Lancelot And Elaine Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBBCDBEBBFBCBGBHIBB JABKBLM BNBMNM OMLIBBBABBMLBMMALMLB B MMBMMMLAIBPAQLMLB BBLBIQI MMLAOQQBLBLMAOML NMBR LMBBBMMMBMMQBOQIQ IOBLMSMMMBAMATMBMDQ MBIB LAMBUNLOBQDMI MLQBMMVMMMLLBLBLBBMW

Elaine the fair Elaine the loveableA
Elaine the lily maid of AstolatB
High in her chamber up a tower to the eastB
Guarded the sacred shield of LancelotB
Which first she placed where the morning's earliest rayC
Might strike it and awake her with the gleamD
Then fearing rust or soilure fashioned for itB
A case of silk and braided thereuponE
All the devices blazoned on the shieldB
In their own tinct and added of her witB
A border fantasy of branch and flowerF
And yellow throated nestling in the nestB
Nor rested thus content but day by dayC
Leaving her household and good father climbedB
That eastern tower and entering barred her doorG
Stript off the case and read the naked shieldB
Now guessed a hidden meaning in his armsH
Now made a pretty history to herselfI
Of every dint a sword had beaten in itB
And every scratch a lance had made upon itB
Conjecturing when and where this cut is freshJ
That ten years back this dealt him at CaerlyleA
That at Caerleon this at CamelotB
And ah God's mercy what a stroke was thereK
And here a thrust that might have killed but GodB
Broke the strong lance and rolled his enemy downL
And saved him so she lived in fantasyM
-
How came the lily maid by that good shieldB
Of Lancelot she that knew not even his nameN
He left it with her when he rode to tiltB
For the great diamond in the diamond joustsM
Which Arthur had ordained and by that nameN
Had named them since a diamond was the prizeM
-
For Arthur long before they crowned him KingO
Roving the trackless realms of LyonnesseM
Had found a glen gray boulder and black tarnL
A horror lived about the tarn and claveI
Like its own mists to all the mountain sideB
For here two brothers one a king had metB
And fought together but their names were lostB
And each had slain his brother at a blowA
And down they fell and made the glen abhorredB
And there they lay till all their bones were bleachedB
And lichened into colour with the cragsM
And he that once was king had on a crownL
Of diamonds one in front and four asideB
And Arthur came and labouring up the passM
All in a misty moonshine unawaresM
Had trodden that crowned skeleton and the skullA
Brake from the nape and from the skull the crownL
Rolled into light and turning on its rimsM
Fled like a glittering rivulet to the tarnL
And down the shingly scaur he plunged and caughtB
And set it on his head and in his heartB
Heard murmurs 'Lo thou likewise shalt be King '-
-
Thereafter when a King he had the gemsM
Plucked from the crown and showed them to his knightsM
Saying 'These jewels whereupon I chancedB
Divinely are the kingdom's not the King'sM
For public use henceforward let there beM
Once every year a joust for one of theseM
For so by nine years' proof we needs must learnL
Which is our mightiest and ourselves shall growA
In use of arms and manhood till we driveI
The heathen who some say shall rule the landB
Hereafter which God hinder ' Thus he spokeP
And eight years past eight jousts had been and stillA
Had Lancelot won the diamond of the yearQ
With purpose to present them to the QueenL
When all were won but meaning all at onceM
To snare her royal fancy with a boonL
Worth half her realm had never spoken wordB
-
Now for the central diamond and the lastB
And largest Arthur holding then his courtB
Hard on the river nigh the place which nowL
Is this world's hugest let proclaim a joustB
At Camelot and when the time drew nighI
Spake for she had been sick to GuinevereQ
'Are you so sick my Queen you cannot moveI
To these fair jousts ' 'Yea lord ' she said 'ye know it '-
'Then will ye miss ' he answered 'the great deedsM
Of Lancelot and his prowess in the listsM
A sight ye love to look on ' And the QueenL
Lifted her eyes and they dwelt languidlyA
On Lancelot where he stood beside the KingO
He thinking that he read her meaning thereQ
'Stay with me I am sick my love is moreQ
Than many diamonds ' yielded and a heartB
Love loyal to the least wish of the QueenL
