Contest Description
The Brief
OK, here's a challenge... write me a villanelle!
Your villanelle must have a beautiful, uplifting, or fun theme and be written using either iambic pentameter or iambic tetrameter.
You must get the rhythm and the form right and deliver something gorgeous!
Definition
A villanelle is a 19-line poem with only two rhymes and a pattern of refrains.
It consists of five tercets followed by a quatrain, with the following rhyme scheme, where A1 and A2 are repeated "refrain" lines:
A1 b A2 / a b A1 / a b A2 / a b A1 / a b A2 / a b A1 A2
Small variations in the refrain lines are permitted.
Examples
If you're not familiar with the villanelle form, it's best understood by reading a couple of examples.
I have written a villanelle as an example here:
You Dance - Villanelle by Nina Parmenter
and the following link is also very helpful, with lots of examples:
Villanelle definition and examples
Submitting Your Poem
Please take note of the following, which will help me to keep the judging anonymous:
- Please left align your poem
- Do not italicise your poem throughout
- If you wish to name the contest and sponsor at the foot of your poem, please do so like this:
Contest:
Sponsor:
Prizes
It's a premier contest, so the winner gets a shiny virtual trophy. Ten places max.
Questions?
Please soupmail me if you have any questions. Enjoy!