So, a new prompt from Laura at dVerse Poets is to get Chaucerian with a Roundel. This is something I’m sure I would remember if I were to be transported back to my College days, and Doc Sipple and Doc Bowers but then, in that transporting back, I would most surely get distracted and totally forget the task at hand and forget about those classes and lessons.
But here, in the now?
Circling back to the 14th Century: Though we often associate the Roundel with Swinburne, his was a 19th century deviation because it is to Chaucer that we owe this poetry style, (as well as the iambic pentameter and the ‘rime royal’).
Thus we distinguish the Chaucerian Roundel from all other forms as well as from The Rondel and Rondeau. And by now you’ve guessed that our poetry today is to be written as Chaucer outlines:
Poetry Style:
- 13 lines
- 3 stanzas divided into 3 lines (tercet); 4 lines (quatrain) 6 lines (sestet)
- rhyme scheme: A B1 B2/a b A B1/a b b A B1 B2
- usually 10 syllables per line as iambic pentameter
As is evident from the above there are only 2 rhymes to the scheme, and once you have the first 3 lines, it repeats in two refrains so the poem is not too challenging!
Ok, now I will beg to differ on the “not too challenging” but?
So I went to where I’ve been on a few things somewhat recently and hope I kept to task Laura.
As to Doc Sipple and Doc Bower? Sorry I’m late, I was a bit distracted.
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The Sound and Shapes of Stars
Singing songs no one dears but me off key
stars grass at my back and breeze through my toes
of twilight verses and star choruses those
.
A menagerie of lighted point shapes stabled
fed above clouds of my head on clear eves
Singing songs no one dears but me off key
stars grass at my back and breeze through my toes
.
They crow and bubble and roar bark soundings
star shapes of animal comfort arms outstretched
to pet and grasp and sing at time’s knowing
Singing songs no one dears but me off key
stars grass at my back and breeze through my toes
singing songs in boy head of choruses those
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