<p> Poem Entry #7 The Rondeau</p><p>Definition:</p><p>1. There are only three stanzas in a rondeau: a quintet (a five line stanza), a quatrain (a four line stanza) and a sestet (a six line stanza). 2. There are only two rhymes (a and b) and one refrain in this poem 3. The refrain consists of the first few words of the first line. 4. The rhyme scheme (R is refrain) is: aabba aabR aabbaR. 5. The lines can be any length.</p><p>Models: </p><p>Death of a Vermont Farm Woman (Barbara Howes) Is It Well-Lighted, Papa? (James Bertram)</p><p>Is it time now to go away? Is it well-lighted, Papa—this place July is nearly over; hay where you have gone to escape and erase Fattens the barn, the herds are strong, dreams gone dry and bare-teethed critics’ remarks Our old fields prosper; these long that tormented you like the old man’s sharks? Green evenings will keep death at bay. Do we dare term your suicide disgrace?</p><p>Last winter lingered; it was May Clean, like your prose, the bell tolled and the chase Before a flowering lilac spray no longer, you knew, was “El Campion’s” race. Barred cold for ever. I was wrong. A final shotgun sentence rings truly stark. Is it time now? Is it well-lighted, Papa?</p><p>Six decades vanished in a day! Weak man or strong man? Why can’t we embrace I bore four sons: one lives; they the truth: a fawn with a grizzly bear face. Were all good men; three dying young For despite your indelible machismo mark, Was hard on us. I have looked long you always told us how you feared the dark. For these hills to show me where peace lay… Is it well-lighted Papa? Is it time now?</p><p>NOTE: the refrain does NOT have to be a question.</p>