I took her dainty eyes, as well
As silken tendrils of her hair:
And so I made a Villanelle!
I took her voice, a silver bell,
As clear as song, as soft as prayer;
I took her dainty eyes as well.
It may be, said I, who can tell,
These things shall be my less despair?
And so I made a Villanelle!
I took her whiteness virginal
And from her cheek two roses rare:
I took her dainty eyes as well.
I said: “It may be possible
Her image from my heart to tear!”
And so I made a Villanelle.
I stole her laugh, most musical:
I wrought it in with artful care;
I took her dainty eyes as well;
And so I made a Villanelle.
Leave a guest comment (subject to review)
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
-
I've never come across this poem before, it was so beautiful and well written as well as passionate.
Thanks op for providing me with a new experience,
Pozo
-
A villanelle Is a form which became very popular in the 1890s and was used widely and effectively by Dowson (like this one) and Wilde oldpoetry.com/authors/Oscar%20Wilde, fifty years later it became in vogue again with
Dylan Thomas, oldpoetry.com/authors/Dylan%20Thomas
William Empson oldpoetry.com/authors/William%20Empson
and W H Auden. oldpoetry.com/authors/Wystan%20Hugh%20Auden
The villanelle is a form with usually six stanzas and often written in iambic pentameter or tetrameter and rhymes A1,bA,2 a,b,A1 a,b,A2 a,b,A1 a,b,A2 a,b,A1,A2
Andrew
oldpoetry Staff
Edited on Feb 05, 7:44 because ''. -
lovely villanelle. so old and romantic
-
this is really beautiful! i would also like to know what villanelle is. but still a great poem!
-
this is beautiful to read! i am so glad i stopped by. if only i could write with such flair. even so i consider myself fortunate to be able to read it.
a lovely start to my day!
-
What is a vinalelle? I would really like to know, cus this is great and i would like to understand it fully!
I loved the description of things u made like this one (i loved taht verse):
I took her whiteness virginal
And from her cheek two roses rare:
I took her dainty eyes as well.
You have /some/ gift!
Your wort fear,
Lady anairO -
I've never read this piece before, I've always liked the villanelle (when wrote well) It is a form which can soon fall apart under the careless pen. But this poem is exceptional, not only is the poem well formed with a wonferful flow, Dowson very cleverly utalises the punctuation to full effect here.
The subject is very good, and maybe a tad humourous, to take the parts most cherished, in a woman and weave them into a poem, this poem.
Andrew
Adding your comment:
1 - 7 of 7
