Shirley Xiao, Shenzhen College of International Education

The world is made for those who speak out,

Their sonorous voices heavy with weight,

Till written words no longer carry clout.

People would often sigh and then doubt,

Why talents would rather remain quiet.

The world is made for those who speak out.

In quietness, thoughts have begun to sprout,

With pen, polished to perfection, but too late —

Till written words no longer carry clout.

Easy to let unprocessed ideas spout,

To break chains. But the words — I hate!

The world is made for those who speak out.

When empty speeches siege the world in drought,

Scorched ink amongst paleness adrift with their fate,

Till written words no longer carry clout.

I cannot find the glow of truth in a loud shout,

Yet none is patient enough to wait.

The world is made for those who speak out,

Till written words no longer carry clout.

Shirley’s notes:

This is my first ever villanelle. While a strict form like the villanelle can torture poets, it also encourages them. Poetry with strict forms always sounds nice because of its fixed rhyme scheme.

This poem is about the contrast between spoken words and written texts. People who talk a lot often gain more attention, although the written text is often more thoughtful than spoken words. Sadly, in this fast-paced society, thoughtfulness is losing significance, as evidenced by the popularity of short videos over written essays.

The villanelle is an apt form to discuss this topic because of its “sing-song-y” quality. Being pleasant is valued but may not be of high value.

Some people may perceive my silence as “chains” that hold me back, while for me personally, meaningless babbling is like a derailed train of thoughts that are “broken chains.” “Drought” symbolizes the fury of overlooked writers; “paleness” refers not only to the color of paper in books, but also to the superficial world that values eloquent speakers over writers.