Examples of How to Write a Chant Royal: 3 Practical Examples (That Actually Make Sense)

Most guides start with rules and only then show a finished poem. Here, we flip it. To really understand examples of how to write a chant royal: 3 practical examples will do more for you than three pages of definitions.

So we’ll:

• Read a full chant royal in modern English.
• Map its rhyme scheme.
• Highlight how the refrain and envoi work.
• Then build two more variations—one serious, one playful.

As we go, I’ll keep pointing to specific lines as examples of how you can handle long stanzas, repeated refrains, and consistent rhyme without losing your mind.

Quick Orientation: What Makes a Chant Royal Tick?

You don’t need a lecture, but you do need a quick map.

A classic chant royal usually has:

• Five long stanzas (often 11 or 12 lines each).
• A strict rhyme scheme that stays the same in every stanza.
• A repeated refrain line at the end of each stanza.
• An envoi (a short final stanza) that also ends with the refrain.

If you want a more historical overview later, the Poetry Foundation has a useful general reference page on fixed forms you can explore: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/fixed-form

But for now, let’s stay practical and walk through real examples.

Example 1: A Modern Chant Royal About Climate Anxiety

This first piece is one of the best examples of how to write a chant royal: 3 practical examples in this article will all follow the same basic structure, but this one leans into a serious, contemporary theme.

The Rhyme & Refrain Plan

We’ll use a 10-line stanza plus a refrain, making 11 lines per stanza:

• Rhyme scheme (letters): a b a b c c d d e F
• Capital F = the repeated refrain line.

We’ll keep that pattern for all five stanzas and the envoi.

Refrain line:

And still we call this trembling world our own.

This line will end every stanza. Watch how its meaning shifts slightly depending on what comes before it.

Stanza 1

The maps grow redder every passing year, (a)
A fever chart the oceans cannot hide; (b)
We scroll and shrug and swallow down our fear, (a)
Then buy new shoes and let the headlines slide. (b)
The summers burn like coals along our street, (c)
The asphalt sweats beneath our dragging feet; (c)
We joke of “beach days” in the choking heat, (d)
Post filtered skies in copper, ash, and stone. (d)
We learn to say “at least it’s dry” and tweet, (e)
And still we call this trembling world our own. (F)

Stanza 2

The storms arrive with names we can’t pronounce, (a)
They spin like coins we tossed and can’t retrieve; (b)
We measure loss in headlines by the ounce, (a)
Then change the channel, say we must believe. (b)
The river climbs the stairs of every town, (c)
The power grids give way and flicker down; (c)
We watch from couches, dry and safe and brown, (d)
While strangers cling to rooftops, skin and bone. (d)
We pray for “thoughts and shares” and look around, (e)
And still we call this trembling world our own. (F)

Stanza 3

The data hums in laboratories bright, (a)
In quiet graphs that tilt a little more; (b)
A thousand warnings flashing cold and white, (a)
A thousand doors we never choose to door. (b)
We quote the odds like weather, light and quick, (c)
As if the dice were not already picked; (c)
We bargain: “After this flight, after this trip,” (d)
As if the sky could bargain with our tone. (d)
We call it “later” till the clocks all slip, (e)
And still we call this trembling world our own. (F)

Stanza 4

Yet in the cracks, a stubborn green insists, (a)
A sapling through the parking lot’s black crust; (b)
A child with painted signs and aching fists, (a)
Who will not let our promises turn to dust. (b)
They march for air we took as guaranteed, (c)
For rivers we assumed would always feed; (c)
Their voices braid with others, seed to seed, (d)
A chorus louder than our tired groan. (d)
They say, “Another world is what we need,” (e)
And still we call this trembling world our own. (F)

Stanza 5

So let this heat that presses on our days (a)
Become the heat that fires our stubborn will; (b)
Let every chart ignite a different blaze, (a)
Not fields in flame but hands that cannot still. (b)
For what we name as “ours” we must defend, (c)
Not hoard and waste and burn and call it “trend”; (c)
Let “later” die and “now” become our friend, (d)
Before this house of weather cracks to stone. (d)
Let “mine” grow wide enough to hold “all” in, (e)
And still we call this trembling world our own. (F)

Envoi

O watchers at the screens that never sleep, (a)
O voters with a silence carved in bone, (b)
Choose what to save, not only what to keep, (e)
And still we call this trembling world our own. (F)

This is your first full example of a chant royal in modern English. Notice how the refrain starts out resigned, then slowly becomes a challenge.

How This First Example Teaches You the Form

Let’s turn that poem into a set of practical lessons, using it as one of the main examples of how to write a chant royal: 3 practical examples you can model.

