Merlin And Vivien Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCD ECFGDBHIJJB BCKB BBBHLBMM NMOMPQ HBRPPCBSBMHTQBQIBCMB MBTB CBDHB BMMBBCBMCBBTKBCUMM MMBMBIIRCKBB CVMIM BBWBCTBXMCYMIITIHBR ZBQM M UMNA2BIB LBBBBBB2BDI BC2B BBD2UME2BMBF2CSMG2CZ MMMMBCME2B

A storm was coming but the winds were stillA
And in the wild woods of BroceliandeB
Before an oak so hollow huge and oldB
It looked a tower of ivied masonworkC
At Merlin's feet the wily Vivien layD
-
For he that always bare in bitter grudgeE
The slights of Arthur and his Table MarkC
The Cornish King had heard a wandering voiceF
A minstrel of Caerlon by strong stormG
Blown into shelter at Tintagil sayD
That out of naked knightlike purityB
Sir Lancelot worshipt no unmarried girlH
But the great Queen herself fought in her nameI
Sware by her vows like theirs that high in heavenJ
Love most but neither marry nor are givenJ
In marriage angels of our Lord's reportB
-
He ceased and then for Vivien sweetly saidB
She sat beside the banquet nearest MarkC
'And is the fair example followed SirK
In Arthur's household ' answered innocentlyB
-
'Ay by some few ay truly youths that holdB
It more beseems the perfect virgin knightB
To worship woman as true wife beyondB
All hopes of gaining than as maiden girlH
They place their pride in Lancelot and the QueenL
So passionate for an utter purityB
Beyond the limit of their bond are theseM
For Arthur bound them not to singlenessM
Brave hearts and clean and yet God guide them young '-
-
Then Mark was half in heart to hurl his cupN
Straight at the speaker but forbore he roseM
To leave the hall and Vivien following himO
Turned to her 'Here are snakes within the grassM
And you methinks O Vivien save ye fearP
The monkish manhood and the mask of pureQ
Worn by this court can stir them till they sting '-
-
And Vivien answered smiling scornfullyH
'Why fear because that fostered at THY courtB
I savour of thy virtues fear them noR
As Love if Love is perfect casts out fearP
So Hate if Hate is perfect casts out fearP
My father died in battle against the KingC
My mother on his corpse in open fieldB
She bore me there for born from death was IS
Among the dead and sown upon the windB
And then on thee and shown the truth betimesM
That old true filth and bottom of the wellH
Where Truth is hidden Gracious lessons thineT
And maxims of the mud This Arthur pureQ
Great Nature through the flesh herself hath madeB
Gives him the lie There is no being pureQ
My cherub saith not Holy Writ the sameI
If I were Arthur I would have thy bloodB
Thy blessing stainless King I bring thee backC
When I have ferreted out their burrowingsM
The hearts of all this Order in mine handB
Ay so that fate and craft and folly closeM
Perchance one curl of Arthur's golden beardB
To me this narrow grizzled fork of thineT
Is cleaner fashioned Well I loved thee firstB
That warps the wit '-
-
Loud laughed the graceless MarkC
But Vivien into Camelot stealing lodgedB
Low in the city and on a festal dayD
When Guinevere was crossing the great hallH
Cast herself down knelt to the Queen and wailedB
-
'Why kneel ye there What evil hath ye wroughtB
Rise ' and the damsel bidden rise aroseM
And stood with folded hands and downward eyesM
Of glancing corner and all meekly saidB
'None wrought but suffered much an orphan maidB
My father died in battle for thy KingC
My mother on his corpse in open fieldB
The sad sea sounding wastes of LyonnesseM
Poor wretch no friend and now by Mark the KingC
For that small charm of feature mine pursuedB
If any such be mine I fly to theeB
Save save me thou Woman of women thineT
The wreath of beauty thine the crown of powerK
Be thine the balm of pity O Heaven's own whiteB
Earth angel stainless bride of stainless KingC
Help for he follows take me to thyselfU
O yield me shelter for mine innocencyM
Among thy maidensM
-
Here her slow sweet eyesM
Fear tremulous but humbly hopeful roseM
Fixt on her hearer's while the Queen who stoodB
All glittering like May sunshine on May leavesM
