Villanelle

Matt, Zach, Yarden, Morgan

History of the Villanelle

Villanella- Italian folk song with a dance created during the

Renaissance period

Adopted by the French in the 16th century and became the Villanelle

Continued History

The first true Villanelle was the “Villanelle” by Jean Passerat in the

16th century

After the 16th century, the Villanelle lost its popularity and became

obscure

Theodore de Banville popularized the form in the 19th century

Many famous poets and writers including Oscar Wilde, James Joyce,

Theodore Roethke, Elizabeth Bishop, W.H. Auden, and Dylan Thomas

wrote in the villanelle form

Structure

19 line poem

Five tercets and one quatrain

The first and third lines of the opening tercet are repeated alternately in the last lines of the succeeding stanzas

The refrain then serves as the poem’s final two lines

ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA rhyme scheme

Now do you know the villanelle structure?

Let’s see!

Reassemble the poem “Villanelle” by Sondra Ball

The VillanelleSondra Ball

Musical and sweet, the villanelle,like light reflected in a gentle rhyme,moves to the ringing of a silver bell,

its form creating soft and tender spells.Like the singing of distant silver chimes,musical and sweet, the villanelle

flows through the heart, and builds a magic spellfrom sunlight and from shadows, and, sublime,moves to the ringing of a silver bell.

It never arcs into the sharp loud yellof vast pipe organs. Soft its climb.Musical and sweet, the villanelle,

like a tiny and translucent shellcatching sunlight in the summer time,moves to the ringing of a silver bell.

Soft and gentle, tender and so frail,like light pouring through petals of the lime,musical and sweet, the villanellemoves to the ringing of a silver bell.

The Villanelle: Thought Questions

❖ What’s the poem literally talking about?❖ Underline sensory images.❖ What is a villanelle compared to/personified as?❖ How does form contribute to the poem’s meaning?

➢ Villanelle structure?➢ Enjambment?

The WakingTheodore RoethkeI wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. I feel my fate in what I cannot fear. I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know? I hear my being dance from ear to ear. I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you? God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there, And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how? The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair; I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do To you and me; so take the lively air, And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know. What falls away is always. And is near. I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. I learn by going where I have to go.

The Waking: Thought Questions

❖ What’s the poem literally talking about?❖ Underline nature imagery.❖ What is/are the mood(s) of the poem?❖ How does form contribute to the poem’s meaning?

➢ Villanelle structure?➢ Punctuation?➢ Capitalization?

Homework: Write a villanelle about a phobia. Feel free to use that word

in your poem!

Bibliographyhttp://www.webexhibits.org/poetry/explore_classic_villanelle_background.htmlhttp://www.public.asu.edu/~aarios/formsofverse/reports2000/page8.html http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FuqaQ_f3SKc/hqdefault.jpg