Poetry

This week: Vive la Villanelle

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Vive La Villanelle!

Exploring poets, who have birthdays in October, I saw that Dylan Thomas on the list and remembered one of my favourite poems. He wrote it in the Villanelle form: Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night! Sylvia Plath has a birthday in October as well and as a young poet used the villanelle as well. So let's look at what it takes to compose one.

The name Villanelle, originated in Italy as a rustic song or dance (villanella) and comes from the word "villano: “peasant”). It was then was used in France to designate a short poem of popular character favoured by poets in the late 16th century. Often they were about pastoral themes and had no fixed format. The fixed form began later with Jean Passerat's J'ay perdu ma Tourterelle in 1606 and it's evolution from there is debated! Many English authors used the fomr from the 17th century though it was French in origin.

The Villanelle Structure

A villanelle is a nineteen-line poetic form with five tercets followed by a quatrain. There are two refrains and two repeating rhymes, with the first and third line of the first tercet repeated alternately until the last stanza, which includes both repeated lines. It has no definite meter but many modern ones use pentameter. The repetition of lines gives it a song like aura and emphasis on the message.

eg.

five 3 line verses and one four line verse.

each line rhymes ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA

the first and third line in verse one create the refrain and the two line ending

each one is used alternately at the end of the four middle stanzas
They also gradually build in tone and intensity from one stanza to the next.

Poets have used villanelles for a variety of subjects. Dylan has the most famous villanelle:

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/do-not-go-gentle-good-night

It was written about the fight against death while his father was dying. It is a strong invocation for us to live boldly and to fight.

I found this fun example as tribute to the Villanelle.

A DAINTY thing's the Villanelle,
Sly, musical, a jewel in rhyme,
It serves its purpose passing well.

A double-clappered silver bell
That must be made to clink in chime,
A dainty thing's the Villanelle;

And if you wish to flute a spell,
Or ask a meeting 'neath the lime,
It serves its purpose passing well.

You must not ask of it the swell
Of organs grandiose and sublime--
A dainty thing's the Villanelle;

You must not ask of it the swell
Of organs grandiose and sublime--
A dainty thing's the Villanelle;

And, filled with sweetness, as a shell
Is filled with sound, and launched in time,
It serves its purpose passing well.

Still fair to see and good to smell
As in the quaintness of its prime,
A dainty thing's the Villanelle,
It serves its purpose passing well.

by William Ernest Henley

and one by Sylvia Plath: https://allpoetry.com/Denouement-Villanelle

The best ones can be found here:
https://interestingliterature.com/2017/12/06/the-best-villanelles-in-english-poe...

I find it a challenge to compose as one needs to have two lines that go together and create a repeating message.

You might start with a area or topic that feels repetitive or hard to answer to be lines one and three. These will repeat through the whole piece.

Here is one of my attempts: (a bit philosophical}

Points of View

Every thought is a Point of view
and all judgements are of the mind.
You have the choice to be and do

Thoughts are things that can create too.
Truly great or very unkind
Every thought is a Point of View.

Polarity you think is true;
black and white is so defined
You have the choice to be and do

For joyful living to pursue,
awareness is the key to find.
Every thought is a point of view

Judge not, a truth with which we grew,
the consequence of it will bind.
You have the choice to be or do

What if you Know, from Being True
how to be free and not entwined?
Every thought is a point of view
The choice is yours to be or do.

"Points of View: villanelle"

Now how about you? Do you want to give it a go?

Thanks for reading and keep writing on!

eyestar

Sources:
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/do-not-go-gentle-good-night
https://www.britannica.com/art/villanelle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villanelle

Hear Dylan read his work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mRec3VbH3w

Our WDC Authors have fun with the Villanelle form! So many topics, even in keeping with the Halloween season!

STATIC

Haunted House

(13+)
A ghost tries to convince an old house it's not as empty as it thinks. A Villanelle
#2095768 by 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖𝕪𝕖𝕫

Ghost of a Chance

(E)
Villanelle
#1073895 by fyn

STATIC

Crushed Petals

(13+)
Unwillingly clenched in the jaws of desire’s beast (Form: Villanelle)
#2167565 by 🌕 HuntersMoon

Invalid Item

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#2153654 by Not Available.

Invalid Item

This item number is not valid.
#2125664 by Not Available.

Friendship

(E)
A villanelle poem about the importance of friendship.
#2131135 by StephBee - GOT Survivor

STATIC

Try Anew Another Day

(ASR)
A Rare Villanelle. 19 Lines. Of Course. ~2016 Quill Award Honorable Mention~
#2091757 by Whata SpoonStealer

The Vicious Goblin

(ASR)
A late Halloween villanelle. . .not as scary as you might think. . .
#2064214 by Weirdone-Back in the games

STATIC

Sensual Orchids

(E)
An orchid Villanelle.
#1999440 by Jatog the Green

Invalid Item

This item number is not valid.
#2162300 by Not Available.

Invalid Item

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#2169810 by Not Available.

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Hey readers! Write me a villanelle! I have two 10K Awardicons to gift to my favourites.

Thanks for your lovely responses to "Poetry Newsletter (September 19, 2018)" !

elfindragon

You asked about an author writing about experiences with depression, suicide, ect. I happen to do so in my own poetry and have one for you.

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Wow! Thanks for sharing!

tinker1111

I've meant to get around to write a Dream Song ever since I researched the Verse Form and your Newsletter just pushed me over the edge.

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Fabulous! Thanks for sharing.

sallyjwhatling

Thanks for a wonderfully informative newsletter, Mona. Highlighting mental health issues is so vital to break down taboos, and I think your editor's choices are all inspired. Thank you so much for choosing a poem of mine that means so much to me.

oldmonty
Seems that I must be real old when told someone never heard of Thomas Buchanan Reed.I hope you have checked him out. Thanks for this News Letter.

You are not old! LOL I am Canadian so may not be up on all the poets writing of civil war! LOL

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