3 examples of how to write a villanelle (with real, modern examples)

Before we touch definitions, let’s walk through examples of 3 examples of how to write a villanelle in practice. Seeing the pattern in action is much easier than memorizing a rule list.

A villanelle has:

• 19 lines
• 5 tercets (3-line stanzas)
• 1 quatrain (4-line stanza)
• 2 repeating lines (called refrains)
• Only 2 rhyme sounds throughout (usually written as A and B)

So the backbone of every villanelle is this pattern:

• Refrain 1 (A1)
• Line with B rhyme (b)
• Refrain 2 (A2)

Those three lines are your first stanza. Then you repeat A1 and A2 in a specific order in later stanzas.

Let’s build our first example of a villanelle from scratch.

Example 1: A classic emotional villanelle about time

We’ll start with a serious, almost traditional tone. When people search for examples of 3 examples of how to write a villanelle, they usually want to see something close to the famous ones they’ve read in school.

Step 1: Choose your refrains

Pick two lines you don’t mind repeating six times total:

• A1: The clock keeps talking in a borrowed light
• A2: We spend our days like coins we never save

They rhyme: light will be the A rhyme, save will be the B rhyme (because we’ll rhyme with save in the middle lines).

Step 2: Draft the full villanelle

Here’s the finished poem so you can see the pattern. Watch how A1 and A2 come back.

The Clock Keeps Talking
The clock keeps talking in a borrowed light (A1)
I trace the dust that gathers on the grave (b)
We spend our days like coins we never save (A2)

I make a list of things I’ll get right tonight (a)
Then lose the list in piles of things I crave (b)
The clock keeps talking in a borrowed light (A1)

My coffee cools; the screen glows cold and white (a)
I chase a future I refuse to name (b)
We spend our days like coins we never save (A2)

I practice bravery in quiet byte by byte (a)
And scroll past strangers telling me to “brave” (b)
The clock keeps talking in a borrowed light (A1)

I promise I’ll start living when it’s right (a)
As if the present isn’t mine to claim (b)
We spend our days like coins we never save (A2)

The ticking grows more honest every night (a)
It counts the chances I forgot to brave (b)
The clock keeps talking in a borrowed light (A1)
We spend our days like coins we never save (A2)

If you’re looking for examples include emotional, reflective villanelles, this is a good model: one idea (time slipping away) explored through two repeating lines.

Why this works as a teaching example

This first piece is one of the best examples for beginners because:

• The refrains are clear and emotionally charged.
• The rhyme sounds (light / save) are easy to work with in English.
• The narrative builds: early stanzas notice time, later ones feel regret.

If you compare this to a classic like Dylan Thomas’s villanelle (available via Poetry Foundation), you’ll see the same structural DNA: two strong refrains that gain weight every time they return.

Example 2: A modern, playful villanelle about social media

Now let’s switch gears. Many writers want real examples of villanelles that sound like 2024, not 1840.

We’ll build a light, slightly snarky poem about social media doomscrolling.

Step 1: New refrains, same structure

• A1: I swear I’ll log off after just one more
• A2: This endless feed keeps feeding what I fear

Again, more is the A rhyme, fear is the B rhyme.

Step 2: The finished poem

Doomscroll
I swear I’ll log off after just one more (A1)
A headline shouts the end of all that’s near (b)
This endless feed keeps feeding what I fear (A2)

I check the likes I counted hours before (a)
A stranger’s rage erupts inside my sphere (b)
I swear I’ll log off after just one more (A1)

A brand new thread explains the latest war (a)
In gifs and jokes that make the horror clear (b)
This endless feed keeps feeding what I fear (A2)

I save a post on how to “self-restore” (a)
Then skip the steps and click another tear (b)
I swear I’ll log off after just one more (A1)

An ad suggests I buy a calmer core (a)
In three quick payments, peace can soon appear (b)
This endless feed keeps feeding what I fear (A2)

My thumb still scrolls although my eyes are sore (a)
The screen reflects a face I barely steer (b)
I swear I’ll log off after just one more (A1)
This endless feed keeps feeding what I fear (A2)

If you’re searching for examples of 3 examples of how to write a villanelle that feel current, this is a strong pattern to imitate. Notice how the refrains echo a very modern habit: promising to log off, then staying.

How this example helps your own writing

This villanelle shows you can:

• Use casual language (“just one more,” “brand new thread”).
• Write about technology and mental health.
• Still honor the traditional form.

If you’re interested in how constant media exposure affects stress and anxiety, organizations like the National Institutes of Health and Mayo Clinic regularly publish research and tips on digital well-being. Reading that kind of material can give you deeper emotional angles for your own villanelle topics.

Example 3: A story-driven villanelle about a road trip

For the third of our examples of 3 examples of how to write a villanelle, let’s tell a small story: a late-night road trip that becomes a turning point.

Step 1: Story first, refrains second

Think about the scene: highway, night, a big decision. Then pick refrains:

• A1: The highway hummed a song we didn’t know
• A2: We drove past exits meant for who we were

Now know is the A rhyme, were is the B rhyme.

