The Chaucerian Roundel Experiment
I decided to end my experiment on Chaucerian roundels on Wednesday. My goal was to write at least ten poems in this style, and I did it. I have written four of these here on the blog.
For those of you who don’t know what this form is, I’ll explain briefly: a Chaucerian roundel is another kind of roundel; Chaucerian roundels have ten lines consisting of two tercets and one final four line stanza. The rhyme scheme looks like this:
A
b
b
a
b
A
a
b
b
A
The capital A signifies the “refrain” – this line gets repeated in its entirety in lines 1, 6, and 10.
Overall, I think this was a worthwhile experiment, and I did learn how to use this poetic form – always a good thing. I like the way this form creates a natural, repetitive refrain, which can be a powerful way to communicate the central idea of a poem. I also like the rhyming scheme of this form, and it forces me to think of creative ways to compose to keep this rhyming scheme.
The downside was that after ten Chaucerian roundels in a row, I got tired of writing only in that style. So I reverted back to my normal style (free verse with some rhyme) after I wrote poem number ten. I think this could have happened with any form I experimented with and tried to learn, however. But to paraphrase another poet I know, it’s another tool in the toolbox. I can use the Chaucerian roundel form, now that I know how, if I feel that a poem calls for it. This was a learning experience for me, and I’m glad I undertook it.
I haven’t decided what I’ll do next quite yet. I might go back to my normal style for a while. I might try another experiment next week. I don’t know. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, enjoy reading the ones I’ve posted here.
Thanks to the poems written by Half Way Tree for inspiring me to do this.
-Nicole
I’m glad you gave it a try. It’s an interesting mode. Have you tried villanelles?
Yes, actually. I am having a piece called “Vietnam Fire” published in July. I’ll post more details after it’s in print.
Thanks for visiting,
Nicole