Florante at Laura is a masterpiece written by Francisco Baltazar or Francisco Balagtas by his other name. It is written as an "awit" (song) with standard poetic formats. Four lines per stanza, twelve syllables per line, assonantal (resemblance in the sounds of words/syllables either between their vowels or consonants) rhyme scheme, and a caesura (metrical pause or break in a verse where one phrase ends and another phrase begins) or pause after the sixth syllable. Each stanza is usually complete with a grammatically correct sentence and has a figure of speech.
CTTO
To sum it up. Here's how the story goes.
Outside the Kingdom of Albanya. Florante, the son of Duke Briseo and Princess Floresca of Krotona, was found being tied in a giant old tree in the middle of a dark forest.
Sadness and despair flashed across his face as he heard the frightening sounds and moans of wild animals. When the two lions were about to devour him, Prince Aladin came and rescue him - killing them before he will become a prey. Aladin is the prince of Persia and is kind-hearted. He was exiled from his kingdom due to his father's cruelty, King Ali-Adab after he took away the love of his life - Flerida.
Florante and Aladin became friends and started sharing their own identities and experiences. Florante is the prince of Albanya while Aladin is the prince of Persia. Their Kingdom is an enemy to each other.
Florante shared his childhood stories and his near-death experience involving a giant crow that was killed by his cousin, Menalipo, his school days at Atenas where he met Adolfo who from the beginning was his rival. How Adolfo tried to kill him during their school play which the latter was rescued by Menandro - the nephew of their kind professor – Antenor.
Because of that terrible incident, Adolfo decided to go home back in Albanya.
One day in Atenas, sad news came to Florante about the death of his mother so he was forced to go back to Albanya.
While in Albanya, Duke Briseo and King Linseo, father of Laura - who will be his future love interest, gathered a meeting about their defense against the troops of Persian General Osmalik who already wreaking havoc and destroyed Krotona. According to the King, he dreamt of a clever powerful Prince who looked like Florante, their only weapon to beat Osmalik.
Upon seeing Laura, he instantly fell in love with her beauty. In his three days stay at their palace, he never had the chance to talk to the Princess. He only had a few moments with her while preparing for battle but the princess only sent her tears and hopes.
...oooh, this is too long. Good thing, I have the video. Now go watch it. It's a classic love story that would give Romeo and Juliet a run for their money. Lolz.
Video credit to C&E Publishing Inc
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