1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions
Happy October! I am happy to be back as the editor for this edition!
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:
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.
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter! https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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.
Monty 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
ASIN: B083RZ37SZ
Product Type:
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
Not currently available.
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Poetry: October 17, 2018 Issue [#9174]
five 3 line verses and one four line verse.
Poets have used villanelles for a variety of subjects. Dylan has the most famous villanelle:
Now how about you? Do you want to give it a go?
Thanks for reading and keep writing on! 
Wow! Thanks for sharing! 
