Writing Exercise – the rondeau

 By Ashley Lister

 This month I wanted to work with the rondeau. The reason why
I wanted to tackle the rondeau this month is because arguably the most famous
example of the rondeau is ‘In Flanders Fields’ by Canadian army physician, and
poet, Lieutenant John McCrae. ‘In Flanders Fields’ is a poem we hear often
during this month of remembrance and it seemed apposite to consider the
structure that supports this great work.  

The rondeau is a
form of French poetry with 15 lines and a fixed, distinctive rhyme scheme.  The rondeau also makes use of refrains, which
are repeated according to the stylized pattern.

The rhyme scheme for the rondeau is: a a b b a  a a b C  a a b b a C, where a and b are the end
rhymes and C is the refrain. 

Technically each line of the rondeau should consist of eight
syllables (except for the refrains which are half lines of four syllables).  Ideally, the poem should be laid out in three
stanzas and the refrain should be identical to the beginning of the first line.

All of which is easier to illustrate with an example.

I slash the strap across your back

And thrill to hear the brisk wet smack

When leather strikes unbroken skin

And you beg me to push deep in

To tight confines within your crack

And beg for a more forceful whack

Whilst reaching back to clutch my sac

You’re shrieking with a sated grin

I slash the strap

The pinwheel left a pretty track

The paddle’s bruises ne’er turned black

But stripes of leather suit this sin

You tell me this one’s for the win

And urge more force in my attack

I slash the strap

Fifteen lines of rhyming poetry will always be a challenge,
especially when you’re expected to find a refrain and use only two rhymes. The
main challenge is finding something to say that bears repeating. I was
fortunate here that the phrase ‘I slash the strap’ has a hypnotic rhythm and
seems to work within the context of sexual punishment.

As always, I look forward to seeing your poems in the
comments box below.