In green and gold and plumed with green repliedB
'Peace child of overpraise and overblameI
We choose the last Our noble Arthur himI
Ye scarce can overpraise will hear and knowR
Nay we believe all evil of thy MarkC
Well we shall test thee farther but this hourK
We ride a hawking with Sir LancelotB
He hath given us a fair falcon which he trainedB
We go to prove it Bide ye here the while '-
-
She past and Vivien murmured after 'GoC
I bide the while ' Then through the portal archV
Peering askance and muttering broken wiseM
As one that labours with an evil dreamI
Beheld the Queen and Lancelot get to horseM
-
'Is that the Lancelot goodly ay but gauntB
Courteous amends for gauntness takes her handB
That glance of theirs but for the street had beenW
A clinging kiss how hand lingers in handB
Let go at last they ride away to hawkC
For waterfowl Royaller game is mineT
For such a supersensual sensual bondB
As that gray cricket chirpt of at our hearthX
Touch flax with flame a glance will serve the liarsM
Ah little rat that borest in the dykeC
Thy hole by night to let the boundless deepY
Down upon far off cities while they danceM
Or dream of thee they dreamed not nor of meI
These ay but each of either ride and dreamI
The mortal dream that never yet was mineT
Ride ride and dream until ye wake to meI
Then narrow court and lubber King farewellH
For Lancelot will be gracious to the ratB
And our wise Queen if knowing that I knowR
Will hate loathe fear but honour me the more '-
-
Yet while they rode together down the plainZ
Their talk was all of training terms of artB
Diet and seeling jesses leash and lureQ
'She is too noble' he said 'to check at piesM
Nor will she rake there is no baseness in her '-
Here when the Queen demanded as by chanceM
'Know ye the stranger woman ' 'Let her be '-
Said Lancelot and unhooded casting offU
The goodly falcon free she towered her bellsM
Tone under tone shrilled and they lifted upN
Their eager faces wondering at the strengthA2
Boldness and royal knighthood of the birdB
Who pounced her quarry and slew it Many a timeI
As once of old among the flowers they rodeB
-
But Vivien half forgotten of the QueenL
Among her damsels broidering sat heard watchedB
And whispered through the peaceful court she creptB
And whispered then as Arthur in the highestB
Leavened the world so Vivien in the lowestB
Arriving at a time of golden restB
And sowing one ill hint from ear to earB2
While all the heathen lay at Arthur's feetB
And no quest came but all was joust and playD
Leavened his hall They heard and let her beI
-
Thereafter as an enemy that has leftB
Death in the living waters and withdrawnC2
The wily Vivien stole from Arthur's courtB
-
She hated all the knights and heard in thoughtB
Their lavish comment when her name was namedB
For once when Arthur walking all aloneD2
Vext at a rumour issued from herselfU
Of some corruption crept among his knightsM
Had met her Vivien being greeted fairE2
Would fain have wrought upon his cloudy moodB
With reverent eyes mock loyal shaken voiceM
And fluttered adoration and at lastB
With dark sweet hints of some who prized him moreF2
Than who should prize him most at which the KingC
Had gazed upon her blankly and gone byS
But one had watched and had not held his peaceM
It made the laughter of an afternoonG2
That Vivien should attempt the blameless KingC
And after that she set herself to gainZ
Him the most famous man of all those timesM
Merlin who knew the range of all their artsM
Had built the King his havens ships and hallsM
Was also Bard and knew the starry heavensM
The people called him Wizard whom at firstB
She played about with slight and sprightly talkC
And vivid smiles and faintly venomed pointsM
Of slander glancing here and grazing thereE2
And yielding to his kindlier moodB

Alfred Lord Tennyson



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about Merlin And Vivien poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 101 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets