What is a Villonnet?
A villonnet is a cross between a villanelle and the English sonnet. A villonnet uses the four stanzas of the English sonnet but instead of the 14 lines there are 15 lines because the last stanza is a triplet instead of a couplet. It is generally written using three quatrains and one triplet…I have heard that there is another form but I have not seen it. The villonnet also utilizes the iambic pentameter of the sonnet (I hope you remember what iambic pentameter is from previous installments). The villonnet uses the two line rhyme structure of a villanelle, which has the first line and last line of each stanza rhyming.
Terms...
Just in case you do not remember
Foot - a unit of rhythm or meter that divides a line of verse into units.
Iambic - is a foot of verse that contains one short (unaccented syllable) and one long (accented syllable).
Pentameter - is five iambic feet.
Structure…
The villonnets that I have read have all held to the following structure A1 b c A2, A3 d e A1, A4 f g A2, A1 h A2.
The first line of the first stanza becomes the last line of the second stanza as well as the first line of the triplet (tercet).
The last line of the first stanza becomes the last line of the third stanza as well as the last line of the triplet (tercet).
The first and last line of each stanza all rhyme.
The second and third line of each stanza and the second line of the triplet you can pretty much do as you wish as long as you stay within the parameters of the iambic pentameter (which at times is difficult for me).
A little history…
The only thing I could find on the history of this form of poetry is that it was created by D. Allen Jenkins who is an ordained Quaker pastor in Columbus, Ohio.
Now my poem…
In the night
I walk in deep shadows into the night
I hold to the darkness, me it surrounds
As the sun sets beyond the horizon
I watch as the darkness fills with starlight
I find comfort in the dark not the light
Like a blanket it wraps around my world
In the night feeling at ease with the moon
I walk in deep shadows into the night
Why should I come out while the sun shines bright?
The dark…it hides the flaws and keeps secrets
With the first rays of day they greet the dawn
I watch as the darkness fills with starlight
I walk in deep shadows into the night
To stray into the light from time to time
I watch as the darkness fills with starlight
Test time...is the above poem in true iambic pentameter?
Last edited by Eiregirl on Thu Jun 28, 2007 3:32 am; edited 1 time in total
Sun Feb 26, 2006 6:29 am
desert-fish
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 2777
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"The villonnet uses the two line rhyme structure of a villanelle, which has the first line and last line of each stanza rhyming."
quote:Originally posted by sol-o:
"The villonnet uses the two line rhyme structure of a villanelle, which has the first line and last line of each stanza rhyming."
is that the only rule for a villanelle?
I wish I could say it is that simple but it is not.
There is more to a villanelle than just the rhyme pattern.
Some people like writing a villanelle using iambic pentameter but most do not.
There is no set syllable count for a villanelle.
You will have the rhyme pattern of aba throughout the poem except for the last stanza which will be abaa
The first and last lines of the first stanza will repeat throughout the poem as refrains.
So line by line the structure of the poem is (the letter in parenthese indicates a rhyme pattern and lines that repeat are noted).
Line 1 (a)
Line 2 (b)
Line 3 (a)
Line 4 (a)
Line 5 (b)
Line 6 (repeat line 1)
Line 7 (a)
Line 8 (b)
Line 9 (repeat line 3)
Line 10 (a)
Line 11 (b)
Line 12 (repeat line 1)
Line 13 (a)
Line 14 (b)
Line 15 (repeat line 3)
Line 16 (a)
Line 17 (b)
Line 18 (repeat line 1)
Line 19 (repeat line 3)
Hugs,
Eiregirl _________________ All poems and stories posted by Eiregirl are
Copyright 2005 - 2008 Aoibhegréine
These literary works are my property under copyright. If you wish to use my work for any purpose please ASK FIRST.
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