Chant royal

Chant royal is a complex fixed verse poetic form originating in medieval France. It is a poetic form that is a variation of the ballad form and consists of five eleven-line stanzas with a rhyme scheme ${\displaystyle \mathrm {ababccddedE} }$ and a five-line envoi rhyming ${\displaystyle \mathrm {ddedE} }$ or a seven-line envoi ${\displaystyle \mathrm {ccddedE} }$ (capital letters indicate lines repeated verbatim). To add to the complexity, no rhyming word is used twice. It was introduced into French poetry in the 15th century by Christine de Pizan and Charles d'Orléans and was introduced to England towards the end of the 19th century as part of a general revival of interest in French poetic forms. The complexity of the form caused William Caswell Jones to describe it as "impractical" for common use. The chant royal was considered one of the most complicated poetic forms in Northern France (langue d’oïl regions) during the 15th century, though not as complex as the sestina, which was more popular in Southern France (Occitan regions). The form was often used for stately or heroic subjects.