A descendant of Ancient Greek echo verse, chain verse uses the same closing word or syllable from one line to open the next line.

Chain verse is one of the most obscure forms for which any written evidence is available; only two examples are widely circulated. The medieval form likely was a spoken-word vehicle used to communicate news and tidings in France; hence, the dearth of published poems. Its catchiness and pleasing rhythm to the ear helps explain why it did not survive the Middle Ages and early post-Renaissance as a written form.