Leszko The Bastard Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCCDEEFGGHHFIIJ AAJ KLKMKKKKKNFNFOPOOPKQ KQRRRS TKTTKUUKKKKKKKKKK IIIVVIIWXXWYGGYZA2ZF B2B2FKKC2D2E2C2F2G2F 2F2G2KKKKKKK IIKH2KKH2KVVVI2VI2VH 2J2J2H2K2IK2KL2L2KKL 2VKVVKM2M2KKKXZXXN2N 2A2XA2A2A2KKKA2VKVO2 KO2VVO2KYKKY L2L2L2A2A2L2A2A2VVVK A2KA2P2P2P2A2A2VVKVK L2KL2KA2KA2A2KA2 KKKKKKA2KA2A2KL2K

Why do I bid the rising galeA
To waft me from your shoreB
Why hail I as the vultures hailA
The scent of far off goreB
Why wear I with defiant prideC
The Paynim's badge and gearD
Though I am vowed to Christ that diedC
And fain would staunch the gaping sideC
That felt the sceptic spearD
And why doth one in whom there runsE
The blood of Sclavic sires and sonsE
In those but find a foeF
That onward march with sword and flameG
To vindicate the Sclavic nameG
From the fringe of Arctic snowsH
To the cradle of the roseH
Where the Sweet Waters flowF
Strange But 'twere stranger yet if II
When Turk and Tartar splinters flyI
Lagged far behind the vanJ
While the wind dallies with my sailA
Listen and you shall hear my taleA
Then marvel if you canJ
-
Nothing but snow A white waste worldK
Far as eye reached or voice could callL
Motion within itself slept furledK
The earth was dead and Heaven its pallM
Now nothing lived except the windK
That moaning round with restless mindK
Seemed like uncoffined ghost to flitK
O'er vacant tracts that it might findK
Some kindred thing to speak with itK
Nothing to break the white expanseN
No far no near no high no lowF
Nothing to stop the wandering glanceN
One smooth monotony of snowF
I lifted the latch and I shivered inO
My mother stood by the larch log blazeP
My mother stately and tall and thinO
With the shapely head and the soft white skinO
And the sweetly sorrowing gazeP
She was younger than you aye you who standK
In matron prime by your household fireQ
A happy wife in a happy landK
And with all your heart's desireQ
But though bred like you from the proud and braveR
Her hair was blanched and her voice was graveR
If you knew what it is to be born a slaveR
And to feel a despot's ireS
-
She turned her round from the hearth like oneT
That hath waited long and saidK
Come hither and sit by me my sonT
For somehow to night doth remembrance runT
Back to the days that are deadK
And you are tall and stalwart nowU
And coming manhood o'er your browU
Its shadow 'gins to shedK
Sit by me close ' and as I sateK
Close close as I could sitK
She took my hand and placed it flatK
On hers and fondled itK
Then with the same soft palm she brushedK
My wind tossed locks apartK
And kissing my bared temples hushedK
The flow of love that else had gushedK
Love loosened from my heartK
-
Listen you often have questioned whyI
Here 'neath this pale Siberian skyI
You scarcely live I slowly dieI
That we dwell on but exiles hereV
In regions barren sunless drearV
And have no more the power to flyI
To brighter lands and bluer skyI
Than some poor bird whom man's capriceW
Hath tethered by a clanking chainX
And leaves upon its perch in painX
To pine for ne'er to find releaseW
This do you know and still have knownY
Since first I taught your mouth to frameG
The syllables of Poland's nameG
Even before my ownY
But how could I to childhood's earsZ
Or boyhood's tell the tale of tearsA2
That links me with the bygone yearsZ
Tale steeped in rapture drenched with woeF
A tale of wrong and loss and loveB2
That opens in the heavens aboveB2
And ends in worse than hell belowF
A tale I only could impartK
To mind mature and full grown heartK
A tale to fill your larger lifeC2
With hissing waters of distressD2
And overflowing bitternessE2
And set you with yourself at strifeC2
But you must hear it now The downF2
Of manhood fringes lip and cheekG2
Your temples take a richer brownF2
And on your forehead buds the crownF2
Of kingly thought that yet will speakG2
Listen and let no faintest wordK
Of all I utter fall unheardK
Upon your ear or heartK
'Twill wring your youth but nerve it tooK
And what have I now left to doK
But unveil tyranny to viewK
And wing the avenging dartK
-
So like to you The same blue eyeI
Same lavish locks same forehead highI
