Wednesday 9 January 2013

"The Villanelle is the Most Restrictive of Sandwich Forms"

The villanelle is, in fact, one of the most restrictive forms of poem. The most famous example in English is Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night," which is on the subject of imminent death, specifically that of the poet's father.

On the other hand, this villanelle made me laugh loudly.

1 comment:

  1. I hadn't thought of playing with this form until tonight, Monday Jan 14 2013. Your prompt contributed to my foolish inkling, but mostly I thought I'd give it a try in a Haiku form with a play on the word 'villanelle' and a female 'villain'. That prompt arose because a haiku game/chain I play with meandered into tough female pirates - 'villanelles', so to speak. So, here's my effort at a 'haiku/villanelle.' (I've played with the form just a little.)

    What a villanelle!
    Of song and strong female made,
    and a bagatelle.

    Wicked fame can tell
    who is strong and who afraid
    of the villanelle.

    And she can foretell
    just how his cards will be played
    by that bagatelle.

    Now in her dark spell
    and with this false maid he's made
    her danse villanelle.

    He's ship-bound for hell
    in silk clothes strangely arrayed
    as her bagatelle.

    His heart hears the bell.
    And dies with all his hopes flayed
    by his villanelle
    her sweet bagatelle.
    ~~~~

    If you'd like to visit the haiku chain game that inspired this doggerel, visited WSS Haiku Game. This 'villanelle' is post #3466.

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