Chaucer’s Use of Rhyme Royal: <i>The Canterbury Tales</i> and <i>Troilus</i> and <i>Criseyde</i>

Abstract

This article offers a new perspective on Geoffrey Chaucer’s rhyme royal stanzas in his poetry. Rhyme royal, a seven-line stanza with an ababbcc rhyme scheme, is remarkable for its complexity and multi-functionality. In this investigation, we studied the background of the rhyme royal stanza, the main structural and thematic characteristics, and the immediate use of it in Chaucer’s most significant works of art, specifically The Canterbury Tales and Troilus and Criseyde. By carefully studying the relevant select passages, the article emphasizes the role of the form Chaucer chose, rhyme royal, to better the telling and expression of the poems.