Marilyn Hacker Villanelle

From times long ago to today’s time, everyone’s common goal is to achieve happiness. Happiness for someone, however, can be love. In the poem “Villanelle” by Marilyn Hacker, Hacker uses the title to inform her readers that this is a specific poetic structure. This type of structure takes a form in which the first and last line of the first verse repeat throughout the poem. Hacker creates these repetition of words to make the reader become aware that the lines are important. By making this poem a villanelle, Marilyn Hacker can successfully create a deep powerful meaning. Love is universally the theme in many poetry. Hacker puts periods in the middle of the stanzas to portray a sense of rush to get to the point; as if the narrator wants to break …show more content…
Because Hacker uses the repetition of words in her poem, the words become vital in significance as it progresses. “Villanelle” ends as the same way as it begins, “Every day our bodies separate, / explode torn and dazed. / Not understanding what we celebrate” (I. 1-3), however, at the end of the poem, the two phrases now have a bigger meaning than it appears. “Villanelle” shares the same concept as couples who are just starting their relationship. Over time, the relationship between the pair become whole and obsessed with each other’s bodies, as well as emotionally and physically attached.
In conclusion, Marilyn Hacker uses the poetic structure of villanelle in order to give life to the poem. The pair craves each other’s relationship making them intimately in love with one another. Although this poem can have various meanings, the idea of having a sexual desire is the strongest point. The author utilizes repetition as a way to develop her denotation as the poem progresses. The word “celebration” is not being used as the literal meaning, but rather a way to describe the sexual craving the narrator faces for their