In regards to the poem 'If I Could Tell You' by W.H. Auden, why is the

S

Sarah Jonson

New member
villanelle for significant? I understand what the villanelle form is: it has 19 lines, and the final stanza has 4 lines, and lines one and three, of the first stanza, are used at the end of the other stanzas alternately. but why is this significant for this poem? I am currently writing my AS Level English Literature exam and need to discuss form when analysing the poetry. but i do not understand why Auden chose this particular form? what effect does it have?
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You could think about how, when that two lines are repeated alternately, produce different emotions in each stanza.

You could also consider the repetition. Maybe it's saying something about how Time works?
 
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