A rondel is a French fixed verse form built on two rhymes and repeated lines, or refrains. In the common English pattern, the first two lines return as the seventh and eighth lines and again at the end of the poem, so the opening words echo throughout the piece. Poets use the repeated lines to create music, circular movement, and a sense of return.
Example
I keep the lamp for travelers to see,
The small bright window glows against the rain;
It marks the road and circles back to me.
When night grows deep, I listen patiently,
And hear the creek repeating its refrain.
I keep the lamp for travelers to see,
The small bright window glows against the rain.
Though miles of dark may press on every tree,
The porch remembers every passing chain;
A steady flame can teach the heart to be.
I keep the lamp for travelers to see,
The small bright window glows against the rain.
Related Definitions
[n] a French verse form of 10 or 13 lines running on two rhymes; the opening phrase is repeated as the refrain of the second and third stanzas