But of a manlier majestyK
His limbs like yours were straight and strongH2
Yet supple as the bough in budK
For tyrants cannot tame the bloodK
Or noble lineage lose through wrongH2
Its heritage of hardihoodK
And maybe since his years were moreV
And partly that you needs must bearV
In every filial vein and poreV
With his pure strain the base alloyI2
Of that in you which is my shareV
Though you are tall and comely boyI2
Yet he was taller comelierV
In days that now but live in songH2
When Rurik's hinds felt Poland's heelJ2
And Poland's horsemen cased in steelJ2
To Volo's plain were wont to throngH2
A hundred thousand manes in strengthK2
And vowed if Heaven let fall the skyI
To uphold it on their lance's lengthK2
As 'twere a silken canopyK
His sires were there in gallant trimL2
Haught of mien and hard of limbL2
Visors up and foreheads gashedK
Swords that poised and swooped and flashedK
Like the wings of the flaming CherubimL2
And when Imperial vultures toreV
With banded beaks Sarmatia's breastK
And wallowed in Sarmatia's goreV
His fathers by their fathers sworeV
Ne'er to recede nor restK
Till they had pushed the watchful pointsM2
Of vengeance in between the jointsM2
Of armour dear to tyrants prickedK
Of conscience never hushed nor trickedK
And made them feel what they inflictK
Vow sternly kept but kept in vainX
For ninety hoping hopeless yearsZ
Poland hath known no couch save painX
No mate except the dull cold chainX
Hath felt the lash and fed on jeersN2
While Heaven it seems no longer hearsN2
The wail of prayers the drip of tearsA2
Or the voices of the slainX
Thrice have her sons despite their gyvesA2
Essayed to sell their worthless livesA2
At least against the priceA2
Of ruin on their gaolers broughtK
But each brave stroke hath come to noughtK
And blood and wounds and death have broughtK
Only fresh bootless sacrificeA2
No blow was struck they did not shareV
No banner raised but straight they flewK
For one more tussle with despairV
And ever as they fought they fellO2
Waxing still fewer and more fewK
Till only one remained to tellO2
How they had passed away and dareV
With front erect and unquelled stareV
Those earthly ministers of hellO2
One only of that kindred bandK
Like some last column gazing loneY
Across the bare and brackish sandK
In a depopulated landK
Telling of times and temples flownY
-
He loved me Love in every climeL2
Through all vicissitudes of timeL2
Is life's climacteric and primeL2
Matched against it all boons that blessA2
All joys we chase all good we prizeA2
All that of tender and sublimeL2
Expands the heart and fills the eyesA2
Tastes pitiful and savourlessA2
It glorifies the common airV
It clothes with light the mountains bareV
And shows the heavens all shining thereV
It lifts our feet from off the groundK
It lets us walk along the skiesA2
It makes the daily silence soundK
With transcendental harmoniesA2
It rules the seasons Linnets singP2
As loud in winter as in springP2
When hearts are leal and love is kingP2
Bathed in its light the distance glowsA2
With all the colours of the roseA2
Its vivid gaze blends far and nearV
In one delicious atmosphereV
Projects the future from the pastK
And hugs the faith without a fearV
Since love is all that all will lastK
The peevish voice of doubt grows dumbL2
The demons of dejection fleeK
And even sordid cares becomeL2
But a divine anxietyK
Hope sails no more in far off skiesA2
But makes its nest upon the groundK
And happiness coy wing that fliesA2
Too oft when mortal yearning woosA2
At love's sweet summons circling roundK
Sits on the nearest bough and coosA2
-
Yes such is love in every landK
If blest or curst enslaved or freeK
But how can they whose chainless handK
May stretch towards all they dream or seeK
Whose lungs exult whose lives expandK
In air of bracing libertyK
Feel love's delirium like to thoseA2
Who of all other bliss bereftK
And cooped from each hale wind that blowsA2
Fondle amid a world of foesA2
The solitary friend that's leftK
Through whatso regions freemen roamL2
They find a hearth tK

Alfred Austin



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