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When Your Foe Is Perilously Strong

When your foe is perilously strong
It mightn’t be too preposterous or wrong
To let him think that you’re a friend of his.

If you’re a minority and somewhat weak
There is no shame at first in being meek
When your foe is perilously strong.

You always should invite him out to dine
Serve him your best, a vintage mellow wine,
To let him think that you’re a friend of his.

Be helpful, show him that you mean the best
And that there is no shame in taking a rest,
When your foe is perilously  strong.

Get closer to him working as a team
Fulfilling all his wildest of dreams
To let him think that you’re a friend of his.

Be subtle when you’re leading him amiss,
And let him have a meaningless small kiss
When your foe is perilously strong;
To let him think that you’re a friend of his.

.

.

Maria Panayi was born in Cyprus before the Turkish invasion but now lives in the UK as her former home is under occupation. She is now retired after working for many years supporting children with special education needs..

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13 Responses

  2. Roy Eugene Peterson

    Sun Tzu, who wrote about the principles of war, would agree with your perceptive approach to strong enemies. Cultivating allies, beats showing fear and reproach. Nicely done.

    Reply
    • Maria

      Thank you so much for your very kind comment . Yes, I agree whole heartedly if only we could cultivate allies instead of making enemies.

      Reply
  3. Paul A. Freeman

    ‘diplomacy’, ‘appeasement’ – there are advantages in shooting straight, as well as disadvantages. Your poem brings focus to the dilemma of being a minority and getting your voice heard.

    Thanks for the read, Maria.

    Reply
    • Maria

      Thank you so much for your very kind comment. I absolutely agree there are always advantages and disadvantages. I also like the word dilemma very much There used to be a saying that all is fair in love and war which is really ironic as there is nothing fair about war and as for love how could it be?
      Thank you for reading and commenting. I really appreciate poets such as yourself, Roy and Michael taking the time to comment.

      Reply
  4. Joseph S. Salemi

    An interesting villanelle, which sounds as if it had been composed by Machiavelli. We need more citizens who know the effective ways of fighting, and not the strangling restrictions of Categorical Imperatives.

    One typo: In the last quatrain’s first line, “when your leading him” should be corrected to “when you’re leading him.”

    Reply
    • Maria

      Oops , dear Mike please help,

      Well Machiavelli would not have made such a typo! Thank you dear Joseph for spotting it. All the other you’re/your are correct so don’t know how that one got away.
      Yes, Machiavellian, I wondered whether I would have to put a disclaimer that the views of this poet and the views of the speaker of the poem are not necessarily one and the same . This poem came about through observation of behaviour that took a long time to comprehend. The poem itself went nowhere until I tried the villanelle form and for that I am very grateful to SCP.
      Thank you for commenting , I always look forward to your comments very much.

      Reply
      • Joseph S. Salemi

        Maria, never apologize for any idea that you put into a poem, and never issue any kind of “disclaimer.” It only makes you look weak. No poet is answerable for what he or she writes, no matter what moralists and religionists might tell you.

      • Maria

        Thank you perhaps I should just remember that a poem is a fictive artefact. I am sure that will help in the future. I am happy with the villanelle though and I suppose I should have taken the reference to Machiavelli more as a compliment. Thank you

  5. Margaret Coats

    A creative new rhyme scheme for the villanelle! Usual is:

    AbA* abA abA* abA abA* abAA*
    where A and A* are rhyming refrains repeated alternately.

    The Maria Panayi villanelle goes:
    AaB ccA ddB eeA ffB ggAB
    Capitals here indicate non-rhyming alternate refrains.

    Or we could describe Maria’s last stanza as b’b’AB, because her last couplet with “amiss” and “kiss” rhymes imperfectly with the B refrain that ends “his.” The two sounds are /is/ in b’ and /iz/ in B. And both b’ rhyme words display variation in tone, suggesting deception of the “perilously strong” foe. That’s a clever twist on your overall theme, Maria. But I don’t think we could require that every poet using your villanelle variant do something similar.

    As I’m sure you know, your rhyme scheme is easier than the standard, but that doesn’t make it any less creative. Lewis Turco, an authority on lyric form, invented the terzanelle (supposedly combining villanelle with terza rima), and allowing a greater number of rhyme sounds, just as yours does.

    This is a relatively modern lyric form still in the process of development. There is only one old French one (about 1600) with the standard rhyme scheme. In the nineteenth century both French and English poets began to copy the form.
    Anyone who wants to write a villanelle with more than six stanzas should know that there are already some excellent ones in English, and one of a full twenty stanzas in French. American poet Gilbert Sorrentino made a “Villanette” of five stanzas in short lines.

    Good work with your variation, Maria!

    Reply
  6. Maria

    Dear Margaret, thank you so much for such valuable feedback. I can’t adequately express how much it means to me to receive such a knowledgeable and detailed explanation.
    In addition I am now inspired to attempt a villanelle in the standard form.
    With grateful thanks and best wishes,
    Maria

    Reply
  7. Maria

    May I just say a sincere thank you to Evan, this time about the illustration. I have looked at other paintings about the death of Caesar, all great works of art but have found this to be the most magnificent and captivating. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. It is truly awesome.

    Reply

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