In our European Poetry class, Jim (Pantygynt) has led us in writing a Rondeau Redoublet. The format requirements are below. I must say this is the most difficult verse I have ever written... but fun. (We were instructed to write this with the masculine and feminine endings). Now on to the Villanelle.... Yippee!! LOL (It is hard too)


A Rondeau Redouble is a French 'forme fixee' poem. Note that there are only two rhymes throughout. The first stanza acts as a chart inasmuch as each of these lines is repeated in order as the last lines of the next four stanzas. The metre is not laid down but English language versions tend to use iambic pentameter as does this. The sixth stanza maintains the rhyme scheme for the first four lines but does not use any of the lines in the first stanza. The poem ends with a hemistitch, (shown as 'h' in the rhyme scheme) -- a phrase repeated from the first line. The rhyme scheme runs: A1-B1-A2-B2, babA1, abaB1, babA2, abaB2, babah. In each stanza one rhyming pair should be made up of feminine rhyme and one of masculine. This instruction is frequently ignored, presumably because it is considered too difficult.

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