The Gardener's Daughter Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJCKCCLMNOPQ RSHHTUVWCHWHHOHXYZUA 2B2C2D2E2F2F2G2H2I2H HCHJ2K2QOHOL2B2M2HN2 O2P2Q2R2VHA2HF2S2HT2 HHU2V2W2F2QHGX2HHY2Z 2A3HHB3C3D3HCE3F3G3F 3WH3OWHHI3J3K3L3HEM3 HHM3N3WO3HVP3HHQ3HVE 2F3HF2HHHHR3S3HHT3P3 M3HHHVQP3HS3WM3HHHHS 3M2HU3V3HVW3X3HCHY3Z 3OWA3R3QA4E3B4C4D4M3 HE2HH2HHM3E4HOX3A2B2 F4HG4HH4HQHKHF2QWHI4 UHVHHJ4K4E2HHHHH4HVQ F2YHHCO3F2B4WHN2I2M3 L4HM3UM4N4S3F2W3HHXG 4O4UP4M3F2Q4R4OM3S4H T4HF2HR4HS2HM3U4M3VH M4V4W4

This morning is the morning of the dayA
When I and Eustace from the city wentB
To see the Gardener's Daughter I and heC
Brothers in Art a friendship so completeD
Portion'd in halves between us that we grewE
The fable of the city where we dweltF
My Eustace might have sat for HerculesG
So muscular he spread so broad of breastH
He by some law that holds in love and drawsI
The greater to the lesser long desiredJ
A certain miracle of symmetryC
A miniature of loveliness all graceK
Summ'd up and closed in little Juliet sheC
So light of foot so light of spirit oh sheC
To me myself for some three careless moonsL
The summer pilot of an empty heartM
Unto the shores of nothing Know you notN
Such touches are but embassies of loveO
To tamper with the feelings ere he foundP
Empire for life but Eustace painted herQ
And said to me she sitting with us thenR
'When will you paint like this ' and I repliedS
My words were half in earnest half in jestH
''Tis not your work but Love's Love unperceivedH
A more ideal Artist he than allT
Came drew your pencil from you made those eyesU
Darker than darkest pansies and that hairV
More black than ashbuds in the front of March 'W
And Juliet answer'd laughing 'Go and seeC
The Gardener's daughter trust me after thatH
You scarce can fail to match his masterpiece 'W
And up we rose and on the spur we wentH
Not wholly in the busy world nor quiteH
Beyond it blooms the garden that I loveO
News from the humming city comes to itH
In sound of funeral or of marriage bellsX
And sitting muffled in dark leaves you hearY
The windy clanging of the minster clockZ
Although between it and the garden liesU
A league of grass wash'd by a slow broad streamA2
That stirr'd with languid pulses of the oarB2
Waves all its lazy lilies and creeps onC2
Barge laden to three arches of a bridgeD2
Crown'd with the minster towersE2
The fields betweenF2
Are dewy fresh browsed by deep udder'd kineF2
And all about the large lime feathers lowG2
The lime a summer home of murmurous wingsH2
In that still place she hoarded in herselfI2
Grew seldom seen not less among us livedH
Her fame from lip to lip Who had not heardH
Of Rose the Gardener's daughter Where was heC
So blunt in memory so old at heartH
At such a distance from his youth in griefJ2
That having seen forgot The common mouthK2
So gross to express delight in praise of herQ
Grew oratory Such a lord is LoveO
And Beauty such a mistress of the worldH
And if I said that Fancy led by LoveO
Would play with flying forms and imagesL2
Yet this is also true that long beforeB2
I look'd upon her when I heard her nameM2
My heart was like a prophet to my heartH
And told me I should love A crowd of hopesN2
That sought to sow themselves like winged seedsO2
Born out of everything I heard and sawP2
Flutter'd about my senses and my soulQ2
And vague desires like fitful blasts of balmR2
To one that travels quickly made the airV
Of Life delicious and all kinds of thoughtH
That verged upon them sweeter than the dreamA2
Dream'd by a happy man when the dark EastH
Unseen is brightening to his bridal mornF2
And sure this orbit of the memory foldsS2
For ever in itself the day we wentH
To see her All the land in flowery squaresT2
Beneath a broad and equal blowing windH
Smelt of the coming summer as one large cloudH
Drew downward but all else of heaven was pureU2
Up to the Sun and May from verge to vergeV2
And May with me from head to heelW2
And nowF2
As tho' 'twere yesterday as tho' it wereQ
The hour just flown that morn with all its soundH
For those old Mays had thrice the life of theseG
Rings in mine ears The steer forgot to grazeX2
And where the hedge row cuts the pathway stoodH
