Balin And Balan Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJ KLMN OPQ RSTTLUVTWTX LYTZ YA2T UB2 TC2TTA2 T LD2E2XF2TTG2A2F2F2H2 A2LF2TLE2TT I2F2J2K2LA2 F2L2M2A2TLN2TTTL2 TA2T TF2A2TO2LA2TTA2GTA2A 2LTP2A2TXTTRXQ2D2 TTA2XA2A2ZTF2R2A2Q2T D2S2D2T2TXRA2TU2Q2TA 2V2W2F2Q2Q2 TTF2A2Q2D2TF2TU2A2TL XTXQ2TTQ2A2E2F2TX2

Pellam the King who held and lost with LotA
In that first war and had his realm restoredB
But rendered tributary failed of lateC
To send his tribute wherefore Arthur calledD
His treasurer one of many years and spakeE
'Go thou with him and him and bring it to usF
Lest we should set one truer on his throneG
Man's word is God in man 'H
His Baron saidI
'We go but harken there be two strange knightsJ
-
Who sit near Camelot at a fountain sideK
A mile beneath the forest challengingL
And overthrowing every knight who comesM
Wilt thou I undertake them as we passN
And send them to thee '-
Arthur laughed upon himO
'Old friend too old to be so young departP
Delay not thou for aught but let them sitQ
Until they find a lustier than themselves '-
-
So these departed Early one fair dawnR
The light winged spirit of his youth returnedS
On Arthur's heart he armed himself and wentT
So coming to the fountain side beheldT
Balin and Balan sitting statuelikeL
Brethren to right and left the spring that downU
From underneath a plume of lady fernV
Sang and the sand danced at the bottom of itT
And on the right of Balin Balin's horseW
Was fast beside an alder on the leftT
Of Balan Balan's near a poplartreeX
'Fair Sirs ' said Arthur 'wherefore sit ye here '-
Balin and Balan answered 'For the sakeL
Of glory we be mightier men than allY
In Arthur's court that also have we provedT
For whatsoever knight against us cameZ
Or I or he have easily overthrown '-
'I too ' said Arthur 'am of Arthur's hallY
But rather proven in his Paynim warsA2
Than famous jousts but see or proven or notT
Whether me likewise ye can overthrow '-
And Arthur lightly smote the brethren downU
And lightly so returned and no man knewB2
-
Then Balin rose and Balan and besideT
The carolling water set themselves againC2
And spake no word until the shadow turnedT
When from the fringe of coppice round them burstT
A spangled pursuivant and crying 'SirsA2
Rise follow ye be sent for by the King '-
They followed whom when Arthur seeing askedT
'Tell me your names why sat ye by the well '-
Balin the stillness of a minute brokeL
Saying 'An unmelodious name to theeD2
Balin the Savage that addition thineE2
My brother and my better this man hereX
Balan I smote upon the naked skullF2
A thrall of thine in open hall my handT
Was gauntleted half slew him for I heardT
He had spoken evil of me thy just wrathG2
Sent me a three years' exile from thine eyesA2
I have not lived my life delightsomelyF2
For I that did that violence to thy thrallF2
Had often wrought some fury on myselfH2
Saving for Balan those three kingless yearsA2
Have past were wormwood bitter to me KingL
Methought that if we sat beside the wellF2
And hurled to ground what knight soever spurredT
Against us thou would'st take me gladlier backL
And make as ten times worthier to be thineE2
Than twenty Balins Balan knight I have saidT
Not so not all A man of thine todayT
Abashed us both and brake my boast Thy will '-
Said Arthur 'Thou hast ever spoken truthI2
Thy too fierce manhood would not let thee lieF2
Rise my true knight As children learn be thouJ2
Wiser for falling walk with me and moveK2
To music with thine Order and the KingL
Thy chair a grief to all the brethren standsA2
Vacant but thou retake it mine again '-
-
Thereafter when Sir Balin entered hallF2
The Lost one Found was greeted as in HeavenL2
With joy that blazed itself in woodland wealthM2
Of leaf and gayest garlandage of flowersA2
Along the walls and down the board they satT
And cup clashed cup they drank and some one sangL
Sweet voiced a song of welcome whereuponN2
Their common shout in chorus mounting madeT
Those banners of twelve battles overheadT
