The Villanelle

The rules to follow with the Villanelle consists of writing a poem with 5 three-line verses or sections and a final section of 4 lines , that make 19 lines all up .

Using a rhyming system of a and b the poem should follow this formulae, the five 3 line sections are a b a and the final one is a b a a . There is another rule that must be adhered to and that is to have a repetition line . The way this works is line one repeats as line six; line twelve; line eighteen. Line three repeats as nine; fifteen and nineteen.

My Example
The Flight

No speed limits apply,

The sky road has no end

A messages through the sky .

Below the roads that lie,

Stretch out then twist each bend,

no speed limits apply.

Gracefully sailing by ,

On the flight home I send ,

A message through the sky .

On pigeon legs to tie,

this small note to a friend,

Hello my love, goodbye .

Then send it to the sky ,

Where winds guard and defend ,

A message through the sky ,

Past vision in my eye .

To horizons end,

Hello my love goodbye,

A message through the sky.

By Paul McCann