Chanso

 WHAT IS A CHANSO? 

A chanso is a style of poetry consisting of a combination of five to six stanzas along with an envoy which is half the size of a regular stanza. This French style of poetry has made its way to popularity due to its flexible structure and simple requirements. It allows the poet to choose the syllabic count, the number of lines per stanza and the rhyme scheme.

FORMAT OF A CHANSO:

A chanso has simple requirements. It allows the poet to choose the structure including the syllabic count per line, the number of lines per stanza and the rhyme scheme on the condition that they are the same throughout the verse. The envoy is to be structured in the same pattern as the last half of the previous stanza. An example of the same is 'You are a mystery to me' by Ronovan Hester. 

“I search and spy you from across the room.

At first sight, I felt my heart burst in bloom.

My thoughts race to islands of blue waters

And for just a moment my vision blurs.

I touch your dress and feel the electric.

In this moment I know you’re the right pick.

I grip you in my hands, oh how perfect.

You hold my attention, firm, and direct.

You open to me, no fear to reveal.

Fragile as glass or hard as tungsten steel.

The lure of the first moments of delight.

No doubt about it, it’s love at first sight.

Your voice just for me, soft as a whisper,

Drawing me in and cause visions to stir.

Telling me what you plan to give to me,

Every single thought I can’t help but agree.

My eyes thrill to follow your every line

Making the moon rise and the stars to shine.

My mind explodes… the things to do with you,

and oh… the smile on my face when we’re through.

Took you home quick… opened your cover too.

Turn those pages for a whodunit clue.”

(by Ronovan Hester)

Note: None of the poems we present belong to us. We present an organized record and analysis of them. All copyrights are reserved to the original author and we are not using plagiarized work. The originality of the writes is verified to the fullest extent we can.

TIPS FOR WRITING A CHANSO:

1. Choosing the syllabic structure, number of lines and rhyme scheme prior to writing the poem. 

2. Keeping the theme intact throughout the poem.

3. Altering the words in the line in order to match the pre-decided syllabic count. 

Due to its flexible structure, this style of poetry has become extremely popular among poets all over the world. So dear reader, pick up your pens and start penning.

Cheers!

- Japman Aneja (member of team PoeTree FoRest)