The Villanelle Poem

Infrequently, poets compose and publish surviving traditional forms such as the sonnet, sestina, and villanelle. Of all the identifiable poetic components (rhyme, line length, etc.), structure best characterizes these Old Forms. For each of these forms, maintaining the structure requires the writer to adhere to a pre-set, fixed poem pattern. I’m pleased to reproduce one of my villanelle poems, “A Turn Fate.” As with every villanelle poem, this one has four three-line stanzas with an ABA rhyme scheme, and one four-line last stanza with ABAA rhyme (19 lines). Inherent to the villanelle, the first and third lines of the first stanza alternately appear throughout the poem as a refrain.

A Turn of Fate

????????????????????? ??(Villanelle. By José L Recio)

???????????????????????

Today, as every day, the sun rose from the East;

???? As every day, today, it showed its rounded face.

???? Today, someone saw the sunrise, feeling at ease

At dawn, the sunlight spread throughout space from the East,

Warming and brightening continents from its rising place.

?????Today, as every day, the sun rose from the East

And lent its rays of light to the Earth like in a feast,

? Rays that erased the darkness out of the night's face.

?????Today, someone saw the sunrise, feeling at ease,

Not through a unique lens or a mystic look like a priest

?????But with one’s own widely open eyes on the face

?????When, as every day, the sun rose from the East

With an open mind, new faith, and a feeling of peace,

??????Someone gazed at the sun rising over the Earth's surface.

??????Today, someone saw the sunrise, feeling at ease,

Breathing a fresh breeze, hopeful, and last but not least,

??????Grateful: poverty is gone—a happy face.

??????Today, as every day, the sun rose from the East.

??????Today, someone saw the sunrise, feeling at ease

? ____

?

???????????????????????????

?

?

?

____

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?