Fifth Page: Poetic Form

The poetic form poets use in their work can influence the structure of the poem. Common forms readers have seen are rhyme, rhythm, and repetition. These forms can help set the purpose and tone of these poems. 

In the poem "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas, the form of villanelle was used. Villanelle tends to consist of 19 lines in total. It is a unique form in poetry because the first and third lines in the beginning three lines (tercet) of the poem are repeated. In an alternating fashion, they are repeated in the last line of the following stanzas. Then in the final stanza, they are repeated as the last two lines of the poem. Dylan Thomas uses this form to emphasize the purpose of his poem. Written on behalf of his father who has passed away, this poem expresses Thomas' emotions about his father's death. The first line highlighted in this poem was, "Do not go gentle into that good night" (Thomas, line 1). This statement showcases the grief and denial the author may feel about his loss. The second line that was repeated throughout this poem was "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (Thomas, line 3). The author makes this claim to exclaim the anger he may feel about his father's passing. By using the form villanelle in his poem, Thomas draws attention to his emotions in a sentimental and memorable way. 

The poem "What lips my lips have kissed" written by Edna St. Vincent Millay consists of the poetic form volta. Volta is a form in poetry that consists of a dramatic shift of emotions/thoughts that the poet is expressing. It is a change of thought. In this poem, Millay starts off with reminiscing about past lovers. The tone in the first eight lines consist of sadness and heartbreak. However, the tone shifts with the sentence, "Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree" (Millay, line 9). It turns into a transition where she is on her own now and she has forgotten about her past.  The use of volta in this poem provides a dramatic effect that emphasizes on the transition of being involved in love to being on your own. 

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