Saturday, November 11, 2017

Fussy Little Forms: Rondelet

Happy Weekend, Toads! Today I offer to you the very definition of a Fussy Little Form, the RONDELET. The rondelet is a short French poetry form featuring a strict rhyme and meter pattern plus a lovely repeated refrain. It looks like this:

Line 1 :: A—four syllables
Line 2 :: b—eight syllables
Line 3 :: A—repeat of line one
Line 4 :: a—eight syllables
Line 5 :: b—eight syllables
Line 6 :: b—eight syllables
Line 7 :: A—repeat of line one

Of course, mapping it out that way does not allow for the beauty of this form, which is in part due to the refrain (lines 1, 3, and 7). The refrained lines should contain the same words, but substitution or different use of punctuation on the lines is accepted. For example, here is a rondelet about the rondelet, by Charles Henry Luders (1889):

A RONDELET
Is just seven verses rhymed on two.
A rondelet
Is an old jewel quaintly set
In poesy--a drop of dew
Caught in a roseleaf. Lo! For you,
A rondelet.

Here is one of my rondelet attempts, called "Mount to the Sky"
You looked like rain
before the wild hurricane flew.
You looked like rain.
Clamoring down tin eaves, the pain
rollicked like thunder. Meanwhile, you
colored outside the lines. All blue.
You looked like rain.
(from my book Responsive Pleading)
And here is a more detailed explanation from a format challenge handed down in earlier times by former Toad, Pirate Grace O’Malley in earlier Garden times: SHORTENING THE SAILS

I hope you all will be inspired and try it. Rondelet, rondelet!

from Libri de piscibus marinis in quibus verae piscium effigies expressae sunt by Guillaume Rondelet (1554)

11 comments:

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Loved the prompt, Marian!💞 Sharing my poem "Of autumn and longing".. Happy Weekend, everyone!💞

Marian said...

Fussy, fussy, fussy! ;)

Kerry O'Connor said...

I always love to read a rondelet!

Gillena Cox said...

Nice one, I couldn't put my serious on yet, but I got it right

Happy Saturday to all

much love...

Marian said...

Hi, friends! I hope everyone can have some fun with the rondelet. I'll be out and about for most of today (Saturday) but will be hopping around your lilypads tomorrow and am looking forward to reading your entries! Enjoy... xoxo M.

Carrie Van Horn said...

I thought it would be tough but it was quite fun. Thank you Marian!!

Vivian Zems said...

Hi Marian! What a lovely and elegant form. I love it. It's cold in London... and my poem is all about snuggles and cuddles. Thanks for hosting :)

Susie Clevenger said...

Goodness, I am horrible with rhyme poetry. I just vented with what I needed to say. It aint pretty but its mine. :)

Sherry Blue Sky said...

I will give this a try tomorrow, after my brain gets recharged overnight, lol.it looks like fun. I love "you looked like rain."

brudberg said...

I will be round reading later this afternoon... was at my brother in law's party yesterday but had the time to write in advance... :-)

Other Mary said...

I absolutely love your rondelet sample, Marian. I haven't written much lately, and havent' written any form poetry so this was quite a challenge for me. Thanks.