A Little on Poetic Forms

I found the discussion on the villanelles to be especially interesting. I have a hard time using rhyme scheme anyway, not only keeping track of words to reuse in different stanzas. If one can do a villanelle, then one must really have a good grasp on writing. I also found it very interesting that a villanelle should be used to discuss a subject that is very important to the author, something worth practical obsession, because that’s the effect of the villanelle. Knowing the form of poetry techniques, such as sonnets, villanelles, sestinas, and others is only as useful as knowing what they are traditionally used for and what effect they give off. Sonnets, with their regimented line count, rhyme scheme, and syllable count, give off a more secure feel and are usually about love. By knowing this, one can either go forward with the sonnet in its original purpose, or do the opposite for the sake of contrast. However, I’m sure one could do the same thing with a villanelle because something of no significance to the author, or to anyone else including the reader, will find the villanelle simply repetitive. Yet again, its essential to know not only the rules of poetic form, but also the purposes of those forms.