Villanelles
“A Villanelle for a Villain” by Debbie Guzzi Was I not too young, tell me truly, speak the dew of life was still upon my face, when I refused to take that final leap to lose my life when not yet at its peak. I took a deathly kiss in his embrace. Was I not to young, tell me truly, speak? Unwise, unwise was I, or simply meek how I mortally erred was a disgrace, when I refused to take that final leap. No life was this, no haven for the weak eternal, soulless, hell no resting place. Was I not too young, tell me truly, speak? Existence now bares a fetid reek I've replaced the grace of heaven chaste, I face the nightmares now, hear the shrieks, ah, remember there was dew on my face.
History The villanelle actually derived from Spanish and Italian peasant songs to which people danced. The French poets who called their poems “villanelles” did not used fixed rhyme schemes or refrains. The word referred to the simple, rustic themes that were reminiscent of the Italian and Spanish dances and peasant life style. Translated “villanelle” means “country song” It wasn’t until the 19th century that the villanelle was defined as a fixed form by the French poet Theodore de Banville. It became quite popular among English poets.
The Form It is a rhyme-and-repetition (refrain) pattern consisting of 5 tercets and one quatrain at the end. The rhyme throughout the 5 tercets is aba and the quatrain at the end is abaa. There is a refrain of A1 and A2, that rhyme with a, throughout the poem. A1 and A2 represent a word that is repeated at the end of certain lines The first and third lines of the opening tercet are repeated alternately in the last lines of the succeeding stanzas; then in the final stanza, the refrain serves as the poem's two concluding lines.
The Form cont. Refrain 1 (A1) Line 2 (b) Refrain 2 (A2) Line 4 (a) Line 10 (a) Line 11 (b) Refrain 1 (A1) Line 13 (a) Line 14 (b) Refrain 2 (A2) Line 16 (a) Line 17 (b)
“A Villanelle for a Villain” by Debbie Guzzi Was I not too young, tell me truly, speak (A1) the dew of life was still upon my face, (b) when I refused to take that final leap (A2) to lose my life when not yet at its peak. (a) I took a deathly kiss in his embrace. (b) Was I not to young, tell me truly, speak? (A1) Unwise, unwise was I, or simply meek (a) how I mortally erred was a disgrace, (b) when I refused to take that final leap. (A2) No life was this, no haven for the weak (a) eternal, soulless, hell no resting place. (b) Was I not too young, tell me truly, speak? (A1) Existence now bares a fetid reek (a) I've replaced the grace of heaven chaste, (b) when I refused to take that final leap. (A1) I face the nightmares now, hear the shrieks, (a) ah, remember there was dew on my face. (b)