Bertsolaristic movement What is a bertso? Rhyme

Rhyme

The art of bertsolaritza: reality of and keys to Basque oral improvisation defines the rhyme as the formal quid of the bertso – without the rhyme there is no bertso. If we rhyme (although its quality may not be the best), we are creating a bertso.

As we have seen, the rhyme is always of the same group and the higher the intensity and quality of its consonance, the more highly regarded it is. Let us say, for example, burua (head) rhymes with ordua (time). But this consonance is relative, as it is limited to the last two vowel-syllables and, thus, what we have would be regarded as a fairly poor rhyme. Between elizan (in the church) and gerizan (taking shelter) there is rhyming of better quality. They rhyme as regards their suffixing (-an) and also with the preceding fricative (z-), the vowel prior to this (-i-) and even the vowel sound of the first syllable in both words.

Nevertheless, while it appears that both the rhyme and the metre are norms or limitations that restrict the bertsolari, the repeatedly quoted work on the subject reveals that they are also essential guidelines. Thus, bertsolaris can never utter what they exactly wish to say. They say what the metre and the rhyming words - which they have stored in their minds eye to be used at a given opportune moment - allow them to say. There does not exist a bertsolari who says what they want to say and, at the same time, have metre and rhyme. There are bertsolaris who rhyme and use metre and, moreover, who, in moments of lucidity and inspiration, come very close to what they wish to say.

Metre Difficulty of bertso