French poets who called their poems "villanelle" did not follow any specific schemes, rhymes, or refrains. Rather, the title implied that, like the Italian and Spanish dance-songs, their poems spoke of simple, often pastoral or rustic themes. Regardless of its provenance, the form did not catch on in France, but it has become increasingly popular among poets writing in English. Contemporary poets have not limited themselves to the pastoral themes originally expressed by the free-form villanelles of the Renaissance, and have loosened the fixed form to allow variations on the refrains.
Ghazal : The ghazal is a form with its roots in seventh-century Arabia that is composed of five to fifteen structurally and thematically autonomous couplets. Sestina : The sestina is a complex, thirty-nine-line poem featuring the intricate repetition of end-words in six stanzas and an envoi. Sonnet : A popular classical form that has compelled poets for centuries, the sonnet is a fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter, employing one of several rhyme schemes, and adhering to a tightly structured thematic organization.
Terza Rima : The terza rima is a poem, Italian in origin, composed of tercets woven into a complex rhyme scheme. National Poetry Month. Materials for Teachers Teach This Poem. Poems for Kids. Poetry for Teens. Lesson Plans. Rhyme and structure are abound in a villanelle poem. At first look, it might seem a bit scary with all the rhyme going on in this line poem.
But, when you break it down, it isn't as bad as you might think. All this rhyming might sound difficult, but in truth you only have to come up with two lines for each stanza after your first stanza. The final line in your second and fourth stanzas will be your first refrain , which matches up to the first line of the first stanza. The final line in your first stanza acts as your second refrain, which is repeated as the final line in your third and fifth stanzas.
Looking at an example can make this a lot easier. This structure is followed through until the ending, which breaks from the tercet into a quatrain with an ABCC rhyme scheme. You still only need two original lines, though, since the refrains will be repeated as the last two lines. This really ends the poem with a bang:. Using a template can help you to understand the structure of a villanelle and its rhyme scheme. Download and print this PDF to help you break down examples or even write a villanelle poem of your own.
While "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" is probably one of the most famous examples of a villanelle, several poets new and old have made this form their own. Not only do you see the set ABA rhyme scheme and the standard form of a villanelle, but you can feel the despair of the girl and her descent into depression in Plath's poem.
The refrains give you a clear understanding of her mental state and that feeling builds until the end of the poem when you can really feel the magnitude of her despair. In his poem, Roethke uses waking and dreaming to symbolize life and death. Using the tone and repetitive style of the villanelle, readers can see the connection of sleep to death and the unknown.
There is also a sense of relief that Roethke inserts in accepting the fact that death comes to all. One of the first great examples of a villanelle, " The House on the Hill " uses rhyme and structure to represent the passing of time and the writer's remorse of the past. The refrains of "They are all gone away" and "There is nothing more to say" set the dark undertone of the broken past and the impending end of the writer.
It might seem strange, but villanelle poems didn't start with such a rigid form. Make two lists of words that rhyme.
A key element of a villanelle is the rhyme scheme. Using the words and phrases you have written down in your brainstorm, create two lists of words that correspond with each other and rhyme. If you can think of phrases that end in rhyming words, write those down as well. Think about creating refrains that will help you build intensity in the poem. You can purchase them from bookstores or find free ones online.
Part 3. Compose the first and second refrains. These refrains should be meaningful to the poem, and should allow you to give them more meaning with each repetition.
To do this, you could place several rhyming words you like on two different lines and try to write sentences that work around these words. Remember that the refrains need to end with the rhyming words.
Place the refrains in the structure of the villanelle. One of the easiest ways to work within the structure of the villanelle is to establish the refraining lines first and then work around them. On a piece of paper or a word-processing document, place the refrains within the form of the villanelle.
Create an introduction. Now that you have the refrains down, start filling in the first stanza. This is the introduction segment of the poem, so decide how you want to introduce your subject, theme, or idea to the reader.
If you are describing a certain memory or moment, start by setting the scene. Develop the middle section of the poem. The middle section should develop the subject, theme, or idea in the introduction. You have four stanzas to develop the poem and push the intensity of the poem.
One way of building intensity is to have each stanza contain larger and larger moments. Think about the bigger or more absurd versions of your subject or theme. For a poem about a trip to the zoo, you could describe the other animals you saw at the zoo and then build intensity by describing the leopard in the fourth stanza. Or you could describe memories of your brother, moving from smaller moments of anger to larger moments of anger. Write a conclusion section.
Maybe the most difficult section of a villanelle is the concluding section, or stanza. You will need to compose a meaningful ending that ties in the two refraining lines in a powerful way. Consider how you have built intensity in your villanelle so far. You can also home in on a specific phrase or image you feel is strong and meaningful. Is there a way you can complicate the beginning and middle section of the poem in the ending stanza?
It also makes the last stanza very powerful. The best last stanzas in a poem will leave the reader with more questions than answers. But the refrain has a double meaning at the end of the poem, as the reader is not sure if in fact the speaker did make up the lover in her head or if the speaker just thinks she made up the lover in her head. Read the villanelle out loud.
Traditionally, villanelles were written to be read out loud. This will help you note if your rhyme scheme is off or if the rhythm of the lines of the poem flow well together. Revise and edit the villanelle as necessary until it almost has a song-like quality. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Embrace imperfection! The villanelle is a demanding literary form, but when you're drafting a poem, you need to embrace the imperfection of the creative process. Don't expect yourself to have all the words just as you want them on your first or even second or third drafts.
Remember that professional poets go through many drafts, and so will you. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Related wikiHows How to. How to. More References About This Article.
Co-authored by:. Megan Morgan, PhD. Co-authors: Updated: October 14, Categories: Writing Poetry. Article Summary X To write a villanelle, start by writing two refrains that will be repeated throughout the poem, which capture the meaning and tone of the poem. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read , times. Reader Success Stories Ana K.
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