1. Pick a Refrain That Can Shift in Meaning

The refrain “And still we call this trembling world our own” works because it can feel:

• Ironic (we keep claiming ownership while wrecking the planet).
• Tender (we still care about this shaky place).
• Accusatory (if we call it ours, we owe it something).

When you plan your own poem, brainstorm 5–10 possible refrain lines. Read them out loud at the end of a random sentence. The best examples of refrains usually:

• Are musical (easy to say, rhythmically steady).
• Are flexible (can sound hopeful, bitter, or questioning depending on context).
• Are general enough to fit many scenarios.

2. Commit to a Rhyme Scheme Early

The rhyme scheme a b a b c c d d e F stays the same in every stanza. This is not a suggestion; it’s the backbone.

Try this exercise:

• Write one stanza first.
• Underline the rhyming words.
• Make a list of 10–15 more words that rhyme with each of those.

This kind of planning is one of the most practical examples of how to write a chant royal without stalling in stanza four, out of rhymes and patience.

For help generating rhyme lists, you can lean on tools like the RhymeZone dictionary (https://www.rhymezone.com), which many poets quietly use.

3. Use Each Stanza to Turn the Camera Slightly

In Example 1, each stanza takes a different angle:

• Stanza 1: Everyday denial.
• Stanza 2: Disasters on the news.
• Stanza 3: Scientific warnings.
• Stanza 4: Youth activism.
• Stanza 5: Call to action.
• Envoi: Direct address to the reader.

When you plan your own chant royal, sketch a five-step arc on paper first. Some real examples include:

• A relationship: meeting → falling → conflict → distance → acceptance → envoi as final message.
• A city: morning → noon → evening → night → dawn → envoi as love letter.
• A social issue: problem → history → consequences → resistance → future → envoi as rallying cry.

Example 2: A Playful Chant Royal About Social Media Burnout

Not every chant royal has to be heavy. This second piece is a lighter example of how to write a chant royal: 3 practical examples in this guide will show both serious and humorous tones.

We’ll keep the same rhyme pattern but change the refrain.

New refrain line:

Yet still I scroll, as if the feed were new.

Stanza 1 (Shortened Example)

I wake to glass, that glowing little shrine,
A thumb’s small pilgrimage from sleep to blue;
The headlines tangle with my cereal time,
A thousand “musts” before my coffee’s through.
I promise, “Just three posts, then I’ll be done,"
But “just” becomes a labyrinth I run;
The memes, the takes, the jokes, the outrage spun,
All braided into one long, sticky view.
I blink, the morning’s packed its bags and gone,
Yet still I scroll, as if the feed were new.

You can imagine four more stanzas: work distractions, late-night doomscrolling, comparison envy, and finally a decision to log off. The full poem would follow the same rhyme letters and end every stanza with that refrain.

This second poem shows another example of how a chant royal can handle everyday 2024–2025 life: phones, feeds, and the feeling that everything is urgent, all the time.

Example 3: A Short-Form Chant Royal Variation for Beginners

The classic chant royal is long and demanding. If you’re brand new, starting with a shorter version is one of the best examples of how to write a chant royal: 3 practical examples in this article are designed to scale from easier to harder.

For this third example, we’ll:

• Use 8-line stanzas plus a refrain (9 lines total).
• Keep 4 stanzas instead of 5.
• Still end every stanza with the same refrain.

Think of it as a “training wheels” chant royal.

Refrain line:

I keep the small, bright ordinary close.

Sample Stanza (Daily Gratitude Theme)

The kettle sighs before the day begins,
A thin white ghost that curls above the flame;
The radio hums soft, forgiving hymns,
No one yet calling out my hurried name.
A slant of sun decides my desk is gold,
The floor remembers how my footsteps hold;
The world outside can storm and shout and boast—
I keep the small, bright ordinary close.

You would write three more stanzas: maybe one about your commute, one about work, one about evening. Each would end with the same refrain line, creating a sense of quiet insistence.

This shorter pattern is a very practical example of how to write a chant royal without committing to the full traditional length.

6–8 Concrete Moves You Can Steal From These Examples

Let’s pull together several specific techniques from all three poems. These are real examples of craft decisions you can reuse.

1. Anchor Your Poem in a Year or Era

Notice how Example 2 hints at 2024–2025 life—endless feeds, outrage cycles, doomscrolling. You can do the same by:

• Mentioning a current technology (but not in a way that will age in six months).
• Referencing broad trends like remote work, climate reports, or mental health awareness.

