Roundeau poetry

Roundeau poetry  (E) This is an article about the often misunderstood Roundeau poem #2048408 by Chris Breva

Another form of French poetry nearly lost to the ages is the Roundeau poem. An author during the late years of the Renaissance once dubbed this type "Rondel" and it is often referred to as such still today. In fact I often use the term "rondel" or "roundel" myself but the proper term is "Roundeau" meaning "round" because the form goes basically in a circle.

The rhyme scheme I use in writing Roundeau poetry is B, a, a, refrain BAB, a, a, a, refrain with refrain also following the rhyme scheme of a. The opening line is in the B rhyme scheme and does not have to end in a rhyme. The opening phrase or clause of the first line is repeated in line two and the last word in it sets the rhyme scheme. This clause or phrase is also used as the refrain which ends the stanza. Due to this repeating roundeau poetry seems redundant when you read it but it is a beautiful form. It is often used for love poetry.

There are various forms of Roundeau poetry. The form I typically use has eleven lines. There are four in the first stanza, three in the second, and four in the final stanza. The refrain comes in lines four and eleven. The rules for roundeau poetry state that there are only two rhyme schemes used throughout the poem.

Modern Roundeau poetry typically follows iambic tetrameter or pentameter and adheres to the syllable count very strictly. One of the strongest critiques I ever received was for trying to experiment with the form and dubbing it "modified roundeau! The critic was very harsh in stating in no uncertain terms that it was roundeau or it was not. The only deviation allowed in the syllable count is in the refrain, which can be shorter. However this rule varies from one place to another and author to author. It also depends on whether you are following the rules for an English roundeau or a French roundeau.

At any rate it is a beautiful but often misunderstood form.