert on that you would have to be brilliant at it, but this goes above and beyond
    Clever language and cleverly worked, simply a great poem end to end.

    Damn this contest is tough to judge!


    Jeff

  • dogpooper
    October 1, 2008
    Edit | Reply

    Three dimensons

    15 to 16 syllables,is the first observation.Quatrains are the second grain.Mono-rhyme with all rhymes doubling and trippling;third touch. See why a callow poet, like me, needs your notes?The rhyme flows and delights the reader. You don't force it.Where did you get the word "nom-de-guerre"? I'll have to see if that is in the english dicionary. I'm curious;What erudite schools do you hang around in to learn such words?

    • Vera Rich
      October 2, 2008
      Edit | Reply
      Non-de-guerre is, I think, a fairly common expression in the UK. (And, though I have no chance to check just now - owing to computer problems I am not in my own study!) I feel sure it is in the OED. I see you live in the USA. But i have found a parallel coinage in one of the "Amelia Peabody" detectivenovels of Elizabeth Peters (who is a US citizen), namely "non-de-crime".

      Incidentally, for another example of this stule, you might like to have a look at my "Bessie" - which is written in "Estuarian" (i.e. sub-Cockney) demotic.

  • dogpooper
    September 28, 2008

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    Rustavelian Quatrains

    What a good timing for, Georgisn style,poetry! I am thankfull for an introduction to the poetry world;a form of verse wich I was completely unexposed.The historical context and the rhyme synergize into a delightful harmonious whole.

  • dogpooper
    September 26, 2008
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    Trees full of threes

    Will swing back later


  • Olivias Violin
    September 5, 2008
    Edit | Reply
    Very well written and interesting


  • LittleAnn
    July 25, 2008
    Edit | Reply
    Glad to see this magnificent poem entered into this contest - I was delighted to read it once again!
    Annie


  • Silver Asylum
    July 14, 2008

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    Kickin'

    Although I have to agree with an earlier commentor that you were more telling us about Stalin, and not getting in his head, I have to say though I really liked this poem. Not only was I surprised at the end to find that it was about Stalin, but the flow, structure, and imagery helped build this into a beautiful ode. My only critique would be some improper grammar (such as stanza 1 last line monstrous should be monstrously). But overall an excellent write and good luck in the contest!

    ~*~Silent Insanity
    ****

    "When we hang the capitalists they will sell us the rope we use."
    -Joseph Stalin

    • Vera Rich
      July 14, 2008
      Edit | Reply
      The use of "monstrous" as an intensifying adverb is well-established in UK English literary tradition. (Perhaps not so in the USA!)


  • adios muchachos gold member
    May 9, 2008

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    What a great piece!
    I've never, ever heard an apology by the contest host/hostess before for a submission!
    Reminds me of the verse in the Bible that said,
    "Lord/My Lady, I am not worthy that you should come unto my house, but speak but thy word and my servant shall be healed."
    And when he returned to his house he found his servant well.

    I really liked this, Vera.

    I think that if you had been around when Ponce de Leon was looking for the fountain of youth, all the compasses would have been pointing to you!

    Good going!

    John

  • Mairi bheag gold member
    February 14, 2008

    Edit | Reply

    I love this!

    The two trophies were well deserved.

    I heard word that you had written a poem called "The Ballad of Soso", and I had a bet with myself that it was about Stalin. Fascinating character (fascinating poet, even!) half Captain Jack Sparrow, half Ivan the Terrible. Anyhow, I find a grimly humorous work in the style of Rustaveli (yes I had heard of him). It is a complete delight.

    (That reminds me, somewhere I have a short story about the young Soso...)


  • A60sMan
    December 19, 2007

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    Honorable Mention

    This poetic traslation is outstanding. The piece is by far the most creative work entered in my contest. It most certainly would have won gold had it actually channeled Josef Stalin, but unfortunately it tells us about him and does not get inside his head. The work of this author is well known to me and so I know what a professional job she brings to this submission. I would have prefferred to bestow the gold on this, but alas I must honor the other entries which complied with the rules. For this I hope I am forgiven. Thank you for bringing it to my contest nonetheless.

    A60sMan


  • Ontarah
    March 16, 2007

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    Considering we just went over the Russian Revolution in my Western Civ class today, this poem arrives at a very oppurtune time when the subject is still fresh in my mind. Once again, you've constructed a wonderful poem utilizing difficult rhymes and structure. I really like how you incorporate history into your poetry but then I'm a history major so I'm a bit biased. I also really liked the line "And to stomp on little nations who had dreamed of devolution" There was something both amusing and disgusting about that line at the same time but it certainly made its point. Thanks for the wonderful entry and good luck!

  • LittleAnn
    March 7, 2007

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    Firstly, thank you for entering my contest!
    Secondly, I really love this!
    It's quite impressing that you manage that you managed the meter you explained in your comments throughout your poem! It was a delight to read because it flowed so easily and also because of the content.

    I wish you lots of luck in my contest!
    Keep up the great work!
    Annie

  • Vera Rich
    November 8, 2006
    Edit | Reply
    Well, I am glad that you enjoyed it.. and a few glasses of whatever-it-was. But please note these are NOT pentameters.... A pentameter has a five-foot line (i.e. in iambic metre ten or eleven syllables). The Rustavelian quatrain (I can never remember the real Georgian name) has 15 or 16 syllables.


  • Fire-Pistil
    January 15, 2006
    Edit | Reply
    I'm too drunk todop a proper review but I much enjoyed you pentameter, it is moast fun to read while intoxicated!

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