Step 2: The finished poem

Detour
The highway hummed a song we didn’t know (A1)
The dashboard light drew halos in the blur (b)
We drove past exits meant for who we were (A2)

The towns went dark like scenes from long ago (a)
Their neon signs half-promised some new cure (b)
The highway hummed a song we didn’t know (A1)

You said, “Remember when we dreamed of snow?” (a)
I watched the gas gauge drop, unsure, unsure (b)
We drove past exits meant for who we were (A2)

A billboard sold a softer, safer glow (a)
With smiling lives that never seemed unsure (b)
The highway hummed a song we didn’t know (A1)

You turned the radio from fast to slow (a)
We named the stars with names we could not cure (b)
We drove past exits meant for who we were (A2)

At last we stopped where dawn began to show (a)
Two strangers in the mirror, faint but sure (b)
The highway hummed a song we didn’t know (A1)
We drove past exits meant for who we were (A2)

This is one of the best examples if you want to write narrative villanelles. The refrains don’t just state a mood; they mark the turning point of the story: leaving old versions of yourself behind.

Breaking down the pattern: how all 3 examples work

Now that you’ve seen these examples of 3 examples of how to write a villanelle, let’s pull out the shared pattern in plain language.

The refrain pattern (A1 and A2)

In all three poems:

• Line 1 of the poem is A1.
• Line 3 of the poem is A2.
• A1 comes back at the end of stanza 2, 4, and 6.
• A2 comes back at the end of stanza 3, 5, and 6.

If you want an easy way to remember it, think:

A1 – x – A2
x – x – A1
x – x – A2
x – x – A1
x – x – A2
A1 – x – A2 – A1/A2

Where x is a fresh line that still follows the rhyme scheme.

The rhyme scheme

The classic villanelle rhyme scheme is:

A1 b A2
a b A1
a b A2
a b A1
a b A2
a b A1 A2

So when you’re drafting your own, you can use these three real examples as templates:

• Emotional theme (time, grief, love) → like The Clock Keeps Talking.
• Modern life (social media, work, politics) → like Doomscroll.
• Story or journey (road trip, breakup, big move) → like Detour.

All three are examples include emotional, modern, and narrative approaches to the same structure.

3 more quick refrains you can turn into villanelles

To give you even more examples of 3 examples of how to write a villanelle in your own voice, here are three ready-made refrain pairs you can build on. Treat them as writing prompts.

Example prompt A: Anxiety vs. courage

• A1: My hands still shake, but watch me stay and stand
• A2: I’m learning fear and courage share one heart

You could write about:

• Public speaking
• First day at a new job
• Telling someone the truth

Example prompt B: Climate and everyday life

• A1: The summers burn a little more each year
• A2: We plant small trees like prayers against the heat

This could weave in:

• Local weather changes
• News headlines
• Small acts of hope

For context and data, sources like NASA Climate and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provide updated information that can ground your imagery in reality.

Example prompt C: Long-distance friendship

• A1: Your voice arrives in pixels, clear then gone
• A2: We build a bridge from glitching, glowing screens

You might explore:

• Time zones and missed calls
• Inside jokes in text threads
• The ache of not being in the same room

Each of these pairs can become a full villanelle by following the same pattern you saw in the earlier real examples.

Common beginner mistakes (and how these examples avoid them)

When people first look for examples of 3 examples of how to write a villanelle, they often run into the same problems when they try it themselves.

Here’s how to sidestep them:

Mistake 1: Weak refrains

If your repeating lines are vague, they get dull fast. In our three main poems, the refrains:

• Contain strong images (clock, feed, highway).
• Hint at conflict (time wasted, fear fed, exits passed).
• Can be read in slightly different ways as the poem goes on.

Mistake 2: Forcing the rhyme

Because there are only two rhyme sounds, it’s easy to write awkward lines just to “make it rhyme.” To avoid that:

• Pick flexible rhyme sounds: light, save, know, fear all have many rhyme options.
• Allow near-rhyme if needed (especially in contemporary work).

Mistake 3: No progression

A villanelle can feel like it’s circling the drain if nothing changes. In the best examples above, notice how each stanza pushes the idea forward:

• The time poem grows from vague regret to sharp awareness.
• The social media poem moves from “just one more” to physical exhaustion.
• The road trip poem travels from uncertainty to a quiet decision.

Think of each stanza as a new angle on the same photograph.

FAQ: Villanelle examples and writing tips

What is an example of a famous villanelle I should study?

A widely studied example of a villanelle is Dylan Thomas’s “Do not go gentle into that good night.” You can read it on the Poetry Foundation website. Another classic is Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art,” which shows how the form can carry both wit and heartbreak.

Are the 3 examples here strict, traditional villanelles?

Yes. All three main poems follow the traditional 19-line structure, two repeating refrains, and two-rhyme pattern. They’re designed as real examples you can map line by line to the standard scheme.

Can I change the refrains slightly as the poem goes on?

Many modern poets do. You might tweak a word or tense to show growth or irony. If you’re just starting, try sticking to exact repetition first, using these examples include emotional, modern, and narrative models. Once you’re comfortable, experiment with subtle variations.

How many syllables should each line have in a villanelle?

Traditional villanelles often use iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line), but contemporary poets are flexible. In the examples of 3 examples of how to write a villanelle above, the lines are mostly close to that length without being rigid. Aim for consistency more than a specific number.

Where can I learn more about structured poetry forms?

Many universities and literary organizations publish helpful guides. For example, the Academy of American Poets offers articles on poetic forms, and many college writing centers (such as those at major universities like Harvard or Purdue) share free online resources about meter, rhyme, and revision.

If you work through these three full poems and the three extra prompt pairs, you’ll have six solid starting points—more than enough examples of 3 examples of how to write a villanelle to practice, adapt, and eventually outgrow as you find your own voice inside this wonderfully obsessive form.