A Pig and a Pie: a rime royale

October 18, 2023

A Pig and a Pie: a rime royale

Nursery Rhyme Scavenger Hunt

I thought I’d join in on the Nursery Rhyme Scavenger Hunt. My first contribution is the rime royale poem THE PIG AND THE PIE, which is for the No. 7 on the list of 13 prompts. The plan is to complete them by the 31st of October.

I’m arriving late for the party, but I have until the end of this month to write them all. Haha.

LIST OF PROMPTS

1. Use any rhyming form incorporating the words goose and gander.
2. Use rhyming couplets (any number) incorporating house and home.
3. Use the rhyme scheme a/b/a/b, c/d/c/d, etc. and the words lost and found.
4. Write a Nove Otto referencing mice and rats.
5. Write an Ottava Rima on stars.
6. Write using any rhyming form on the topic of candles.
7. Write a Rime Royale on the topic of pies and pigs.
8. Write a poem using near rhymes.
9. Write a Villanelle on the theme of husbands and wives.
10. Use any rhyming form to compose a poem on lost and found.
11. Write an Interlocking Rubaiyat about a cat(s).
12. Write using an enclosed or envelope rhyme on the topic of fat and lean.
13. Use a monorhyme referencing your favourite nursery rhyme.

Introducing Piggy Pixie
_{Written by John R Walker and India Raquia Walker}

My good friend John R. Walker and his talented 8-year-old daughter India Raqia Walker wrote a delightful rhyming children’s story called Piggy Pixie. I illustrated their book. The beautiful book now lies in a draw awaiting publication.

For this Nursery Rhyme Scavenger Hunt, I’ve adapted one drawing from the book (I put a pie on the plate) to fit the theme of No.7. on the Scavenger Hunt list, to write a Rime Royale on pies and pigs.

The Pig and The Pie

Teatime | Piggy Pixie eats his tea | Illustration©️Lesley Scoble

The Meat Pie

THE PIG AND THE MEAT PIE

I am a little pig that likes to eat
Nice big pies with pastry crusts on the top
I’ll eat what I can, as long as it’s meat 
with lots of gravy to suck with a mop
I can eat it whole in a great big gulp
Whatever you say, and by all my means,
The dish on the side just has to be beans.

_{Lesley Scoble, October 2023}

There is a vegetarian option

The Veggie Pie

THE PIG AND THE VEGGIE PIE

I am a little pig that likes to eat
Delicious pies with some veggie in
I’ll eat a lot, as long as it ain’t meat 
     with tasty gravy running down my chin	
          I can eat it whole with a great big grin		
Whatever you say, and by all my means,
 The dish on the side just has to be beans.

_{Lesley Scoble, October 2023}

A little bit about…

Geoffrey Chaucer and the Rime Royal

Geoffrey Chaucer was born circa 1340-43 and died on the 25th of October (it’s nearly the 960th anniversary of his death). English poet, writer, and civil servant and revered as the father of English literature. A scholar of the Middle Ages, in a time of significant political and cultural change in England.

Famed for The Canterbury Tales written in Middle English, telling the stories of pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Thomas à Beckett at Canterbury Cathedral.

Aside from “The Canterbury Tales,” Chaucer wrote several other works, including “Troilus and Criseyde,” a long narrative poem based on the Trojan War, and “The Book of the Duchess,” an elegy for Blanche of Lancaster.

Chaucer’s contributions to English literature are immense.

His legacy of linguistic innovation, storytelling and social commentary endures.

One of his linguistic innovations was the rime royale.

The Rime Royale
Chaucer created a seven-line, ten syllable per line poetry stanza known as the Rime Royale poetry form.

His poem Troilus and Criseyde (written circa 1382-1386) is when he uses this structure of the Rime Royal.

TROILUS AND CRESEYDE

"The double sorwe of Troilus to tellen,
That was the king Priamus sone of Troye,
In lovinge, how his aventures fellen
Fro wo to wele, and after out of Ioye,
My purpos is, er that I parte fro ye.
Thesiphone, thou help me for tendyte
Thise woful vers, that wepen as I wryte!"

_{Geoffrey Chaucer}

~
_{Here is a rough modern English translation by AI

"I mean to tell of Troilus's double sorrow,
He was the son of Priam, King of Troy,
How his fortunes changed, from pain to joy,
Then back to sorrow, in love's cruel borrow.
Before I go, let my words be clear,
Thesiphone, lend me your ear,
As these sad verses from my pen do flow."}
~

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you Murisopsis and the Nursery Rhyme Scavenger Hunt for your inspiring and motivational list of prompts.

My thanks to The Poetry Foundation for all the poetry information they provide.

Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright, (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in inner city schools and theatre school); TV dancer; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.