Rondel

Rondel - form Summary

A Rondel's Recurring Refrain

Longfellow’s poem is a short rondel built around a recurring refrain that returns three times. The repeated opening line and near-repetitions create a circular, insistent rhythm that mirrors the speaker’s confusion and powerless questioning about love. The tight form concentrates emotion into a few direct questions, so the poem’s structure—its echoing lines and brief duration—becomes the chief means of expressing uncertainty and longing.