Morte D'arthur Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKL MNGEBOPQMRSBTUMVWXYI ZAA2MMA MB2TCLA AC2SD2E2F2X MG2H2AI2J2K2AAAAL2M2 Z MN2A MPA O2P2AAAMQ2SZA OMAAAA R2AS2SKR2T2AU2V2AW2A X2Y2MXY2 OY2A AOZ BA MZA Z2MBZQ2AY2NAA3Y2Y2Y2 MA CAAAG2B3UZBMOYOMZ W2KA MY2Y2ASAOOYOA AC3AMA Y2OY2MY2Y2BASo all day long the noise of battle roll'd | A |
Among the mountains by the winter sea | B |
Until King Arthur's table man by man | C |
Had fallen in Lyonnesse about their Lord | D |
King Arthur then because his wound was deep | E |
The bold Sir Bedivere uplifted him | F |
Sir Bedivere the last of all his knights | G |
And bore him to a chapel nigh the field | H |
A broken chancel with a broken cross | I |
That stood on a dark strait of barren land | J |
On one side lay the ocean and on one | K |
Lay a great water and the moon was full | L |
- | |
Then spake King Arthur to Sir Bedivere | M |
quot The sequel of to day unsolders all | N |
The goodliest fellowship of famous knights | G |
Whereof this world holds record Such a sleep | E |
They sleep the men I loved I think that we | B |
Shall never more at any future time | O |
Delight our souls with talk of knightly deeds | P |
Walking about the gardens and the halls | Q |
Of Camelot as in the days that were | M |
I perish by this people which I made | R |
Tho' Merlin sware that I should come again | S |
To rule once more but let what will be be | B |
I am so deeply smitten thro' the helm | T |
That without help I cannot last till morn | U |
Thou therefore take my brand Excalibur | M |
Which was my pride for thou rememberest how | V |
In those old days one summer noon an arm | W |
Rose up from out the bosom of the lake | X |
Clothed in white samite mystic wonderful | Y |
Holding the sword and how I row'd across | I |
And took it and have worn it like a king | Z |
And wheresoever I am sung or told | A |
In aftertime this also shall be known | A2 |
But now delay not take Excalibur | M |
And fling him far into the middle mere | M |
Watch what thou se st and lightly bring me word quot | A |
- | |
To him replied the bold Sir Bedivere | M |
quot It is not meet Sir King to leave thee thus | B2 |
Aidless alone and smitten thro' the helm | T |
A little thing may harm a wounded man | C |
Yet I thy hest will all perform at full | L |
Watch what I see and lightly bring thee word quot | A |
- | |
So saying from the ruin'd shrine he stept | A |
And in the moon athwart the place of tombs | C2 |
Where lay the mighty bones of ancient men | S |
Old knights and over them the sea wind sang | D2 |
Shrill chill with flakes of foam He stepping down | E2 |
By zigzag paths and juts of pointed rock | F2 |
Came on the shining levels of the lake | X |
- | |
There drew he forth the brand Excalibur | M |
And o'er him drawing it the winter moon | G2 |
Brightening the skirts of a long cloud ran forth | H2 |
And sparkled keen with frost against the hilt | A |
For all the haft twinkled with diamond sparks | I2 |
Myriads of topaz lights and jacinth work | J2 |
Of subtlest jewellery He gazed so long | K2 |
That both his eyes were dazzled as he stood | A |
This way and that dividing the swift mind | A |
In act to throw but at the last it seem'd | A |
Better to leave Excalibur conceal'd | A |
There in the many knotted water flags | L2 |
That whistled stiff and dry about the marge | M2 |
So strode he back slow to the wounded King | Z |
- | |
Then spake King Arthur to Sir Bedivere | M |
quot Hast thou perform'd my mission which I gave | N2 |
What is it thou hast seen or what hast heard quot | A |
- | |
And answer made the bold Sir Bedivere | M |
quot I heard the ripple washing in the reeds | P |
And the wild water lapping on the crag quot | A |
- | |
To whom replied King Arthur faint and pale | O2 |
quot Thou hast betray'd thy nature and thy name | P2 |
Not rendering true answer as beseem'd | A |
Thy fealty nor like a noble knight | A |
For surer sign had follow'd either hand | A |
Or voice or else a motion of the mere | M |
This is a shameful thing for men to lie | Q2 |
Yet now I charge thee quickly go again | S |
As thou art lief and dear and do the thing | Z |
I bade thee watch and lightly bring me word quot | A |
- | |
Then went Sir Bedivere the second time | O |
Across the ridge and paced beside the mere | M |
Counting the dewy pebbles fixed in thought | A |
But when he saw the wonder of the hilt | A |
How curiously and strangely chased he smote | A |
