Rondeau

A Rondeau is a form of French poetry with 13 lines written on two rhymes. The rondeau is a form of verse also used in English language poetry. It makes use of refrains, repeated according to a certain stylized pattern. It was customarily regarded as a challenge to arrange for these refrains to contribute to the meaning of the poem in as succinct and poignant a manner as possible. The rondeau consists of thirteen lines of eight syllables, plus two refrains (which are half lines, each of four syllables), employing, altogether, only three rhymes. It has three stanzas (or verses) and its rhyme scheme is as follows: (1) A A B B A (2) A A B with refrain: C (3) A A B B A with concluding refrain: C.

A Rondeau is also a baroque dance, often incorporated into a suite. Its origins are French.

The word is also used to refer to a musical form, also known as rondo.