Roundel, poetic form Options

[JustDaniel]

A Roundel (not to be confused with the rondel) is a form of verse used in English language poetry devised by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909). It is the Anglo-Norman form corresponding to the French rondeau. It makes use of refrains, repeated according to a certain stylized pattern.

A roundel consists of nine lines each having the same number of syllables, plus a refrain after the third line and after the last line. The refrain must be identical with the beginning of the first line: it may be a half-line, and rhymes with the second line. It has three stanzas and its rhyme scheme is as follows: A B A R ; B A B ; A B A R ; where R is the refrain.

Swinburne had published a book A Century of Roundels, dedicating his poems to friend Christina Rossetti, who then started writing roundels herself, as evidenced by the following examples from her anthology of poetry: Wife to Husband; A Better Resurrection; A Life's Parallels; Today for me; It is finished; From Metastasio

Swinburne’s first roundel:

The roundel:

A roundel is wrought as a ring or a starbright sphere, A
With craft of delight and with cunning of sound unsought, B
That the heart of the hearer may smile if to pleasure his ear A
A roundel is wrought. R

Its jewel of music is carven of all or of aught - B
Love, laughter, or mourning - remembrance of rapture or fear - A
That fancy may fashion to hang in the ear of thought. B

As a bird's quick song runs round, and the hearts in us hear A
Pause answer to pause, and again the same strain caught, B
So moves the device whence, round as a pearl or tear, A
A roundel is wrought. R

Swinburne’s poem "A baby's death" contains seven roundels. The fourth roundel became the song "Roundel: The little eyes that never knew Light," set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar.

[JustDaniel]

Quite Well

You did quite well, my fellow swan,
and left behind a wondrous trail.
consid'ring what you've swum upon
you did quite well.

No reason you should e'er bewail
that river someone named Avon.
Fall short of Will? That's not to fail,

'cause you'll direct with your baton.
You see, you ever will prevail
for all will say who're looking on,
"You did quite well!"