Visitation

Summary

The web content describes an ovillejo poem titled "Visitation," an old Spanish poetical form, and provides insights into its structure, themes, and the author's personal experience with the writing process.

Abstract

The webpage introduces "Visitation," an ovillejo poem, which is a traditional Spanish form consisting of a sestet followed by a quatrain. The ovillejo is characterized by its unique structure involving question-asking lines, reappearing lines, and a specific rhyme and metrical pattern. The poem itself narrates the author's encounter with a muse-like figure, symbolized by a red silk dressing gown with a golden dragon, leading to a reflective and intimate conversation. The narrative explores themes of forgiveness, connection, and the act of writing. The author, Chris Mooney-Singh, reflects on the creative process and the inspiration behind the poem, drawing a parallel between the intertwining of words and the knotting together of an ovillo, or ball of wool. The page also includes a brief biography of Mooney-Singh, noting his contributions to poetry and film, and invites readers to explore more of his work.

Opinions

The author feels a deep connection to the ovillejo form, likening the act of writing to knotting together a pattern, suggesting a craftsmanship approach to poetry.
The poem's narrative takes a departure from the traditional riddle-like questions of the ovillejo by focusing more on storytelling until the final stanza.
The author personifies his writing style as a living entity, indicating a belief in the dynamic and sometimes unpredictable nature of creativity.
The poem conveys a sense of intimacy and dialogue with the figurative "red silk dressing gown" character, highlighting the author's view on the conversational aspect of writing.
The author seems to prioritize human connection and sensory experiences over the solitary act of writing, as suggested by the muse's invitation to "shelve your page of words unread" in favor of shared moments.
The repetition of "Who said" emphasizes the author's reflection on the source of inspiration and the voices that guide the creative process.

The ovillejo

An old Spanish 10-line poetical form popularised by Cavalcanti and Cervantes.

A sestet of six lines in couplets, followed by a quatrain.

Likewise, a ball of wool or spool of thread is called an ovillo and thus writing an ovillejo is an act of knotting together a pattern of parts.

Lines 1, 3 and 5 usually ask questions making this a poem of riddles. I have chosen to focus more on narrative until the last stanza as a nod to the inherent rhetoric behind the form.

Lines 2, 4 and 6 reappear combined as line 10. This can be a stand alone or used as a verse stanza.

Finally, this is a form defined by his rhyme scheme and metrical form.

Without a doubt I felt the cold breeze blow. And so I leaned against a coco palm to write: “Tonight I crossed the lotus bridge into the black. Your back to me, I chased your figment down the track, a red silk dressing gown, a fiery cloak with gold-embroidered dragon.” Now she spoke: And so, tonight, you’re back!

It seemed my breezy writing style was back on track. The stream of words began to lap and flow. I knew because I’d had before the gifted writing day – the way the words lay out like chocolates on a tray. And wrote: “No, you are back, dear red silk girl, flouncing with a golden dragon swirl.” On track, I knew the way.

So now I sat with her inside my head. Who said: Forgive me, darling if my words were dead. Who said: Now hold me, fool. I’m offering you hot bread. Who said: It’s time to shelve your page of words unread, time to spread my red silk gown instead. This coco palm’s a pillow for our bed. Who said, who said. who said?

As well as publishing several collections of poetry and appearing regularly in fiction anthologies, Australian-born Chris Mooney-Singh’s most recent short film Looking for Mr Gelam was released in Jan 2021. See more of his work here.

Visitation

An ovillejo

The ovillejo

Uncommon Poetic Forms

Would You Give It A Go?