Writing villanelles

What is the course about?

Pushing against the boundaries of traditional poetic form can add additional layer of meaning to your poetry and can open up new avenues in your writing. This course guides students in analysing some classic examples of the villanelle form and then explores fresh, innovative approaches of subverting the form. Students will have the opportunity to write their own villanelles and receive some feedback on their first drafts.

What will we cover?

- Origins of the villanelle form.
- Language, form and structure in the villanelle.
- How to subvert the traditional villanelle for effect.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Understand the origins of the villanelle form.
- Explore approaches to language, form and structure when writing villanelles.
- Explore approaches to subverting the villanelle for effect.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is most suitable for students who have taken one of our 'Ways into poetry' courses or students who have previous experience of writing poetry.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught through a mix of individual, pair and group work, tutor instruction, text analysis and in-class writing activities.


All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.

For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.

City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Please bring a pen and paper or the digital equivalent.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

City Lit offers a range of poetry day workshops including Poetry through the seasons, Performance poetry and Writing black out poetry. For further information, browse the writing section of our website.

All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.