A Century of Roundels
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Read by ravenotation
A roundel (not to be confused with the rondel) is a form of verse used in English language poetry devised by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909). It is a variation of the French rondeau form. It makes use of refrains, repeated according to a certain stylized pattern. A roundel consists of nine lines each having the same number of syllables, plus a refrain after the third line and after the last line. The refrain must be identical with the beginning of the first line: it may be a half-line, and rhymes with the second line. It has three stanzas and its rhyme scheme is as follows: A B A R ; B A B ; A B A R ; where R is the refrain. Swinburne had published a book A Century of Roundels. He dedicated these poems to his friend Christina Rossetti, who then started writing roundels herself, as evidenced by the following examples from her anthology of poetry: Wife to Husband; A Better Resurrection; A Life's Parallels; Today for me; It is finished; From Metastasio. (Summary by Wikipedia) (1 hr 38 min)
Chapters
Dedication to Christina G. Rossetti | 1:26 | Read by ravenotation |
In Harbour | 2:05 | Read by ravenotation |
The Way of the Wind | 1:04 | Read by ravenotation |
'Had I Wist' | 1:13 | Read by ravenotation |
Recollections | 3:00 | Read by ravenotation |
Time and Life | 2:06 | Read by ravenotation |
A Dialogue | 3:10 | Read by ravenotation |
Plus Ultra | 1:21 | Read by ravenotation |
A Dead Friend | 4:06 | Read by ravenotation |
Past Days | 2:52 | Read by ravenotation |
Autumn and Winter | 3:34 | Read by ravenotation |
The Death of Richard Wagner | 3:21 | Read by ravenotation |
Two Preludes; Lohengrin & Tristan und Isolde | 1:46 | Read by ravenotation |
The Lute and the Lyre | 1:27 | Read by ravenotation |
Plus Intra | 1:19 | Read by ravenotation |
Change | 1:04 | Read by ravenotation |
A Baby's Death | 4:49 | Read by ravenotation |
One of Twain | 2:05 | Read by ravenotation |
Death and Birth | 1:14 | Read by ravenotation |
Birth and Death | 1:14 | Read by ravenotation |
Benediction | 1:12 | Read by ravenotation |
Etude Realiste | 2:30 | Read by ravenotation |
Babyhood | 2:38 | Read by ravenotation |
First Footsteps | 0:58 | Read by ravenotation |
A Ninth Birthday | 2:35 | Read by ravenotation |
Not a Child | 2:15 | Read by ravenotation |
To Dora Dorian | 1:00 | Read by ravenotation |
The Roundel | 1:20 | Read by ravenotation |
At Sea | 1:10 | Read by ravenotation |
Wasted Love | 0:56 | Read by ravenotation |
Before Sunset | 1:07 | Read by ravenotation |
A Singing Lesson | 1:14 | Read by ravenotation |
Flower-pieces; Love Lies Bleeding & Love in a Mist | 2:20 | Read by ravenotation |
Three Faces; Ventimiglia, Genoa & Venice | 3:11 | Read by ravenotation |
Eros | 2:33 | Read by ravenotation |
Sorrow | 1:05 | Read by ravenotation |
Sleep | 1:07 | Read by ravenotation |
On an Old Roundel | 1:59 | Read by ravenotation |
A Landscape by Courbet | 1:20 | Read by ravenotation |
A Flower-piece by Fantin | 1:11 | Read by ravenotation |
A Night-piece by Millet | 1:18 | Read by ravenotation |
Marzo Pazzo | 1:08 | Read by ravenotation |
Dead Love | 1:05 | Read by ravenotation |
Discord | 1:10 | Read by ravenotation |
Concord | 1:11 | Read by ravenotation |
Mourning | 1:06 | Read by ravenotation |
Aperotos Eros | 1:16 | Read by ravenotation |
To Catullus | 1:12 | Read by ravenotation |
Insularum Ocelle' | 1:16 | Read by ravenotation |
In Sark | 1:25 | Read by ravenotation |
In Guernsey | 7:12 | Read by ravenotation |
Envoi | 1:14 | Read by ravenotation |
Reviews
Lori K
The subjects of these poems are deep & tend to focus on some of the darker sides of life. If this interests you then these poems probably will, too.