A Spring Carol Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCDDEFFGGEHHGGIIJ JAGGACKKC ALMNNLEMMEMGEGEEGGOO ECCEMMPPMMGQAGQGGDDA ARR ACCCCCCCCMMSSTUTURRM CMCRRRGGCVVCWCMMWCCX XMMYYY CCZZCA2A2GGMMGB2B2C2 YCCD2CCD2GGGGRRMME2E 2ME2ME2E2 GGE2GE2E2GGE2E2E2CCE 2E2GGGGGE2E2F2F2F2

IA
Blithe friend blithe throstle Is it thouB
Whom I at last again hear singC
Perched on thy old accustomed boughB
Poet prophet of the SpringC
Yes Singing as thou oft hast sungD
I can see thee there amongD
The clustered branches of my leafless oakE
Where thy plumage gray as itF
Thou mightst unsuspected sitF
Didst thou not thyself betrayG
With thy penetrating layG
Swelling thy mottled breast at each triumphant strokeE
Wherefore warble half concealedH
When thy notes are shaft and shieldH
And no hand that lives would slayG
Singer of such a roundelayG
Telling of thy presence thusI
Be nor coy nor timorousI
Sing loud Sing longJ
And let thy songJ
Usurp the air 'twixt earth and skyA
Let it soar and sink and rallyG
Ripple low along the valleyG
Break against the fir trees highA
Ofttimes pausing never dyingC
While we lean where fancy bidsK
Listening with half clos d lidsK
Unto the self same chant most sweet most satisfyingC
-
IIA
Where hast thou been all the dumb winter daysL
When neither sunlight was nor smile of flowersM
Neither life nor love nor frolicN
Only expanse melancholicN
With never a note of thy exhilarating laysL
But instead the raven's croakE
Sluggish dawns and draggled hoursM
Gusts morose and callous showersM
Underneath whose cutting strokeE
Huddle the seasoned kine and even the robin cowersM
Wast thou asleep in some snug hollowG
Of my hybernating oakE
Through the dripping weeks that followG
One another slow and soakE
Summer's extinguished fire and autumn's drifting smokeE
Did its waking awake theeG
Or thou it with melodyG
Or together did ye bothO
Start from winter's sleep and slothO
And the self same sap that wokeE
Bole and branch and sets them buddingC
Is thy throat with rapture floodingC
Or avoiding icy yokeE
When golden leaves floated on silver meresM
And pensive Autumn keeping back her tearsM
Nursed waning Summer in her quiet lapP
Didst thou timely pinions flapP
Fleeing from a land of lossM
And with happy mates acrossM
Ocean's restless ridges travelG
To that lemon scented shoreQ
Where beneath a deep domed skyA
Carven of lapis lazuliG
Golden sunlight evermoreQ
Glistens against golden gravelG
Nor ever a snowflake falls nor rain clouds wheel and ravelG
Clime where I wandered once amongD
Ruins old with feelings youngD
Whither too I count to flyA
When my songful seasons dieA
And with the self same spell which first when mineR
Intensified my youth to temper my declineR
-
IIIA
Wherefore dost thou sing and singC
Is it for sheer joy of singingC
Is it to hasten lagging SpringC
Or greet the Lenten lilies through turf and turf upspringingC
Dost thou sing to earth or skyC
Never comes but one replyC
Carol faint carol highC
Ringing ringing ringingC
Are those iterated trillsM
For the down looking daffodilsM
That have strained and split their sheathS
And are listening underneathS
Or but music's prompting noteT
Whereunto the lambs may skipU
Haply dost thou swell thy throatT
Only to show thy craftsmanshipU
Wouldst thou pipe if none should hearkenR
If the sky should droop and darkenR
And as came the hills more closeM
Moody March to wooing SpringC
Sudden turned a mouth moroseM
Unheeded wouldst unheeding singC
What is it rules thy singing seasonR
Instinct that diviner reasonR
To which the thirst to know seemeth a sort of treasonR
If it beG
Enough for meG
And any motive for thy music IC
Will not ask thee to impartV
Letting my head play traitor to my heartV
Too deeply questioning whyC
Sing for nothing if thou wiltW
Or if thou for aught must singC
Sing unto thy anxious spouseM
Sitting somewhere 'mong the boughsM
In the nest that thou hast builtW
Underneath her close furled wingC
Future carols fosteringC
Sing because it is thy bentX
Sing to heighten thy contentX
Sing for secret none can guessM
Sing for very uselessnessM
Sing for love of love and pleasureY
Unborn joy unfound treasureY
Rapture no words can reach yearning no thoughts can measureY
-
IVC
Why dost thou ever cease to singC
Singing is such sweet comfort whoZ
If he could sing the whole year throughZ
Would barter it for anythingC
Why do not thou and joy their reign assertA2
Over winter death and hurtA2
If thou forcest them to fleeG
They in turn will banish theeG
Making life betwixt ye thusM
Mutably monotonousM
O why dost thou not perch and pipe perpetuallyG
All the answer I do getB2
Is louder madder music yetB2
Thus rebuking Thou dost errC2
I am no philosopherY
Only a poet forced to singC
When the cold gusts gather and goC
When the earth stirs in its tombD2
And asudden witching SpringC
Into her bosom sucks the snowC
To give it back in thorn and cherry bloomD2
When along the hedgerows twinkleG
Roguish eyes of periwinkleG
When with undulating gleeG
Yaffles scream from tree to treeG
And on every bank are seenR
Primroses that long have beenR
Lying in wait with ambushed eyesM
To break forth when Winter fliesM
Joined by all things swift and sweetE2
Following him with noiseless feetE2
Pelting him with April showersM
Chasing and chanting his defeatE2
Till with undisputed flowersM
Thronged are all the lanes to greetE2
Dove like inspiring Spring many voiced ParacleteE2
-
VG
Therefore glad bird warble and shrill and carolG
Now that Earth whom winter strippedE2
Putteth on her Spring apparelG
Daintily woven gaily tippedE2
Now that in the tussocked meadE2
Lambkins one another jostleG
Carol carol jocund throstleG
Impregnating the air with thy melodious seedE2
Which albeit scattered lateE2
Now will quickly germinateE2
Giving us who waited longC
Vernal harvest of ripe songC
Which I do perceive was sentE2
Nowise to deepen argumentE2
Rather to teach me how like theeG
To merge doubt in melodyG
Sing sing awayG
All through the dayG
Lengthening out the twilight grayG
And with thy trebles of delightE2
Invade the threshold of the nightE2
Until felicity too high too deepF2
Saturated senses steepF2
And all that lives and loves subside to songless sleepF2

Alfred Austin



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