Let me repeat it o’er and o’er—
I do not like the Villanelle,
This tinkle of a Muffin-bell!
Such was Mr. Punch’s opinion of this delicious form of verse, which must be complete in nineteen lines, arranged as above. The accepted model is the following old French Villanelle by Jean Passerat:
J’ay perdu ma tourterelle;
Est-ce-point ells que i’oy?[2]
Je veux aller après elle.
Tu regrettes ta femelle;
Hélas! aussy fay-je moy:
J’ay perdu ma tourterelle.