Villanelles Seminar

“Playing with form”

a seminar looking at two villanelles by Elizabeth Bishop and Dylan Thomas (for AS / A2 students)

This seminar was researched and taught by Rachel Warrington, Cambridge University.

To recreate this online seminar for yourself, begin by reading the poem, ‘One Art’. Read it
slowly and think about what it means. Are there parts of the poem you find
particularly interesting? Are there parts which you find very difficult to understand? What do you notice about the form of the poem?

When you see the instructions to read the second poem, by Dyland Thomas, do so .
What are the similarities and differences between the way the two poets use the same verse form?

And finally, compare Wendy Cope’s very different use of the same form!

Complete resource lists

‘One Art’, Elizabeth Bishop

‘Do not go gentle into that good night’, Dylan Thomas

‘Reading Scheme’, Wendy Cope

Some other poems by Elizabeth Bishop