Leaning his horns into the neighbour fieldH
And lowing to his fellows Froth the woodsY2
Came voices of the well contented dovesZ2
The lark could scarce get out his notes for joyA3
But shook his song together as he near'dH
His happy home the ground To left and rightH
The cuckoo told his name to all the hillsB3
The mellow ouzel fluted in the elmC3
The redcap whistled and the nightingaleD3
Sang loud as tho' he were the bird of dayH
And Eustace turn'd and smiling said to meC
'Hear how the bushes echo by my lifeE3
These birds have joyful thoughts Think you they singF3
Like poets from the vanity of songG3
Or have they any sense of why they singF3
And would they praise the heavens for what they have 'W
And I made answer 'Were there nothing elseH3
For which to praise the heavens but only loveO
That only love were cause enough for praise 'W
Lightly he laugh'd as one that read my thoughtH
And on we went but ere an hour had pass'dH
We reach'd a meadow slanting to the NorthI3
Down which a well worn pathway courted usJ3
To one green wicket in a privet hedgeK3
This yielding gave into a grassy walkL3
Thro' crowded lilac ambush trimly prunedH
And one warm gust full fed with perfume blewE
Beyond us as we enter'd in the coolM3
The garden stretches southward In the midstH
A cedar spread his dark green layers of shadeH
The garden glasses glanced and momentlyM3
The twinkling laurel scatter'd silver lightsN3
'Eustace ' I said 'this wonder keeps the house 'W
He nodded but a moment afterwardsO3
He cried 'Look look ' Before he ceased I turn'dH
And ere a star can wink beheld her thereV
For up the porch there grew an Eastern roseP3
That flowering high the last night's gale had caughtH
And blown across the walk One arm aloftH
Gown'd in pure white that fitted to the shapeQ3
Holding the bush to fix it back she stoodH
A single stream of all her soft brown hairV
Pour'd on one side the shadow of the flowersE2
Stole all the golden gloss and waveringF3
Lovingly lower trembled on her waistH
Ah happy shade and still went wavering downF2
But ere it touch'd a foot that might have dancedH
The greensward into greener circles diptH
And mix'd with shadows of the common groundH
But the full day dwelt on her brows and sunn'dH
Her violet eyes and all her Hebe bloomR3
And doubled his own warmth against her lipsS3
And on the bounteous wave of such a breastH
As never pencil drew Half light half shadeH
She stood a sight to make an old man youngT3
So rapt we near'd the house but she a RoseP3
In roses mingled with her fragrant toilM3
Nor heard us come nor from her tendance turn'dH
Into the world without till close at handH
And almost ere I knew mine own intentH
This murmur broke the stillness of that airV
Which brooded round about herQ
'Ah one roseP3
One rose but one by those fair fingers cull'dH
Were worth a hundred kisses press'd on lipsS3
Less exquisite than thine 'W
She look'd but allM3
Suffused with blushes neither self possess'dH
Nor startled but betwixt this mood and thatH
Divided in a graceful quiet pausedH
And dropt the branch she held and turning woundH
Her looser hair in braid and stirr'd her lipsS3
For some sweet answer tho' no answer cameM2
Nor yet refused the rose but granted itH
And moved away and left me statue likeU3
In act to render thanksV3
I that whole dayH
Saw her no more altho' I linger'd thereV
Till every daisy slept and Love's white starW3
Beam'd thro' the thicken'd cedar in the duskX3
So home we went and all the livelong wayH
With solemn gibe did Eustace banter meC
'Now ' said he ' will you climb the top of ArtH
You cannot fail but work in hues to dimY3
The Titianic Flora Will you matchZ3
My Juliet you not you the Master LoveO
A more ideal Artist he than all 'W
So home I went but could not sleep for JoyA3
Reading her perfect features in the gloomR3
Kissing the rose she gave me o'er and o'erQ
And shaping faithful record of the glanceA4
That graced the giving such a noise of lifeE3
Swarm'd in the golden present such a voiceB4
Call'd to me from the years to come and suchC4
A length of bright horizon rimm'd the darkD4
And all that night I heard the watchman pealM3
The sliding season all that night I heardH
The heavy clocks knolling the drowsy hoursE2
