What is a Macaronic Verse in Poetry/Writing?

Macaronic verse refers to a poetic piece or poetry that combines or mixes words or phrases from different languages, often in a humorous or burlesque way.

An example of macaronic verse includes Lord Byron’s poem "Maid of Athens, ere we part."

Each stanza of this poem ends with the same Greek line, which translates to "My life, I love you!"

 

Maid of Athens, ere we part,

Give, oh, give me back my heart!

Or, since that has left my breast,

Keep it now, and take the rest!

Hear my vow before I go,

Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ [My life, I love you!]

 

Macaronic comes from the Italian word “macaroni” or “dumplings,” which refers to “the coarse, unrefined nature of a mixture of languages.”

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