The Voice of Winter–a Villanelle [Poetry Friday]

Happy Poetry Friday! Welcome, everyone! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.)

So, this month, our Poetry Princess challenge was Tanita’s choice: A villanelle on a wintry topic, including a pair of words (or homonyms thereof) from the following eleven: bleak, draft, gutter, chill, chime, glitter, gust, harsh, rime, nip, thaw.

I always find the sounds of winter amazing, and here’s what I came up with.

The Voice of Winter, a villanelle by Laura Purdie Salas

I’m on a research trip right now, so I don’t know what my Poetry Sisters have come up with! You’ll be able to find them in the Roundup, though! (Or visit Liz Garton Scanlon’s post here to read her villanelle and see the links to the rest of our group’s work.)

For those and a whole season’s worth of wonderful poems, check out the Poetry Friday Roundup with Tabatha Yeatts!

Save

Save

Save

19 Responses

  1. Laura, I adore this poem. It’s so kid-friendly and expressive. I can see and hear winter in your poem.

  2. You’ve captured that chilling voice so well, Laura! I love the variety of wildlife and their icy activities. The image of “scratching claws and snatching beaks” gave me goosebumps!

  3. I agree that this poem is so kid friendly! What a great way to introduce the form of villanelle and onomatopoeia. The LIFE of the winter is wonderfully present in this poem.

  4. Laura, I can feel winter when I read this poem. Love it! The sounds and visuals created put me right in the forest. Another winner!

  5. “Of ice that’s crack and crunch and glitter” is my favorite line, though I love all the sounds of winter, too. We lived by a lake long ago and the freezing/thawing sounds were constant from autumn into winter then to spring. Nice, Laura!

  6. I really like this!! You used the words in a totally new way, and this poem is so active and vibrant, albeit chilly!

  7. This is wonderful! I am saving it to use with my students as a poetry lesson/mentor text. Usually I find the villanelle such an impossible task, but you have made it come alive for me.

  8. I find this form is hard to write and make come alive. You did a wonderful job with so many sounds and images, like quaking aspen sssshhhh and flitter. It’s really fun to read.

  9. Oh how I love the sounds, the sights, the rhyme. I am almost tempted to try a villanelle of my home after your inspiring one here.

  10. Laura, this poem is so full of the sounds and images of winter that flow beautifully in rhyme. I agree that you make the villanelle look so easy to create but in reality I know that it is not. Would you consider offering this one for my winter gallery?

  11. Love all the sounds and onomatopoeia that crawls out from your wintery poem–even gives you the shivers… thanks Laura

  12. Fantastic. I always think of winter as silence…but wow, you have made me listen harder to what’s really there. I ADORE the auditory details and the deliberating pacing of your poem, and it’s got that wonderful, child-centered wonder to it, as well. Truly sparkling, Laura!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,499 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be...Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be...art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be... bookscan be... poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter bookschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura's board booksLaura's booksLaura's poemsLaura's readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar's VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be...Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be...wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat's InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."