The drowsy hours dispensers of all goodH
O'er the mute city stole with folded wingsH2
Distilling odours on me as they wentH
To greet their fairer sisters of the EastH
Love at first sight first born and heir to allM3
Made this night thus Henceforward squall nor stormE4
Could keep me from that Eden where she dweltH
Light pretexts drew me sometimes a Dutch loveO
For tulips then for roses moss or muskX3
To grace my city rooms or fruits and creamA2
Served in the weeping elm and more and moreB2
A word could bring the colour to my cheekF4
A thought would fill my eyes with happy dewH
Love trebled life within me and with eachG4
The year increasedH
The daughters of the yearH4
One after one thro' that still garden pass'dH
Each garlanded with her peculiar flowerQ
Danced into light and died into the shadeH
And each in passing touch'd with some new graceK
Or seem'd to touch her so that day by dayH
Like one that never can be wholly knownF2
Her beauty grew till Autumn brought an hourQ
For Eustace when I heard his deep 'I will 'W
Breathed like the covenant of a God to holdH
From thence thro' all the worlds but I rose upI4
Full of his bliss and following her dark eyesU
Felt earth as air beneath me till I reach'dH
The wicket gate and found her standing thereV
There sat we down upon a garden moundH
Two mutually enfolded Love the thirdH
Between us in the circle of his armsJ4
Enwound us both and over many a rangeK4
Of waning lime the gray cathedral towersE2
Across a hazy glimmer of the westH
Reveal'd their shining windows from them clash'dH
The bells we listen'd with the time we play'dH
We spoke of other things we coursed aboutH
The subject most at heart more near and nearH4
Like doves about a dovecote wheeling roundH
The central wish until we settled thereV
Then in that time and place I spoke to herQ
Requiring tho' I knew it was mine ownF2
Yet for the pleasure that I took to hearY
Requiring at her hand the greatest giftH
A woman's heart the heart of her I lovedH
And in that time and place she answer'd meC
And in the compass of three little wordsO3
More musical than ever came in oneF2
The silver fragments of a broken voiceB4
Made me most happy faltering 'I am thine 'W
Shall I cease here Is this enough to sayH
That my desire like all strongest hopesN2
By its own energy fulfill'd itselfI2
Merged in completion Would you learn at fullM3
How passion rose thro' circumstantial gradesL4
Beyond all grades develop'd and indeedH
I had not staid so long to tell you allM3
But while I mused came Memory with sad eyesU
Holding the folded annals of my youthM4
And while I nursed Love with knit brows went byN4
And with a flying finger swept my lipsS3
And spake 'Be wise not easily forgivenF2
Are those who setting wide the doors that barW3
The secret bridal chambers of the heartH
Let in the day ' Here then my words have endH
Yet might I tell of meetings of farewellsX
Of that which came between more sweet than eachG4
In whispers like the whispers of the leavesO4
That tremble round a nightingale in sighsU
Which perfect Joy perplex'd for utteranceP4
Stole from her sister Sorrow Might I not tellM3
Of difference reconcilement pledges givenF2
And vows where there was never need of vowsQ4
And kisses where the heart on one wild leapR4
Hung tranced from all pulsation as aboveO
The heavens between their fairy fleeces paleM3
Sow'd all their mystic gulfs with fleeting starsS4
Or while the balmy glooming crescent litH
Spread the light haze along the river shoresT4
And in the hollows or as once we metH
Unheedful tho' beneath a whispering rainF2
Night slid down one long stream of sighing windH
And in her bosom bore the baby SleepR4
But this whole hour your eyes have been intentH
On that veil'd picture veil'd for what it holdsS2
May not be dwelt on by the common dayH
This prelude has prepared thee Raise thy soulM3
Make thine heart ready with thine eyes the timeU4
Is come to raise the veilM3
Behold her thereV
As I beheld her ere she knew my heartH
My first last love the idol of my youthM4
The darling of my manhood and alasV4
Now the most blessed memory of mine ageW4

Alfred Lord Tennyson



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