Which lines are repeated in the villanelle?
The formal characteristics of the villanelle are emphasized: the poem's opening line is repeated as a refrain at the end of the second and fourth tercets, while the third line is repeated at the end of the third and fifth tercets. These repetitions are examples of monotony avoided by varying the number of lines that repeat itself. Furthermore, the first two stanzas are identical, except for the position of one word: "alone" in place of "also". This variation in language reflects the different emotions being experienced by each person in the villanelle. The first person refers to a single person while the second person refers to someone else who is not present but can be thought of as possible. By changing the word that replaces "also", we are able to express these different feelings. Another example of variation between the first and second persons is seen in line 12. In the first case it reads: "For I am alone full of sorrow/ Thinking of you," while in the second case it reads: "Alone I think of you and mourn." Here again, by using different words, the poet is able to express different ideas to either person. The last line of each stanza also repeats the first line of the poem. This allows the reader to link the two minds together as one unit and understand what they are thinking.