Poetry is an ancient form of expression, and throughout history, poets have developed a variety of forms that offer distinct rhythmic and structural elements. One of the most well-known and challenging poetic forms is the villanelle. Its repetitive structure and unique rhyme scheme set it apart from other forms, but it also has many similarities with other poetic forms that are worth exploring. In this article, we will examine the villanelle in detail and investigate various poems and poetic forms that are similar to it.
Understanding the Villanelle: Structure and Significance
Before delving into similar forms, it is essential to understand what makes a villanelle distinct. The villanelle is a 19-line poem with a specific structure that includes a set rhyme scheme and a strict pattern of repetition. It is composed of five tercets (three-line stanzas) followed by a quatrain (four-line stanza), with a total of 19 lines.
The villanelle follows the following rhyme scheme:
A1b (first stanza)
A2b (second stanza)
A1b (third stanza)
And so on for the next three tercets, alternating between two repeating rhymes in the A positions.
The final quatrain rhymes as A1A2bA1A2.
The most defining feature of the villanelle is its refrain. The first and third lines of the poem are repeated alternately throughout the poem, and these two refrains appear again in the final quatrain. This repetition creates a sense of circularity and emphasis, making the form both challenging and powerful.
Example: “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas
A famous example of a villanelle is Dylan Thomas’s Do not go gentle into that good night, where the refrain lines “Do not go gentle into that good night” and “Rage, rage against the dying of the light” are repeated throughout the poem. The form’s repetitive nature helps emphasize the urgency and emotional intensity of the theme, making the villanelle an ideal structure for expressing strong feelings.
Poems Similar to a Villanelle: Exploring Other Forms
While the villanelle is unique in its repetitive structure, it shares characteristics with several other poetic forms. These similarities often involve repetition, rhyme schemes, and a structured approach to stanza lengths. In this section, we will explore various poetic forms that are similar to the villanelle, drawing comparisons based on these shared elements.
The Rondeau
The rondeau is another French poetic form that shares structural similarities with the villanelle. Like the villanelle, the rondeau relies heavily on repetition, but it has a different rhyme scheme and stanza structure. The rondeau consists of 15 lines arranged in three stanzas. The first few words of the poem’s opening line (called the “refrain”) are repeated at the end of the second and third stanzas.
Rhyme scheme: AABBA AABR AABBA, where R is the repeated refrain.
One key difference is that the rondeau is typically shorter than a villanelle, with only 15 lines compared to the villanelle’s 19. Furthermore, the rondeau often has a more flexible tone, moving between narrative and lyrical content.
Example: “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae
John McCrae’s famous poem In Flanders Fields uses a similar technique of repeating lines, though it is not a strict rondeau. The refrain “In Flanders fields” brings a sense of unity and continuity throughout the poem, emphasizing the theme of remembrance. The poem’s rhyme scheme is more traditional, but the repetition gives it an echoing effect that is characteristic of the rondeau and villanelle.
The Pantoum
The pantoum is another form that shares the characteristic of repetition with the villanelle. This Malaysian-originated form consists of a series of quatrains (four-line stanzas) where the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next stanza.
Rhyme scheme: ABAB BCBC CDCD (and so on).
While the pantoum shares the repetition of lines with the villanelle, it lacks the refrains that dominate the villanelle structure. In the pantoum, the repeated lines link the stanzas together, but there is no strict alternation between two refrains. Instead, the structure has a flowing, interlocking pattern that creates a sense of cyclical movement throughout the poem.
Example: “The Pantoum of the Great Depression” by Donald Justice
Donald Justice’s The Pantoum of the Great Depression uses the pantoum form to convey the repetitive nature of societal hardship. Each stanza’s repeated lines build on the idea of economic struggle, creating a sense of inevitability and continuity. This similar use of repetition mirrors the villanelle’s ability to emphasize certain emotions and ideas.
The Sestina
The sestina is a complex Italian poetic form that also shares similarities with the villanelle in its strict structural rules and repetition. Unlike the villanelle, which relies on the repetition of entire lines, the sestina focuses on the repetition of end words in a fixed pattern. The sestina consists of six 6-line stanzas, followed by a 3-line envoi (a shorter stanza). The end words of each line in the first stanza must appear in a specific order in the following stanzas, creating a sense of circularity and unity.
Rhyme scheme: The end words follow a specific pattern called lexical repetition, where the last word of the first line in each stanza must appear in the last position of other stanzas in a fixed order.
The sestina is known for its difficulty and its intricate patterns, but like the villanelle, it also creates a kind of circular, repetitive feeling. While the sestina does not repeat entire lines like the villanelle, it does repeat words in a way that emphasizes certain themes or ideas.
Example: “Sestina” by Elizabeth Bishop
Elizabeth Bishop’s Sestina is an excellent example of how repetition in the sestina form can create a powerful emotional impact. The repeated end words (such as “stove” and “tears”) reinforce the sense of loss and melancholy, much as the repeated refrains in a villanelle can emphasize a theme or emotion.
The Haiku
While the haiku is not similar to the villanelle in terms of structure or rhyme scheme, it does share a sense of tightness and discipline in its form. The haiku is a Japanese poetic form typically consisting of 17 syllables arranged in a 5-7-5 pattern. Although the haiku does not use repetition, its brevity and discipline echo the same economy of language that is often found in a well-written villanelle.
Example: The Old Pond by Matsuo Bashō
One of the most famous haikus, The Old Pond by Matsuo Bashō, captures the essence of simplicity, nature, and mindfulness in just three lines. The haiku’s precision and focus on one moment can be seen as an opposite approach to the expansive repetition found in the villanelle. However, both forms demand a deep understanding of structure and a commitment to the power of language.
Conclusion
At its core, what makes a poem similar to a villanelle is not just the structure or rhyme scheme, but the way repetition functions as a tool within the poem. Repetition in a villanelle, rondeau, pantoum, and sestina helps to emphasize key themes, evoke emotional resonance, and create a sense of unity throughout the poem. The villanelle stands out for its dual refrains and the circularity that arises from them, but all of these forms share the goal of using repetition to deepen the meaning of the poem.
Thus, poetry’s richness lies in the variety of ways that forms like the villanelle, rondeau, pantoum, and sestina all contribute to the beauty of repetition, structure, and rhythm, each offering a distinctive approach to capturing the complexities of emotion, experience, and thought.
