The Villanelle is a 19 line poem known for its repeated lines that act as refrains. It consists of five tercets and a quatrain (6 stanzas in total). The first and the third line of the first tercet appear as the refrains throughout the poem in a structured manner. The form is expressed this way:

A1 b A2 (1st tercet)

a b A1 (2nd tercet)

a b A2 (3rd tercet)

a b A1 (4th tercet)

a b A2 (5th tercet)

a b A1 A2 (a quatrain; last stanza-serves as the poem’s concluding lines)

The capitals are for the refrains and lowercase letters are for the rhymes.

 

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Here is my Villanelle ;

TITLE : ‘Tis December 

 

‘Tis December, Christmas is around the corner, (A1)

Houses are lit up with decorations so many,

Friends and family joyfully get together.( A2)

 

Snow covered landscapes adorn the season of winter,

A picturesque wonderland, dazzling with beauty,

‘Tis December, Christmas is around the corner. ( A1)

 

With Christmas trees the atmosphere in houses seems merrier,

Cakes, cookies and sweets plenty,

Friends and family joyfully get together.( A2)

 

A season of joy, love and laughter,

A time to celebrate Almighty’s glory,

‘Tis December, Christmas is around the corner.( A1)

 

Myriad gifts to be exchanged, moments to savor,

Children await Santa’s arrival eagerly,

Friends and family joyfully get together.(A2)

 

The countdown has begun to mark the end of the year,

A season to share warmth with people needy,

‘Tis December, Christmas is around the corner,( A1)

Friends and family joyfully get together.(A2)

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Have fun experimenting this poetry style.