Chaucerian Roundel

Chaucerian Roundel

The Chaucerian roundel was developed by (obviously) Chaucer from (less obviously) the rondel rather than the roundel - not that there's a huge amount of difference.  This example is dedicated to the Athenian gentleman who, in an e-mail, described my website as a "labor of love" (yes, it was Athens, Georgia).

Ambition

I'd like to do this all the time.
It doesn't pay, but I confess
I love my day job rather less.

I'm tiring of the search for rhyme
And reason in life's heaving mess.
I'd like to do this all the time.

A poet's life must be sublime.
Those lucky few the gods would bless
Breathe only poetry. Oh yes,
I'd like to do this all the time.

As with the rondel etc, there is a refrain, the first line being repeated at the end of the second and third stanzas. The rhyming scheme is Abb; abA; abbA, where the capital A's denote the repetition of entire lines. No particular line length or metre is required.

Pasted from <http://volecentral.co.uk/vf/chaucerian.htm>

My Thanks to Bob Newman for the wonderful resources at Volecentral.

The Chaucerian Roundel is closer to the French Rondel than the English Roundel. It is named for its originator Geoffrey Chaucer who has been said to write his Knight's tale in the roundel, the rondel and the rondeau (take your pick). This verse form was found at Vol Central

The Chaucerian Roundel is:

• a decastich, made up of 2 tercets followed by a quatrain.
• written in no particular line length or meter although the form is often written in lines of equal length. Iambic tetrameter or pentameter lines are common.
• rhymed Abb abA abbA , the A is a refrain.
• composed with a refrain; L1 is repeated as a refrain in L6 and L10.

Pasted from <http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?/topic/667-chaucerian-roundel/>

My Thanks to Judi Van Gorder for the wonderful resource at PMO.

My Example Poem

Could Be     (Chaucerian Roundel)

Could be our troubles are a state of mind,

could be that they're imposed and very real,

like acts of God that man cannot appeal.

But social troubles I suspect you'll find

depend to great extent on how you feel,

could be our troubles are a state of mind.

If one decides to leave ones woes behind

and acts accordingly with honest zeal

he'll find that other's slights are no big deal;

could be our troubles are a state of mind.

© Lawrencealot - February 12, 2014

Visual Template

(note: although line length and meter are not required,

  this is set up for iambic pentameter)