The Spanish Ballad, Or Romancero - 1346 Words

The spanish ballad, or romancero, is a form of poetry which, closely linked to the medieval epic, is passed down by word of mouth and open to interpretation by the performers and audience. The ballad â€Å"Romance de Moraima† (or yo me era mora Moraima) is a romancero fronterizo which is relatively brief, and follows the standard octosyllabic structure. The ballad contains the key feature of assonating units, yet does not strictly rhyme with one vowel, i.e. ‘a’ but varies between ‘a’, ‘o’, and a paragogic ‘e’. Moraima opens quite abruptly and dramatically, as is the fashion of the romancero. No time is spared in small details; instead the sensational tale begins immediately. Interestingly, the description is in the past- era- even though one would imagine that she is still the same person, which gives the impression that something drastic has changed. The first line lands with a punch. The bold statement of her name-  «yo me era mora Moraima « - identifies the protagonist and throws the listener in. The yo is emphatic, as is the last positioning of Moraima, and together they frame the line to deliver impact. There is strong alliteration and repetition of the ‘mo’ sound with Moraima, mora and morilla, all of which contribute to a compelling description, and draw attention to her islamic beliefs. The choice of the name Moraima, when juxtaposed with mora, emphasises her religious affiliation which would have been controversial at that time due to the Reconquista. This play o n