A Story At Dusk Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AB CDDEFDGHDIAJKDLMNOPH GDQRSTUDDDVDWXIYDIZD D A2DDD B2DDC2DBD2DDDIDDDDE2 F2F2 DC2DDDDDF2DHF2F2IIF2 SG2F2DF2IWFI IBDH2I2DF2F2SF2D J2DDDK2DF2F2L2FM2N2O 2F2FF2P2 DDDIF2IDDF2MF2F2 F2I2DF2F2 DQ2R2DL2I2BF2IF2DSS2 S HT2F2IF2U2V2DF2F2DDD BBR2F2F2F2DSF2DSDDDD W2T2IX2 Y2F2S

An evening all aglow with summer lightA
And autumn colour fairest of the yearB
-
The wheat fields crowned with shocks of tawny goldC
All interspersed with rough sowthistle rootsD
And interlaced with white convolvulusD
Lay flecked with purple shadows in the sunE
The shouts of little children gleaning thereF
The scattered ears and wild blue bottle flowersD
Mixed with the corn crake's crying and the songG
Of lone wood birds whose mother cares were o'erH
And with the whispering rustle of red leavesD
Scarce stirred the stillness And the gossamer sheenI
Was spread on upland meadows silver brightA
In low red sunshine and soft kissing windJ
Showing where angels in the night had trailedK
Their garments on the turf Tall arrow headsD
With flag and rush and fringing grasses droppedL
Their seeds and blossoms in the sleepy poolM
The water lily lay on her green leafN
White fair and stately while an amorous branchO
Of silver willow drooping in the streamP
Sent soft low babbling ripples towards herH
And oh the woods erst haunted with the songG
Of nightingales and tender coo of dovesD
They stood all flushed and kindling 'neath the touchQ
Of death kind death fair fond reluctant deathR
A dappled mass of gloryS
Harvest timeT
With russet wood fruit thick upon the groundU
'Mid crumpled ferns and delicate blue harebellsD
The orchard apples rolled in seedy grassD
Apples of gold and violet velvet plumsD
And all the tangled hedgerows bore a cropV
Of scarlet hips blue sloes and blackberriesD
And orange clusters of the mountain ashW
The crimson fungus and soft mosses clungX
To old decaying trunks the summer bineI
Drooped shivering in the glossy ivy's graspY
By day the blue air bore upon its wingsD
Wide wandering seeds pale drifts of thistle downI
By night the fog crept low upon the earthZ
All white and cool and calmed its feverishnessD
And veiled it over with a veil of tearsD
-
The curlew and the plover were come backA2
To still bleak shores the little summer birdsD
Were gone to Persian gardens and the grovesD
Of Greece and Italy and the palmy landsD
-
A Norman tower with moss and lichen clothedB2
Wherein old bells on old worm eaten framesD
And rusty wheels had swung for centuriesD
Chiming the same soft chime the lullabyC2
Of cradled rooks and blinking bats and owlsD
Setting the same sweet tune from year to yearB
For generations of true hearts to singD2
A wide churchyard with grassy slopes and nooksD
And shady corners and meandering pathsD
With glimpses of dim windows and grey wallsD
Just caught at here and there amongst the greenI
Of flowering shrubs and sweet lime avenuesD
An old house standing near a parsonage houseD
With broad thatched roof and overhanging eavesD
O'errun with banksia roses a low houseD
With ivied windows and a latticed porchE2
Shut in a tiny Paradise all sweetF2
With hum of bees and scent of mignonetteF2
-
We lay our lazy length upon the grassD
In that same Paradise my friend and IC2
And as we lay we talked of college daysD
Wild racing hunting steeple chasing daysD
Of river reaches fishing grounds and weirsD
Bats gloves debates and in humanitiesD
And then of boon companions of those daysD
How lost and scattered married changed and deadF2
Until he flung his arm across his faceD
And feigned to slumberH
He was changed my friendF2
Not like the man the leader of his setF2
The favourite of the college that I knewI
And more than time had changed him He had beenI
A little wild the Lady Alice saidF2
A little gay as all young men will beS
At first before they settle down to lifeG2
While they have money health and no restraintF2
