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Comment 17 of 47, added on September 29th, 2005 at 6:21 AM.
The poem “One Art” This lovely poem is written in a difficult form -the Villanelle. This poetic style is named for the French poet Francois Villon (1431-1474). The construction of a villanelle is straightforward, however very hard to master in my opinion. It consists of five stanzas of three lines each. These five stanzas have the first and third lines rhyming (rhyme scheme A B A). A sixth and last stanza is in the form of a quatrain with three out of the four lines rhyming (rhyme scheme A B A A). In addition to the specific rhyme scheme, the first and third lines alternately recur throughout the poem, and are repeated as the last two lines of the final quatrain.
The primary challenge of the villanelle is to continue to hold the reader's interest, even as you reuse the first and third lines from the originating stanza. Thinking up lines that can be used repeatedly without becoming boring or repetitive can be a challenge, so making them meaningful is a must. Also, reusing the lines demands that you find a array of words to rhyme with them - words that do not violate the meter of the verses, or strain the lines with too many or too few syllables.
Bishop begins with what seems to be, in effect, a 'handbook' on dealing with progressively greater losses. Initially the poem seems to be humorous, even as the losses become greater and greater. In the last stanza however, the cover of humor and exaggeration are dropped just enough to give us a glimpse of the speaker's true anguish, and the poem is revealed to be a love poem.
Zjaane
Comment 16 of 47, added on September 9th, 2005 at 7:10 PM.
This poem was the poem of the day on the day before my son died. My 25 yr old son died on October 21,2004.The word disaster in the poem rings true, oh so true.
rhonda from United States
Comment 15 of 47, added on August 10th, 2005 at 12:06 AM.
It's true that loss sometimes is like disaster.However,when you look back to that tragedy,you will feel differently and more optimisticly.I know that well and I like this poem .
Pookie from Thailand
Comment 14 of 47, added on July 23rd, 2005 at 10:41 AM.
I believe you can't take this poem literally, as many commentators seem to be doing in their comments. See the last line of the poem with the comment "(write it!)"; she's figuratively gritting her teeth as she writes this. The point of the poem is the opposite of the simple interpretation - losing someone, or a part of your life, or a place you used to live is always terrible, and not made easier by practice.
John from United States
Comment 13 of 47, added on May 23rd, 2005 at 6:39 AM.
I completly disagree with the notion that this poem is depicting alzheimers disease. The whole poem seems to be based on the idea of losing things- whether important or irrelevant. The author was trying to depict the possble reactions or feelings one can have to losing things during different stages of ones life, and how age and experiences can effect how they see the loss.
Robyn from Australia
Comment 12 of 47, added on May 6th, 2005 at 11:43 AM.
This villanelle by Bishop can be interpreted in many different ways through many different view points. What my thoughts about the poem is that I see a drying women looking back through her life and discribing the evens of her life and her last few moments left to live is fill with loses of memories of her life and the fact that her death coming to her.
Renjin from United States
Comment 11 of 47, added on April 27th, 2005 at 12:06 AM.
Mindy from the United States hit it right on! If you have studied and reasearch Elizabeth Bishop's life you will find she experienced a temendous amount of loss from her father and mother, to her lover. She never seemed to have a home because of her travels, and she didn't have parents in her life. Most of her work is reflected in her experiences in her life. But not only is this poem about her losses in her life, I think it's about overcoming/"mastering" them. Bishop was a sucessful writer and recieved different awards for her works. And that my friends is what this poem is referring to I believe.
Jessica from United States
Comment 10 of 47, added on April 26th, 2005 at 11:59 PM.
My teacher said "One Art" isn't about Alzheimers. I think it's about a deeper, broader subject.
holly from United States
Comment 9 of 47, added on April 18th, 2005 at 11:31 PM.
I think "One Art" is actually about realizing that you actually don't own anything..don't control anything..not even your own life....So, when you lose something, the loss won't be so hard do deal if you are already prepared to it...
Fernanda from Brazil
Comment 8 of 47, added on April 10th, 2005 at 3:20 PM.
The theme in this poem is biographical. She had a life of loss and displacement. She lost her father before she was one, her mother was commited to an institution due to her mental instability, and her lover commited suicide. I really dont think it has anything to do with Alzheimer's. Almost all of her short stories and poems have been connected to her personal life. Her loses where things that she had no control over which is why it is not hard to master. It just happens.
Mindy from United States
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The poem “One Art” This lovely poem is written in a difficult form -the Villanelle. This poetic style is named for the French poet Francois Villon (1431-1474). The construction of a villanelle is straightforward, however very hard to master in my opinion. It consists of five stanzas of three lines each. These five stanzas have the first and third lines rhyming (rhyme scheme A B A). A sixth and last stanza is in the form of a quatrain with three out of the four lines rhyming (rhyme scheme A B A A). In addition to the specific rhyme scheme, the first and third lines alternately recur throughout the poem, and are repeated as the last two lines of the final quatrain.
The primary challenge of the villanelle is to continue to hold the reader's interest, even as you reuse the first and third lines from the originating stanza. Thinking up lines that can be used repeatedly without becoming boring or repetitive can be a challenge, so making them meaningful is a must. Also, reusing the lines demands that you find a array of words to rhyme with them - words that do not violate the meter of the verses, or strain the lines with too many or too few syllables.
Bishop begins with what seems to be, in effect, a 'handbook' on dealing with progressively greater losses. Initially the poem seems to be humorous, even as the losses become greater and greater. In the last stanza however, the cover of humor and exaggeration are dropped just enough to give us a glimpse of the speaker's true anguish, and the poem is revealed to be a love poem.
Zjaane