An Old Poet's Lament

My second Villanelle, and barely four years since the first!

AN OLD POET'S LAMENT

The mere evocation of lovely scenes
Defies its purpose, and its mission spurns
For a poem's not an end, but the means!

The Poet's art ought not exceed his dreams
Though wrought upon, or writ of Grecian urns--
The mere evocation of lovely scenes!

The wail of masses who would be free keens
But if Art is artless, or Craft craftless, who then learns?
For a poem's not an end, but the means!

Nor is writing of our minds, but of our genes!
And must not devolve unto, to quell your heart's burns,
The mere evocation of lovely scenes

For o'er the years, 'mongst peasantry and queens
Poetry its own immortal place yet earns--
For a poem's not an end, but the means!

This Old Poet, then, on sturdier bastions leans
While the youth their pointless pap out-churns:
The mere evocation of lovely scenes,...
For a poem's not an end, but the means!

mark teague
February 23, 2013

Author's Note

There are a few awkward transitions here that I will be wanting to work on, but I am overall pleased with it! The genesis of the poem was a chapter in my favorite poetry text, "Beethoven to Beatles and Beyond", by David Pichaske, on the writing of poetry ABOUT poetry. It comes highly recommended if you are interested in expanding your poetic repertoire.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

' For o'er the years, 'mongst peasantry and queens ~ Poetry its own immortal place yet earns--~ For a poem's not an end, but the means! '

Two words come to mind, brilliant and how.on.earth.do.you.do.it.every.time?!?!
This villanetlle might have taken four years to birth, but the flow and capacity of it is incredibly 'natural; you've written to a specific form but also expressed an opinion about the craft of writing poetry. No one person should be able to do both! More than fine writing, Mr. Teague.

[Mark]

Aw, shuckins, ma'am, 'twarn't nuthin'! ((blushing furiously))
Emma, one reason I write so little, is because I insist on each piece having meaning, both to myself, and, hopefully to others as well. When a writer of your skill and talent yields up such high praise, you've told me that my strategy's working. Thank you.

[emmajoy]

You're welcome. Though being pleasant or.and polite is one thing, I won't leave make.believe for the sake of it. :)

[sharonlee]

Intelligently crafted... beautiful tone and flow.

[LSS]

How often in the past we have had this discussion? Never enough! When every drop of rain has the potential of becoming a glistening snow flake; unique in separate splendor, should they all presume that they will all be chosen to float effortlessly? Nay, rather most will drop flatly, joining their companions in a running river that obliterates everything in its path. Poets!

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

This is absolutely technicially perfect, and the content itself is masterfully writ. If you like the Villanelle, I would highly recommend the Terza Rima and Terzanelle as well. I did a trilogy some years back incorporating all three forms, and they blend nicely together if you want to do a series along the same lines but somewhat different.

I don't know how I missed this one, but it's brilliant.

[Mark]

Coming from a poet of your undeniable calibre, that, Madame, is high praise indeed! I will look into those other forms. It was a mutual (I think) friend of ours, long-departed (MarkyMark, coincidentally), who persuaded me that this form, which I had early eschewed as "too-repetitive-to-be-interesting", was well worth the trouble (nod to Dylan Thomas, naturally!). This is my second Villanelle; if you haven't seen "An Old Soldier's Lament", I think you might like that, as well. A much harder form, that I've also done two of (but not more recently than thirty years, alas!) is the Sestina. Thanks for stopping by, Linda!

[poetdoug]

Congratulations on conquering this challenging form. Great work my friend

[Mark]

Thank you, Doug. Off to read some of yours, now.

[Allen Smuckler]

Great write as freaking usual....
I like this form and will have to look into and try it myself...I actually like writing to a particular style and form.... It's a form of discipline that makes you concentrate on every nuance and cadence...
Of course since I really don't knw what a villanelle is or how to write one, it will be even more of a challenge...but enough about me...
at first look, It appears to be an aba pattern throughout with 1st and 3rd line rhyming and 2nd line rhyming with each subsequent line..but that's not it at all, is it Mark? But you know what, I still haven't figured it out yet (I've had a few beers, after all)...Let me look it up and I'll get back to you..Meanwhile and nevertheless....I liked the message ... a lot....
Need your address friend...you can do that via email....
al

[Mark]

It isn't easy, precisely--but if it were, what would be the point, right?--but with a trick or two, it can be done with some alacrity.
The general pattern is nineteen lines, rhyme scheme aba, times five, then abaa in the sixth. So you have to start with end words which have a lot of rhymes. The fun bit is crafting the first and third lines, as these have to be repeated throughout the poem. Start by writng down in the left margin the numbers 1,2,3 (space), 4,5,6 (s)...16,17,18,19. When you have a concept for a good initial triplet--no specific meter or length, though pentameter or hexameter are the norm-- write these lines in the lines numbered one, two and three. Then take the content of line one, and write it AGAIN, verbatim, at lines 6, 12, and 18, and the content of line three, again verbatim, at lines 9, 15, and 19! So you see, you have to begin with lines which can be used to effect in a number of different contexts, and still make sense, lines which have meaning, but are not TOO specific!Look ince more at my two (Old Soldier, and, An Old Poet's Lament), as well as Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night". Now, off to the races wit'ye...and don't be discouraged; I KNOW you have it in you!

[Allen Smuckler]

I not only have it in me
I also have it in me...
Oh, it's got to make sense too...uh oh
I researched it and even then I was bleary eyed...I did it a little differently by placing the 1st line where it repeats...than a good rhyming
second and the repeating powerful 3rd...course I'm still in the midst...so I'll let you know when I'm done...it is a pretty cool format
and thank you for your expert advice
allen

[J Todd Underhill]

You should be pleased with this one, Villanelle is not the most friendly form to work with and make transitions work, but your piece is well crafted. You can see the attention to make poetry on this one! Bravo on a fabulous piece!

[Mark]

Thanks JT--I'll be reading more of you soon!

[Zahra]

'For a poem's not an end, but the means!' very well said. Truly poetry is a medium to express and convey, like other forms of art. And even if art can't be artless, it doesn't have to purposeless and just for its own sake. Enjoyed your poem.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i like this...the journey is what is important...the process, not so much the result...

i think the feeling of the creative flow really gets me humming...when it's over, i hope what came out is good...but even if it isn't...there is still a feeling of having emoted feelings, and having painted pictures with words.
it feels good...

jacob