BP: Villanelle Villains #1

[Tim Munn]

Tom Russell wrote:
> Tim Munn wrote:
>
> > Story and Character copyright 6/5/06 9:08 p.m. by Tim Munn
>
> Always very thorough there, Tim, heh?

I have had issues (though somewhat indirectly) with a site where I've
posted some of my poems.  That has led me to my thoroughness here.

>
> >
> > Author's Notes:  I'd first like to thank Tom Russell for his thoughts
> > on this tale, and to improving future stories of Villanelle Villains.
> > I originally wrote this after reading Haiku Gorilla.  I'm not that much
> > of a fan of the haiku, but I could easily enjoy Haiku Gorilla.
>
> Thanks. :-)
>
> > I've been itching to post something again, since posting Scenes In the
> > Life of Possible Man #4 back in December.  (I wanted to post something
> > this year ;)  I'm not entirely sure right now (since this is only the
> > second villanelle I've ever written), but there could probably be more
> > tales in villanelle form of villainous villains.  Heck, maybe a few
> > heroes.  We'll climb that mountain when we get there, wont we?
>
> The comments I gave Tim in private email ran something like my comments
> now: the poem has its amusing moments
>
> > Having reached near-desirable height in all levels, Belle made sure her
>
> and its poignant ones
>
> > name would live on in fame.
> > Belle removed the belt that gave her powers, leaping from the BarCo
> > Building, too late to be caught.
>
> but I think the repeating nature of the form
>
> > Belle was her name;
> > All she wanted to do was play a little game.
>
> works against narrative: any kind of punchline in a humourous poem is
> undercut by the final two lines of any villanelle; and any narrative
> drive would be interrupted by the repeating
>

It's not entirely meant to be humorous.  Sure, there's humor in there;
but there is obviously no humor in Belle's fate.
Yes, that is one thing that works against a villanelle.  But, the form
must be adhered to, or else we could send our villanelle (or even
haiku) off in directions which it was not meant.

> > Belle was her name;
> > All she wanted to do was play a little game.
>
> lines.  But, I found when read aloud, it _does_ produce a terrific
> rhythm effect, which reminds me (strangely enough) of the "music"
> passages in Aeneas and Ferris.  Just as I've gotten better at
> delivering some of the traditional pleasures of fiction through haiku
> form, I think Tim will get better using the villanelle form.  As it is,
> the repitition of the last two lines after Belle's suicide
>

I never read it aloud myself.  I'll have to give it a try.  I'll get
better, if not sooner, then later...

> > Having reached near-desirable height in all levels, Belle made sure her
> > name would live on in fame.
> > Belle removed the belt that gave her powers, leaping from the BarCo
> > Building, too late to be caught.
> > Belle was her name;
> > All she wanted to do was play a little game.
>
> _does_ allow it to serve as a sort of grim "punch line"; that is, the
> emphasis in these two lines
>
> > Belle was her name;
> > All she wanted to do was play a little game.
>
> is placed on the past tense in use.  It's only once we reach the end of
> the poem that we realize that we speak of the dead.
>

Going in, I wanted Belle to live, actually; to eventually play more
'games'.  But very early on, but by that fourth line:

'Belle was a charming young woman, seemingly destined for fortune
(fame).'

I knew that Belle's fate had turned for the worse.  I explained a part
of the reasoning for Belle's fate to Tom.  Belle was to be my main
character in Villanelle Villains I now know, since I'm writing this
response.  Poor girl, she lasted only the length of the debut issue.

> And, I must say, it's certainly a step in the right direction.  I wish
> young Mr. Munn luck in taming this form to his needs.
>

It was a mighty good step, too.  I'm not that young, having lived 1/3
of my average lifespan.  (I can imagine everyone knows how old that
is.)  (I don't know if I've let on how old I am.)  Yes, Villanell
Villains is my Mount Everest.  It'll be tamed, believe you me, one
mighty step at a time!

> And be on the look-out for the next issue of Haiku Gorilla; our
> lovelorn young friend has given us further information about the woman
> on whom he has set his heart, and has done so, strangely enough, in the
> form of a villanelle.
>

Plugging is a mighty good thing, nothing wrong with it.  Since you're
plugging, I'll plug too.

http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/Commander_t

There, you'll find 349 (as of 6/19/06) comic strips created by myself.
Some are pure greatness:
http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/Commander_t/290861
http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/Commander_t/298186
http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/Commander_t/316846
http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/Commander_t/355156
and others... well, you get the picture.

Tim