The Little Dove

By luigi_pagano

Mon, 03 Mar 2014
  • 1805 reads
6 comments
 

Within the Commedia dell’Arte
you can spot, if you are observant,
one character called Columbine.
She is a comic domestic servant
who’s married to Pierrot the clown
but is also Harlequin’s mistress.
She mirrors his diamond motley
with patches in her ragged dress.
Concocting many impudent plots
she’s shrewd and a devious schemer,
but she’s got her feet on the ground
and is not what you’d call a dreamer.
Men think that she is a loose woman
and they lust after her and swoon,
especially that amorous old lecher
who’s known by the name Pantaloon.
Because of her heavy makeup
she is said to be a shameless tart
but regardless of her rough apparel
our servant is a romantic at heart.
Her efforts in helping two lovers
by smoothing the course of true love
typifies the name she was given:
Columbine means little dove.

© Luigi Pagano

Certificate U
Poem
Are you being versed?
Other Fiction
Miscellaneous

Comments

Submitted by Bee on

Delightfully rhyming and wittily informative. 

Loved this.

Bee

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Delighted by your comment, Bee. I find those characters from the Commedia dell'Arte, that were the precursors of Punch and Judy, fascinating. Thanks for reading.

Luigi

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

I like this a lot. Years ago I worked in the giftware section of an Oxford Street department store where we sold china Columbine, Pierrot and Harlequin figures. At the time I simply saw them as 'tat', Bourne's of Oxford Street, formerly Bourne and Hollingsworth was now well past it's heyday and was due to close in a couple of months. The quality of its merchandise often seemed slightly desperate even to my unsophisticated eye!

Now that you have told me more about the Commedia del'arte I want even more         Elsie

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Hi Elsie. You are probably right in describing the Bourne's merchandising as 'tat'. It wouldn't have compared with the 18th century fine Meissen figurines at the Victoria and Albert museum.          Commedia dell'arte troupes had a repertoire of stories that they performed in fairgrounds and market places. Often the touring troupes were made up of family members who would inherit their characters, costumes, masks and stories from their parents or grandparents. The Commedia spread across Europe from Italy to France and by the middle of the 17th century began to be popular in England. Nowadays there wouldn't be a place for this kind of entertainment but it would not be any worse than some 'funny' programmes meted out on the telly.

It only remains for me to express grateful thanks for reading and commenting. Luigi 

 

Submitted by Denzella on

Hello  Luigi,

I enjoyed reading this.  I had read about Commedia del 'Arte characters when I was doing an OU course.  Yes, I really did one.  It was so long ago that I can hardly remember any of it that is until l read this.  I think the characters were connected with Mozart's Marriage of Figaro as that was based on a play by Beaumarchais which had If I remember correctly Commedia dell 'Arte characters.

Anyway, all beside the point.  Another enjoyable read.

Moya

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Dear Moya, I am much obliged to you for reading this and commenting on it.

Luigi.