His palms together and he cried aloud | A |
- | |
quot And if indeed I cast the brand away | R2 |
Surely a precious thing one worthy note | A |
Should thus be lost forever from the earth | S2 |
Which might have pleased the eyes of many men | S |
What good should follow this if this were done | K |
What harm undone deep harm to disobey | R2 |
Seeing obedience is the bond of rule | T2 |
Were it well to obey then if a king demand | A |
An act unprofitable against himself | U2 |
The King is sick and knows not what he does | V2 |
What record or what relic of my lord | A |
Should be to aftertime but empty breath | W2 |
And rumours of a doubt but were this kept | A |
Stored in some treasure house of mighty kings | X2 |
Some one might show it at a joust of arms | Y2 |
Saying 'King Arthur's sword Excalibur | M |
Wrought by the lonely maiden of the Lake | X |
Nine years she wrought it sitting in the deeps | Y2 |
Upon the hidden bases of the hills ' | - |
So might some old man speak in the aftertime | O |
To all the people winning reverence | Y2 |
But now much honour and much fame were lost quot | A |
- | |
So spake he clouded with his own conceit | A |
And hid Excalibur the second time | O |
And so strode back slow to the wounded King | Z |
- | |
Then spoke King Arthur breathing heavily | B |
quot What is it thou hast seen or what hast heard quot | A |
- | |
And answer made the bold Sir Bedivere | M |
quot I heard the water lapping on the crag | Z |
And the long ripple washing in the reeds quot | A |
- | |
To whom replied King Arthur much in wrath | Z2 |
quot Ah miserable and unkind untrue | M |
Unknightly traitor hearted Woe is me | B |
Authority forgets a dying king | Z |
Laid widow'd of the power in his eye | Q2 |
That bow'd the will I see thee what thou art | A |
For thou the latest left of all my knights | Y2 |
In whom should meet the offices of all | N |
Thou wouldst betray me for the precious hilt | A |
Either from lust of gold or like a girl | A3 |
Valuing the giddy pleasure of the eyes | Y2 |
Yet for a man may fail in duty twice | Y2 |
And the third time may prosper get thee hence | Y2 |
But if thou spare to fling Excalibur | M |
I will arise and slay thee with my hands quot | A |
- | |
Then quickly rose Sir Bedivere and ran | C |
And leaping down the ridges lightly plunged | A |
Among the bulrush beds and clutch'd the sword | A |
And strongly wheel'd and threw it The great brand | A |
Made lightnings in the splendour of the moon | G2 |
And flashing round and round and whirl'd in an arch | B3 |
Shot like a streamer of the northern morn | U |
Seen where the moving isles of winter shock | Z |
By night with noises of the northern sea | B |
So flash'd and fell the brand Excalibur | M |
But ere he dipt the surface rose an arm | O |
Clothed in white samite mystic wonderful | Y |
And caught him by the hilt and brandish'd him | O |
Three times and drew him under in the mere | M |
And lightly went the other to the King | Z |
- | |
Then spoke King Arthur drawing thicker breath | W2 |
quot Now see I by thine eyes that this is done | K |
Speak out what is it thou hast heard or seen quot | A |
- | |
And answer made the bold Sir Bedivere | M |
quot Sir King I closed mine eyelids lest the gems | Y2 |
Should blind my purpose for I never saw | Y2 |
Nor shall see here or elsewhere till I die | A |
Not tho' I live three lives of mortal men | S |
So great a miracle as yonder hilt | A |
Then with both hands I flung him wheeling him | O |
But when I look'd again behold an arm | O |
Clothed in white samite mystic wonderful | Y |
That caught him by the hilt and brandish'd him | O |
Three times and drew him under in the mere quot | A |
- | |
And answer made King Arthur breathing hard | A |
quot My end draws nigh 't is time that I were gone | C3 |
Make broad thy shoulders to receive my weight | A |
And bear me to the margin yet I fear | M |
My wound hath taken cold and I shall die quot | A |
- | |
So saying from the pavement he half rose | Y2 |
Slowly with pain reclining on his arm | O |
And looking wistfully with wide blue eyes | Y2 |
As in a picture Him Sir Bedivere | M |
Remorsefully regarded thro' his tears | Y2 |
And would have spoken but he found not words | Y2 |
Then took with care and kneeling on one knee | B |
O'er both his shoulders drew the languid hand | A |
Alfred Lord Tennyson
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