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Defending the Form

Contrary to the highly touted schemes
the Villanelle requires a bit of plan.
It's simply not as chary as it seems

to weave your lines with interwoven seams,
and compensate for quite restricted span,
contrary to the highly touted schemes.

Just give it the attention that it deems,
and do it with a good deal of élan.
It's simply not as chary as it seems.

In time, you find your pace, consciousness streams,
alluvion, emotive, wide in scan.
Contrary to the highly touted schemes,

the threads entwine a tapestry of dreams
that lead you back to where you first began.
It's simply not as chary as it seems.

Controlled by strictest rules, rigid regimes.
The Villanelle, a challenge set by man.
Contrary to the highly touted schemes,
it's simply not as chary as it seems.






Author notes

Villanelle

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Comments

1 - 8 of 8

  • Griswold
    May 10

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    Excellently done to grab the Gold. I love this form, it is not something people can do well. I just love a challenge. Congrats...Scott


  • dericlee gold member
    May 10

    Edit | Reply
    Well, after seeing your final revisions, I have to agree that you managed to "weave your lines with interwoven seams" and give me the best combination of the factors I was asking for. Meter is nearly flawless, no rhymes are forced, and the repeat lines are offered in a manner to deliver variety in their usage.

    !

  • Amera gold member
    May 6

    Edit | Reply
    This is such a great idea! You wrote a Villanelle anout writing a Villanelle. Original and well done!

    Love,
    Amera♥


  • dericlee gold member
    May 5
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    A form-poem written about the form itself is indeed one excellent example of good use of the variety inherent in the form. The meter, as well, is very nearly flawless throughout. Your word-choices made for an interesting read, and made clear that you are no hack when it comes to laying words to rhyme and meter while maintaining a natural sound to your speech. The result was, indeed, a verse in which "consciousness streams,
    alluvion, emotive, wide in scan."




    A tad more variety given to the sentence-placement of the repeat lines is about all I could ask for beyond what you've offered...


    ...that and perhaps the courtesy to reserve a poem written for my contest from being entered in a copycat contest before mine has even been judged. No rule against it, (since I didn't even know it was possible,) and it won't affect my judging...but it just strikes me as a little rude, given the point value. I wasn't offering enough?


  • dericlee gold member
    May 5
    Edit | Reply

    A bit of last-minute coaching.




    This message goes out to all entrants:

    Finalists as shown on the contest page are preliminary choices.

    With three days left before contest closes, I’d like to take a moment to remind all entrants; a villanelle is a metered form, not just a ‘rhythmic’ form, and meter is a prime portion of the judging in this contest! Meter is not just “how many beats in a line” but a set pattern of stressed versus unstressed beats.

    While no particular meter is specified for the villanelle, it IS crucial that the meter be even. Whether iambic pentameter, anapestic trimeter, double-dactyllic meter, whatever meter, each line needs to at least loosely follow the same metric pattern as the others.

    Another strong facet if judging in this contest is demonstrating an adaptive use of the repeated lines; the best villanelles can’t be achieved by making the repeat lines sentences or independent clauses, but by using them in varied meanings as different parts of different sentences. I refer you to Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night” for a fine example of how this is done. (For those unfamiliar with the work, I’ve now included it in the text of the Contest Page at http://allpoetry.com/contest/2401901 ) Please revisit the Contest Page…more information has been provided for your use in these last three days.

    If enough of you feel the need, contact me. For as few as (oh, lemme think… ) six requests, I’d be willing to stretch the contest by an additional five days so you can present your best work. In the interests of keeping what anonymity remains (glower!) please make those requests on the contest page, NOT by IM!

  • dericlee gold member
    April 27
    Edit | Reply

    Standard notice (going to all entries)


    Given that many "first day" poems often suffer some revision before final judging (which will take place during the final three days before close) I won't comment on this poetically yet. The contest ends May 8th...I'd like to see all editing done and your product "finished" by the fifth if possible, to aid me in judging in a timely manner.
  • individuality gold member
    April 27

    Edit | Reply
    a good piece here, i like the villanelle form, and the others that use repetition, the pantoum, villonnet, triolet etc, a strong penning here.

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