For mental health context, institutions like the National Institute of Mental Health offer up-to-date data on anxiety and digital use: https://www.nimh.nih.gov

2. Use Repetition Inside the Stanzas Too

The chant royal already repeats a refrain, but you can echo words or phrases inside stanzas. In Example 1, words like “later,” “world,” “heat” recur to build a sense of pressure.

Examples include:

• Repeating a key verb: scroll, scroll, scroll.
• Repeating a key noun: world, world, world.

3. Let the Refrain Argue With the Stanza

In some of the best examples of chant royals, the refrain doesn’t just agree with the stanza; it complicates it.

• In Example 1, a stanza might show apathy, but the refrain hints at responsibility.
• In Example 3, a stanza might show chaos, but the refrain pulls you back to the “small, bright ordinary.”

When drafting, ask after each stanza:

Does my refrain echo the stanza, or does it push back a little?

4. Use the Envoi as a Direct Address

The envoi in Example 1 turns outward: “O watchers… O voters…” That switch to second person is a classic move.

Real examples of envoi strategies:

• Address a person: O friend, if you should find this years from now…
• Address a group: O students, O parents, O strangers on trains…
• Address an idea: O time, O city, O future self…

5. Draft in Prose First, Then Shape the Lines

If the form feels intimidating, write your poem as a paragraph first. Say everything you want to say, then:

• Break it into lines.
• Adjust for rhyme and meter.
• Add the refrain at the end of each stanza.

Many working poets use this method. It’s one of the quieter but very real examples of how to write a chant royal (or any fixed form) without freezing up.

For general writing process advice, university writing centers such as Purdue OWL provide accessible resources: https://owl.purdue.edu

6. Use a Rhyme Dictionary, But Edit the “Glue” Words

When you’re chasing rhymes, it’s tempting to accept awkward phrasing just to hit the right sound. Here’s a more sustainable pattern:

• Use a rhyme dictionary to gather options.
• Write a rough line, even if it’s clunky.
• Then revise the parts around the rhyme, not the rhyme itself.

If your rhyme word is stone, you might:

• Change on the ground to on the cold ground of stone.
• Change like a rock to like a stone that will not move.

This is one of the most practical examples of how to write a chant royal without sounding like you’re bending the language into a pretzel.

7. Start Short, Then Scale Up

Example 3 is intentionally smaller. Treat it as:

• Draft 1: 3–4 stanzas, shorter rhyme pattern.
• Draft 2: Expand one stanza into two.
• Draft 3: Add a full envoi.

Each of these drafts is an example of a valid poem on its own; you’re not “cheating” by working up in stages.

FAQ: Common Questions About Chant Royals

Are there modern examples of chant royal poems I can read online?

Yes. While the chant royal is less common than sonnets or villanelles, you can sometimes find examples in poetry journals and archives. The Poetry Foundation and the Academy of American Poets occasionally feature fixed-form experiments:

• Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org
• Poets.org (Academy of American Poets): https://poets.org

Search their sites for “chant royal” or “fixed form” and you may uncover a modern example of the form in use.

Do I have to follow the traditional French rhyme scheme exactly?

No. The historical chant royal is very strict, but contemporary poets often adapt it. The examples of how to write a chant royal: 3 practical examples in this guide all use a consistent scheme, but not necessarily the medieval original. The key is consistency: pick a pattern and stick with it for the entire poem.

What’s the hardest part of writing a chant royal?

Most writers struggle with stamina: keeping the rhyme and refrain going for multiple long stanzas. That’s why this article leans so heavily on real examples. Examples include:

• Starting with a shorter variation (like Example 3).
• Choosing rhyme sounds with plenty of options.
• Drafting in prose before forcing everything into meter.

Can I write a chant royal about something funny or trivial?

Absolutely. While many historical chant royals were serious or courtly, modern poets use the form for satire, humor, and everyday life. The social media poem above is one example of a lighter tone. Other fun examples of topics:

• Office meetings that never end.
• Dating apps.
• Airline travel.
• Group chats.

How do I know if my poem “counts” as a chant royal?

Ask yourself:

• Do all stanzas share the same rhyme scheme?
• Do they all end with the same refrain line?
• Is there a shorter final stanza (envoi) that also uses the refrain?

If you can answer yes to those, you’re in chant royal territory—even if you’ve adjusted the length or rhyme pattern. Many modern poets use flexible, personal variations, just like the examples of how to write a chant royal: 3 practical examples you’ve seen here.

If you want to push further, pick one of the three models above, copy the structure, and swap in your own topic, your own images, and your own refrain. By building directly from real examples, you’ll learn the form in your hands—not just in your head.