However much he yearned to make completeB
The tale of diamonds for his destined boonL
Urged him to speak against the truth and sayM
'Sir King mine ancient wound is hardly wholeA
And lets me from the saddle ' and the KingO
Glanced first at him then her and went his wayM
No sooner gone than suddenly she beganL
-
'To blame my lord Sir Lancelot much to blameN
Why go ye not to these fair jousts the knightsM
Are half of them our enemies and the crowdB
Will murmur Lo the shameless ones who takeR
Their pastime now the trustful King is gone '-
Then Lancelot vext at having lied in vainL
'Are ye so wise ye were not once so wiseM
My Queen that summer when ye loved me firstB
Then of the crowd ye took no more accountB
Than of the myriad cricket of the meadB
When its own voice clings to each blade of grassM
And every voice is nothing As to knightsM
Them surely can I silence with all easeM
But now my loyal worship is allowedB
Of all men many a bard without offenceM
Has linked our names together in his layM
Lancelot the flower of bravery GuinevereQ
The pearl of beauty and our knights at feastB
Have pledged us in this union while the KingO
Would listen smiling How then is there moreQ
Has Arthur spoken aught or would yourselfI
Now weary of my service and devoirQ
Henceforth be truer to your faultless lord '-
-
She broke into a little scornful laughI
'Arthur my lord Arthur the faultless KingO
That passionate perfection my good lordB
But who can gaze upon the Sun in heavenL
He never spake word of reproach to meM
He never had a glimpse of mine untruthS
He cares not for me only here todayM
There gleamed a vague suspicion in his eyesM
Some meddling rogue has tampered with him elseM
Rapt in this fancy of his Table RoundB
And swearing men to vows impossibleA
To make them like himself but friend to meM
He is all fault who hath no fault at allA
For who loves me must have a touch of earthT
The low sun makes the colour I am yoursM
Not Arthur's as ye know save by the bondB
And therefore hear my words go to the joustsM
The tiny trumpeting gnat can break our dreamD
When sweetest and the vermin voices hereQ
May buzz so loud we scorn them but they sting '-
-
Then answered Lancelot the chief of knightsM
'And with what face after my pretext madeB
Shall I appear O Queen at Camelot II
Before a King who honours his own wordB
As if it were his God's '-
-
'Yea ' said the QueenL
'A moral child without the craft to ruleA
Else had he not lost me but listen to meM
If I must find you wit we hear it saidB
That men go down before your spear at a touchU
But knowing you are Lancelot your great nameN
This conquers hide it therefore go unknownL
Win by this kiss you will and our true KingO
Will then allow your pretext O my knightB
As all for glory for to speak him trueQ
Ye know right well how meek soe'er he seemD
No keener hunter after glory breathesM
He loves it in his knights more than himselfI
They prove to him his work win and return '-
-
Then got Sir Lancelot suddenly to horseM
Wroth at himself Not willing to be knownL
He left the barren beaten thoroughfareQ
Chose the green path that showed the rarer footB
And there among the solitary downsM
Full often lost in fancy lost his wayM
Till as he traced a faintly shadowed trackV
That all in loops and links among the dalesM
Ran to the Castle of Astolat he sawM
Fired from the west far on a hill the towersM
Thither he made and blew the gateway hornL
Then came an old dumb myriad wrinkled manL
Who let him into lodging and disarmedB
And Lancelot marvelled at the wordless manL
And issuing found the Lord of AstolatB
With two strong sons Sir Torre and Sir LavaineL
Moving to meet him in the castle courtB
And close behind them stept the lily maidB
Elaine his daughter mother of the houseM
There was not some light jest among themW

Alfred Lord Tennyson



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Write your comment about Lancelot And Elaine poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson


Elaine Hopgood Davila: Yes, and I am not the lili maid of Astolat but my mom loved this poem so much she named me after her.
Shirley Ephraim: Much too long!!
 

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