- Villanelle: A French verse form consisting of five three-line stanzas and a final quatrain, with the first and third lines of the first stanza repeating alternately in the following stanzas. These two refrain lines form the final couplet in the quatrain (The Poetry Foundation). The form is not ancient and has mostly been employed in modern times.
- Etymology
- Italian: villanella: rustic song
- Italian: villano: peasant
- Latin: villanus: farmhand
- Yes, this word is related to villain; bru, ha,ha!
- Some Key Ideas to Consider with a Villanelle
- Any poem featuring a repetition or refrain has special qualities:
- How does each instance of the refrain add meaning to the poem? Perhaps it doesn't, but a great poem builds meaning. Refrains aren't simply included for the sake of form. Decide what the refrain means each time you see it.
- Does the refrain change at all? Even by one word? That is important; consider how the change nuances previously building meaning (synonymous, synthetic, or antithetic?).
- Journal: Villanelle
- Please read the poems, list the title, and answer the question(s) associated:
Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
- "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night"
- Audio from Spotify
- Why does the speaker give this advice to his father?
Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979)
- Ask yourself: What is the art? Is it hard to master? Has the speaker mastered it? How do you know?
Theodore Roethke (1908–1963)
- In one good sentence, describe the effect of the refraining lines.
- "Great Nature has another thing to do/ To you and me" (13-14). What is that "thing"? How do you know?
- Compose a theme for this poem in one sentence.
- Why does the speaker repeat himself if "There is nothing more to say"?
- Why is the villanelle form appropriate for this theme?
For Further Folly (not required):
W. H. Auden (1907–1973)
- "If I Could Tell You"
- Who is the speaker? Who is the speaker addressing?
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