Stir as they stirred of old when Arthur's hostT
Proclaimed him Victor and the day was wonL2
-
Then Balan added to their Order livedT
A wealthier life than heretofore with theseA2
And Balin till their embassage returnedT
-
'Sir King' they brought report 'we hardly foundT
So bushed about it is with gloom the hallF2
Of him to whom ye sent us Pellam onceA2
A Christless foe of thine as ever dashedT
Horse against horse but seeing that thy realmO2
Hath prospered in the name of Christ the KingL
Took as in rival heat to holy thingsA2
And finds himself descended from the SaintT
Arimathan Joseph him who firstT
Brought the great faith to Britain over seasA2
He boasts his life as purer than thine ownG
Eats scarce enow to keep his pulse abeatT
Hath pushed aside his faithful wife nor letsA2
Or dame or damsel enter at his gatesA2
Lest he should be polluted This gray KingL
Showed us a shrine wherein were wonders yeaT
Rich arks with priceless bones of martyrdomP2
Thorns of the crown and shivers of the crossA2
And therewithal for thus he told us broughtT
By holy Joseph thither that same spearX
Wherewith the Roman pierced the side of ChristT
He much amazed us after when we soughtT
The tribute answered I have quite foregoneR
All matters of this world Garlon mine heirX
Of him demand it which this Garlon gaveQ2
With much ado railing at thine and theeD2
-
'But when we left in those deep woods we foundT
A knight of thine spear stricken from behindT
Dead whom we buried more than one of usA2
Cried out on Garlon but a woodman thereX
Reported of some demon in the woodsA2
Was once a man who driven by evil tonguesA2
From all his fellows lived alone and cameZ
To learn black magic and to hate his kindT
With such a hate that when he died his soulF2
Became a Fiend which as the man in lifeR2
Was wounded by blind tongues he saw not whenceA2
Strikes from behind This woodman showed the caveQ2
From which he sallies and wherein he dweltT
We saw the hoof print of a horse no more '-
-
Then Arthur 'Let who goes before me seeD2
He do not fall behind me foully slainS2
And villainously who will hunt for meD2
This demon of the woods ' Said Balan 'I'T2
So claimed the quest and rode away but firstT
Embracing Balin 'Good my brother hearX
Let not thy moods prevail when I am goneR
Who used to lay them hold them outer fiendsA2
Who leap at thee to tear thee shake them asideT
Dreams ruling when wit sleeps yea but to dreamU2
That any of these would wrong thee wrongs thyselfQ2
Witness their flowery welcome Bound are theyT
To speak no evil Truly save for fearsA2
My fears for thee so rich a fellowshipV2
Would make me wholly blest thou one of themW2
Be one indeed consider them and allF2
Their bearing in their common bond of loveQ2
No more of hatred than in Heaven itselfQ2
No more of jealousy than in Paradise '-
-
So Balan warned and went Balin remainedT
Who for but three brief moons had glanced awayT
From being knighted till he smote the thrallF2
And faded from the presence into yearsA2
Of exile now would strictlier set himselfQ2
To learn what Arthur meant by courtesyD2
Manhood and knighthood wherefore hovered roundT
Lancelot but when he marked his high sweet smileF2
In passing and a transitory wordT
Make knight or churl or child or damsel seemU2
From being smiled at happier in themselvesA2
Sighed as a boy lame born beneath a heightT
That glooms his valley sighs to see the peakL
Sun flushed or touch at night the northern starX
For one from out his village lately climedT
And brought report of azure lands and fairX
Far seen to left and right and he himselfQ2
Hath hardly scaled with help a hundred feetT
Up from the base so Balin marvelling oftT
How far beyond him Lancelot seemed to moveQ2
Groaned and at times would mutter 'These be giftsA2
Born with the blood not learnable divineE2
Beyond MY reach Well had I foughten wellF2
In those fierce wars struck hard and had I crownedT
With my slain self the heaps oX2

Alfred Lord Tennyson



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