Similar to the ballad and sonnet, it started off as a poetic form that is sung. The form originates from France; some scholars believe the fixed format was established when Jean Passerat wrote the poem Villanelle (J’ay perdu ma Tourterelle) in 1606. Other scholars believe that format as we know today was established in the late 19th century by french poet, Theodore de Banville. Its repetitive nature and strict rules can make it seem like the composer is obsessed with the subject of the villanelle. Villanelle derives from the Latin word, villanus, which can translate to bumpkin.
Basics
Consist of 19 lines
Uses five stanzas of tercets (three lines) follow by a single quatrain (four lines)
The rhyming scheme is as follows ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA
The first line of the first stanza serves as the last line of the second as well as the last line of the fourth stanza and finally the third line of the last stanza
The third line of the first stanza serves as the third line for the third and fifth stanza and the final line of the entire villanelle
Examples
This video is a song by They Might Be Giants titled, Hate The Villanelle. It’s a villanelle about villanelles.
Don’t hate the villain! Hate the villanelle With these picky rules and odd jigsaw rhymes Curses! These verses are my prison cell
At school I ran from the very first bell The teacher’s ruler, those maddening chimes Don’t hate the villain! Hate the villanelle!
Joking in class. Oh! The words I misspell Mumbles and stammers but are those real crimes? Curses! These verses are my prison cell
If someone could hear, for someone to tell But friends have all fled to far away climes Don’t hate the villain! Hate the villanelle
I solve this puzzle but tumble through hell These words are fractions when I needed primes Curses! These verses are my prison cell
My hands disappear as I wave farewell This gentle quicksand turns into hard times Don’t hate the villain! Hate the villanelle Curses! These verses are my prison cell
April marks National Poetry Month! Throughout this month we will share information about some of the varying poetry styles practiced today and a little bit about their history. The purpose of the month is to increase the awareness and appreciation of poetry, and maybe help a few people find their inner poet talent.
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