Let others probe the mystery if they can.
Time-harried prisoners of Shall and Will—
The right thing happens to the happy man.
The bird flies out, the bird flies back again;
The hill becomes the valley, and is still;
Let others delve that mystery if they can.
God bless the roots!—Body and soul are one!
The small become the great, the great the small;
The right thing happens to the happy man.
Child of the dark, he can out leap the sun,
His being single, and that being all:
The right thing happens to the happy man.
Or he sits still, a solid figure when
The self-destructive shake the common wall;
Takes to himself what mystery he can,
And, praising change as the slow night comes on,
Wills what he would, surrendering his will
Till mystery is no more: No more he can.
The right thing happens to the happy man.
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In the Bible, The Sermon On The Mount, it says Happy is the man that ...
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Happy the the man hence forth in, these poem almost strives to be a mantra.
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I would say this is definitely a #3.
The poetry definitely is based on the villanelle form but veers away from it many times
From line 1 to Line 6 probe changes to delve slightly changing the refrain.
Again Line 12 should be refrain of line 1
Let others probe the mystery if they can
or atleast line 6
Let others delve the mystery if they can
instead the poet uses line 3
The right thing happens to the happy man.
Simialrly Line 15 should be a refrain
The right thing happens to the happy man.
Instead the poet uses a completely new line
Takes to himself what mystery he can,
Similarly line 18 should be a refrain of Line 1 or 6
Insread he uses a completely new line again
Till mystery is no more; No more he can
So I would say he completely drifted out of the traditional form.
Also,
the rhyming style isnot consistent with the villanelle form.
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Got here after everyone else again so all the points I was going to raise have already been raised!!
However it does seem that, as a class, we have a difference of opinion about which catergory this fits in. On first read I would have said 2, then reading through your comments I went back to what I had missed and you are right, it is a 3. This is where I am finding this class so useful, the comments left help me in my learning and observation skills. Thanks classmates!! Beck 
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The answer is 3 for the villanelle class. I see that it does do more than "adjust" the villanelle form.
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In lines 1 and 6, the word "probe" was changed to "delve." It should then repeat in line 12, but instead a variation of it appears in line 15, with significant changes (in fact, all the two really have in common is the word "mystery.") Then, when it appears in line 18, it is even more unrecognisable than before, once again sharing only the word "mystery." The third line refrain is kept consistent throughout, but it is repeated in line 12 rather than line 15. The poem uses slant rhymes...can, again, man, one, on...will, still, small, all (I'm not sure these can even be considered slant rhymes...will and small, for example, don't even really sound alike.) In conclusion, this is definitely a #3.
Jen. -
He called it a Villanelle. Listed as a Villanelle in all kinds of books, Zara2.
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This is a poem that borrows from Villanelle poem, but is not strictly a Villanelle. (And I'm doing my best not to read the other comments here before I complete my own....)
The main problem lies with refrain line 1. In a Villanelle, one would expect to see it repeated exactly at the end of tercets 2 and 4, and again at line 18. Instead, the poet revises the line each time it recurrs, to the point where only two words - "mystery" and "can" - are retained.
Another variant from proper Villanelle form is in the order in which the refrains occur. Refrain line 3 would be expected to repeat at the end of tercets 3 and 5 (and as the final line of the quatrain), but instead occur at the end of tercets 3 and 4; the poet has switched the order of the line 1 variant and line 3 in tercets 4 and 5.
This poem is rife with imperfect rhymes, not conventional with the Villanelle form. The conventional rhyme scheme of the 2nd lines of the tercets is also not observed.
My guess is that the poet borrowed his form from the Villanelle, but did not intend to produce a Villanelle. There is no evidence here that he called it a Villanelle.
For the purposes of the AP Villanelle class, this would be a category 3.
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I have read this lovely poem and I would have to say that i think that this goes with number 2 It keeps 90% of the traditional form but just modifies some of the words. Line one goes like this, Let others probe the mystery if they can, -and- line six which should read the same, goes like this, Let others delve that mystery if they can. It should have stayed the same. Maryann22
Edited on Mar 04, 9:40 p.m. because ''. -
I have to agree with MasochistBunny this is not true to the Villanelle. To the untrained eye it may appear to be because it is close. Also on line 18 is not proper nor is it fitting with the pentameter. It has 11 syllables instead of 10 unless I am not reading it correct. I'll have to go back to the board on punctuation to see if I am correct. But I think mystery has 3 syllables in it. mys-te-ry???? Also line 1 & 3 are suppose to repeat altenating in the 3rd line of each stanza and that does not happen.
Edited on Mar 05, 6:10 p.m. because ''. -
This poem definately fits into the category of #3 .. it is not a villanelle, though at an untrained glance it may appear to be ..
Firstly -
The first repeating refrain, ln1, is not repeated consistantly, as it should be, in stanzas 2, 4, and 6 .. it, instead, repeats in stanzas 2, 5, and 6.
Also, this first refrain changes throughout the poem, in fact, it is not repeated exactly even once.
The second refrain, also, is not repeated consistantly, though it does stay true to it's original form, unlike the first refrain. This should be repeated in stanzas 3, 5, and 6, but instead are repeated in stanzas 3, 4, and 6.
Also - the second line of each stanza should rhyme through the entire poem .. but instead of using the A1bA abA1 abA2 abA1 ab A2 abA1A2 style that he should be using, the "b" rhyme is less consistant, appearing to be "b b c c c b" -
In this poem "The Right Thing" Theodore Roethke does not keep the traditional form for a villanele (Ex.4 #3). This is because in line 6 he changes the word "probe" to "delve" which is slight modification in the refrain. However line 12 should actually be line 6 or line 1 instead of line 3. Then in line 15 he compeletely change the refrain to "Takes to himself what mystery he can" except for the last word "can" that should be line 3 instead. And At the end, in lines 18 instead of using either line 1 or 6 he uses a comepletely different line. Hence loosing the whole traditional form.
But as a poem, it is a great and enjoyable write. The poet involves the reader in the poem well.
Seraph
Edited on Feb 29, 1:01 p.m. because ''. -
This Villanelle does not keep the traditional form #3
Refrain Lines Change:
Line 1 to line 6 they change the word Probe to delve.
Line 12 and 18 should be the same as line 1 and 6.
Line 12 is the same as line 9 which is the other refain line.
Line 15 is not the same as lines 3, 9 and 19, but it is not.
Rhymes.
The 2nd lines in the stanzas use two differant sets of rhymes not one. (will, still and will) - (small, all and wall)
The first and Last lines in each Stanza should all rhyme.
(can, man, again, one, sun, when, on) and these don't.
Edited on Feb 29, 12:25 because ''. -
Interesting...the rhyme is great here. I love the line "the hill becomes the valley." I'm not sure if I agree completely with the poem itself...happiness is definately a key to success in life, though.
For the villanelle class, it's a number 2.
Edited on Feb 28, 5:43 p.m. because ''.
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