They failed to filch her fine and noble mien
when Anne Boleyn endured the bloody stand.
Poor Queen! So swift the sword on Tower Green.

Fifteen thirty three could not foresee
this heinous act by Cromwell’s sinful hand,
yet still they failed to filch her noble mien.

‘Twas Henry sought to sully his regime,
obsessed with sons not gracing merry England.
Poor Queen! So swift the sword on Tower Green.

How stealthily does fortune warp the scene.
Betrothed in majesty; so bluntly damned,
And yet, they failed to filch her noble mien

The ‘hangman from Calais‘ equipped the scheme.
In haste he struck the deadly blow. Poor Anne!
Poor Queen! So swift the sword on Tower Green.

In face of death prevailed a humble queen.
‘God praise the King; long may he rule the land’.
They failed to filch her fine and noble mien
Poor Queen! So swift the sword on Tower Green.

This takes a tone perfectly suited to a villanelle; the mannered style, the unfolding inevitability.
It is very well crafted, so many elegant phrases. Congratulations on this successful piece.
The only problem for me, and only a small one, concerns the eighth line. "obsessed with sons not gracing..." doesn't have the polished feel of the other so impressive lines. An alternative I have off the top of my head (and this isn't good enough either)is:
" 'Twas Henry sought the crown of his regime,
a son to stand in line for merry England. "
Anyway, thanks for sharing this wonderful poem, I enjoyed it very much.

Hi Adam, and thank you so much for the feedback. It's very refreshing to get an honest, constructive review, and I think you're right. I may well be 'borrowing' your excellent suggestion.
Will be happy to return the favour - decorating daughter's room all day - but will get there.
Thanks again.

Hi Shirley,

It is great fun reading your villanelle. I thought that overall it scanned well.

I wasn't sure about the use of the word filch though. The simple definition given by Merriam-Webster is:
to steal (something that is small or that has little value).
This seems at odds with her mien, which I suppose is a big thing. Maybe you want to show how petty their act was.


If you agree with the above, you might try alternatives like: swipe, leech, milk, skin
or go another route - spoil, sully, stain.


If you don't agree, ignore the above.

Anyway, thanks for giving us your poem to comment on. I look forward to reading more.