Lonely Stanzas for a Lonelier Heart

The form of the villanelle is so appropriate for Wendy Cope's poem "Lonely Hearts" because it makes the separate personal ads that much more distinct. If they had all run together, it would have been difficult for the reader to distinguish which person wanted what. Also, the separation of the stanzas made the poem seem lengthier. This helps the reader better understand that so many people with different needs and attractions all wanted the same basic thing, which is love. Also, the repetition of the same last line drove home the theme of the universal search for love. The rhyme scheme of a villanelle also helps the flow of the poem and the flow from ad to ad. Even with the title of the poem, the reader gets the feel that the writers of the ads feel alone and are looking for a way to end that loneliness. With the stark separation of the individual stanzas, it cements the idea of loneliness because the individual stanzas are all so far from eachother.