A Century of Roundels


Read by ravenotation

(3.3 stars; 3 reviews)

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


(5 stars)

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.