Nor any work to do Ah yes But thisD
Was mystery unexplained that he was sadF2
And still and thoughtful like an aged manI
And scarcely thirty With a winsome flashW
The old bright heart would shine out here and thereF
But aye to be o'ershadowed and hushed downI
-
As he had hushed it nowI
His dog lay nearB
With long sharp muzzle resting on his pawsD
And wistful eyes half shut but watching himH2
A deerhound of illustrious race all greyI2
And grizzled with soft wrinkled velvet earsD
A gaunt gigantic wolfish looking bruteF2
And worth his weight in goldF2
There there said heS
And raised him on his elbow you have lookedF2
Enough at me now look at some one elseD
-
You could not see him surely with your armJ2
Across your faceD
No but I felt his eyesD
They are such sharp wise eyes persistent eyesD
Perpetually reproachful Look at themK2
Had ever dog such eyesD
Oh yes I thoughtF2
But wondering turned my talk upon his breedF2
And was he of the famed Glengarry stockL2
And in what season was he entered WhereF
Pray did he pick him upM2
He moved himselfN2
At that last question with a little writheO2
Of sudden pain or restlessness and sighedF2
And then he slowly rose pushed back the hairF
From his broad brows and whistling softly saidF2
Come here old dog and we will tell him ComeP2
-
On such a day and such a time as thisD
Old Tom and I were stalking on the hillsD
Near seven years ago Bad luck was oursD
For we had searched up corrie glen and burnI
From earliest daybreak wading to the waistF2
Peat rift and purple heather all in vainI
We struck a track nigh every hour to loseD
A noble quarry by ignoble chanceD
The crowing of a grouse cock or the flightF2
Of startled mallards from a reedy poolM
Or subtle hair's breadth veering of the windF2
And now 'twas waning sunset rosy softF2
-
On far grey peaks and the green valley spreadF2
Beneath us We had climbed a ridge and layI2
Debating in low whispers of our plansD
For night and morning Golden eagles sailedF2
Above our heads the wild ducks swam aboutF2
-
Amid the reeds and rushes of the poolsD
A lonely heron stood on one long legQ2
In shallow water watching for a mealR2
And there to windward couching in the grassD
That fringed the blue edge of a sleeping lochL2
Waiting for dusk to feed and drink there layI2
A herd of deerB
And as we looked and plannedF2
A mountain storm of sweeping mist and rainI
Came down upon us It passed by and leftF2
The burnies swollen that we had to crossD
And left us barely light enough to seeS
The broad black branching antlers clustering stillS2
Amid the long grass in the valleyS
-
SirH
Said Tom there is a shealing down belowT2
To leeward We might bivouac there to nightF2
And come again at dawnI
And so we creptF2
Adown the glen and stumbled in the darkU2
Against the doorway of the keeper's homeV2
And over two big deerhounds ancestorsD
Of this our old companion There was lightF2
And warmth a welcome and a heather bedF2
At Colin's cottage with a meal of eggsD
And fresh trout broiled by dainty little handsD
And sweetest milk and oatcake There were songsD
And Gaelic legends and long talk of deerB
Mixt with a sweet low laughter and the whirB
Of spinning wheelR2
The dogs lay at her feetF2
The feet of Colin's daughter with their softF2
Dark velvet ears pricked up for every soundF2
And movement that she made Right royal brutesD
Whereon I gazed with envyS
What I askedF2
Would Colin take for theseD
Eh sir said heS
And shook his head I cannot sell the dogsD
They're priceless they and Jeanie's favouritesD
But there's a litter in the shed five pupsD
As like as peas to this one You may chooseD
Amongst them sir take any that you likeW2
Get us the lantern Jeanie You shall showT2
The gentlemanI
Ah she was fair that girlX2
-
Not like the other lassies cottage folkY2
For there was subtle trace of gentle bloodF2
Through all her bS

Ada Cambridge



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