Of all the villanelles . . .

PG likes villanelles, or at least this one. I love the incantatory sound of the villanelle and am in a poetry mood, so here are some more:

Dylan Thomas produced what is perhaps the most famous modern example.

Auden also dabbled, as did Plath. Roethke produced a lovely one.

Ernest Dowson embraced the villanelle, perhaps because its repetitive nature makes it one of the best kinds of poem to write while drunk. His most famous villanelle may be this one, but this less eloquent example gives it a run for its money.