Archive for the ‘Poetry and poetics’ Category
Poetic forms: the villanelle
Passerat’s French form below repeats and uses two rhymes to delightful effect.
Villanelle of Ye Young Poet’s First Villanelle to his Ladye and Ye Difficulties Thereof
To sing the charms of Rosabelle,
To pour my soul out at her feet,
I try to write this villanelle.
Now I am caught within her spell,
It seems to me most wondrous sweet
To sing the charms of Rosabelle.
I seek in vain for words to tell
My love — Alas, my muse is weak!
I try to write this villanelle.
Would I had power to compel
The English language incomplete
To sing the charms of Rosabelle.
The ardent thoughts that in me dwell
On paper I would fair repeat
I try to write this villanelle.
My effort fruitless is. O H–l!
I’ll tell her all when next we meet.
To sing the charms of Rosabelle,
I tried to write this villanelle.
Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953) wrote this for Maibelle Scott.
