How to Write a Roundelay Poem

There is whatever fault online as to the message of the constituent "roundelay," with whatever references unclear it with the land "rondelet" and others describing it as whatever poem with a refrain. Actually, the roundelay, rondelet, rondeau, rondel, and another kindred superficial poems every outflow from a ordinary land origin, but are every rattling assorted in equal use. The roundelay's whatever continuation couplets and restricted rhymes crapper attain it a arduous modify to write, but as with whatever flourishing poems with refrains, crapper also attain for intense or recondite poetry.

The roundelay consists of quaternary sestets (six-line stanzas) prefabricated up of dozen continuation couplets (two-line stanzas, digit of which repeats as apiece stanza's terminal digit lines. The stanzas' couplets A,B,C,D ,E and R (the continuing refrain) consortium in the mass pattern:

A B R ... B C R ... C D R ... D E R

So, in the ordinal stanza, "B C R" represents six-lines (three couplets), with couplet "B" continuation from the prototypal stanza, couplet "C" continuation in the mass stanza, and its terminal couplet "R" continuation as every stanza's terminal digit lines. In addition, apiece couplet's prototypal distinction rhymes with another couplets' prototypal lines and every ordinal lines fit with apiece another as well, making the fit scheme:

a-b-a-b-a-b ... a-b-a-b-a-b ... a-b-a-b-a-b ... a-b-a-b-a-b

Remember that in a rhyming pattern, lines success in a good designated by "a" exclusive fit with another "a" lines, "b" lines exclusive with another "b" lines, and so on.

Trochaic tetrameter (four feet of "DUM-dah" per line, wager "Meter") is a requirement, but it is tolerable for whatever of the lines to be digit syllable short.

Example:

Cannons Silent

British agitated ever shoreward,
ardent plans module presently be blooming.
Soldiers hunkered, never cowered,
even with the battles looming,
cannons silent, pointing eastward,
wait to move their long booming.

Soldiers hunkered, never cowered,
even with the battles looming,
captain's orders transfer on forward,
throes of hunger, ease consuming.
Cannons silent, pointing eastward,
wait to move their long booming.
!