Rondeau Redouble

A Rondeau Redouble is a type of poem that only permits the use of two rhymes, consists of six stanzas of four lines each, and repeats complete lines throughout. A peculiar rule is that the final fifth stanza should have five lines, ending with a repeated half-line, taken from the first line of the poem. The key to this style of poetry is the construction of the first stanza, with the four lines appearing, in turn, as the final lines of the following four verses.

Its origins lie in the word rondeau, translating as round, a form of French, Medieval poetry, frequently set to music. Notoriously difficult to write, a rondeau redouble requires a strong opening line that is memorable and worth repeating, plus the choice of rhyme sounds which have to offer enough different variations of words to create a satisfying and logical poem. A renowned poem in this style is "Rondeau Redoublé (and Scarcely Worth the Trouble, at That)" by Dorothy Parker. 

The rondeau redouble is the French translation of a double rondeau. Consisting of 25 lines, it features a four-line refrain which forms the first quatrain. These four lines are then used successively as the last lines of the following four quatrains. The sixth and final stanza is a quintrain which contains no repetition of previous lines; it does, however, include a 'tail' which is the beginning clause or phrase from line one. The same two rhymes are used throughout and the rhyming scheme is as follows:

• Stanza One: A1B1A2B2
• Stanza Two: babA1
• Stanza Three: abaB1
• Stanza Four: babA2
• Stanza Five: abaB2
• Stanza Six: babaR (tail from line one)

Example

Rondeau Redoublé (and Scarcely Worth the Trouble, at That)