POEM 2: 02 APRIL 2010
by Greg ~ April 2nd, 2010. Filed under: Poems.wedoyourhomework.co.nz
A Villanelle
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Greg O’Connell © 2010
April 2nd, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Oh, this is so good.
April 2nd, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Thanks, Uma. It’s a lot of fun to perform in schools!
April 3rd, 2010 at 10:49 am
This is great! I can almost see and hear you performing this for students…
April 3rd, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Thanks, Erin. It’s certainly great fun breathing new life into traditional forms. I look forward to visiting your blog. =)
April 4th, 2010 at 2:15 am
Hi Greg, Thanks for visiting STG… I’m glad you did…. I wouldn’t have wanted to have missed this poem. Great use of repetition, you had me grinning like a Cheshire cat!
April 4th, 2010 at 2:16 am
Thanks, Andy. The set form of the villanelle was great fun to work with. I’ll keep dropping by. =)
April 4th, 2010 at 5:17 am
This is a riot and so creative. I’m going to print it out and use it when I teach villanelles to my poetry writing students. (If you don’t mind, that is!)
April 4th, 2010 at 5:18 am
Thanks, Linda. I’m flattered…and please do! =)
April 4th, 2010 at 9:25 am
This had me smiling! (I see you have renumbered your poems).
April 4th, 2010 at 10:06 am
Thanks, Catherine. Kids laugh in disappointment when I point out that it is an imaginary website (so far!). Yes, thought it would be simpler for the poems to be in step with the date. =)
April 4th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Love it! And loved it even more once I remembered that “z” is pronounced “zed” rather than “zee” in NZ.
April 4th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Thanks, Jason. Yes, in this case the rhyme scheme acts as interpreter! =)
April 5th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Oh, this is swell coming from a teacher. And shall we call this “didactic” poetry?
I would like to write a similar poem for the ADULTS in the serious book discussion I once led — adults who didn’t even finish reading the book!
April 5th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
My comment above means I really like the poem!! Just in case the tone wasn’t clear
April 5th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
LOL. Thanks, Therese for both comments. Certainly, a little fun goes a long way. In keeping with ‘The Interactive Poetry Show’, possibly “didactive”. And I’d love to see that serious book discussion villanelle! Keep me posted… =)
April 5th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
I must admit, I never expected to read a villanelle about homework! Thanks for the smile.
I’m curious, do you read this poem as part of a set programme of activities? Do the children you work write their own villanelles in response? I’m curious about what challenges one might face working with young people and metred poetry.
(Apologies if you’ve written about this elsewhere on your blog – I’ve not had a chance to explore every nook and cranny!)
April 5th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Thanks, lunchontuesday. I perform the poem as part of a one-hour show (Read the SCHOOLS page). I involve the children by inviting them to join in audience refrains, and join me on stage. I offer kids the opportunity to engage with poems firstly with their ears, eyes, tongues, limbs…and applause. They seem to love it. =)