The villanelle has no established meter, although most 19th-century villanelles have used trimeter or tetrameter and most 20th-century villanelles have used pentameter. The essence of the fixed modern form is its distinctive pattern of rhyme and repetition. The rhyme-and-refrain pattern of the villanelle can be schematized as A1bA2 abA1 abA2 abA1 abA2 abA1A2 where letters ("a" and "b") indicate the two rhyme sounds, upper case indicates a refrain ("A"), and superscript numerals (1 and 2) indicate Refrain 1 and Refrain 2.
Refrain 1 (A1)
Line 2 (b)
Refrain 2 (A2)
Line 4 (a)
Line 5 (b)
Refrain 1 (A1)
Line 7 (a)
Line 8 (b)
Refrain 2 (A2)
Line 10 (a)
Line 11 (b)
Refrain 1 (A1)
Line 13 (a)
Line 14 (b)
Refrain 2 (A2)
Line 16 (a)
Line 17 (b)
Refrain 1 (A1)
Refrain 2 (A2)
Mad Girl's Love Song
Refrain 1 (A1) I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
Line 2 (b) I lift my lids and all is born again.
Refrain 2 (A2) (I think I made you up inside my head.)
Line 4 (a) The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
Line 5 (b) And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
Refrain 1 (A1) I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
Line 7 (a) I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
Line 8 (b) And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
Refrain 2 (A2) (I think I made you up inside my head.)
Line 10 (a) God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade:
Line 11 (b) Exit seraphim and Satan's men:
Refrain 1 (A1) I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
Line 13 (a) I fancied you'd return the way you said,
Line 14 (b) But I grow old and I forget your name.
Refrain 2 (A2) (I think I made you up inside my head.)
Line 16 (a) I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
Line 17 (b) At least when spring comes they roar back again.
Refrain 1 (A1) I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
Refrain 2 (A2) (I think I made you up inside my head.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Girl%27s_Love_Song
Have your villanelle for monday!
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