The Lotos-eaters Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABBCBCC DEDEEFEFF EGEGGHGHH IJIJJKJKK ALALLMLMM N FFFFFFFOOOO FFFEFEEFFPFPF QRSSEGSTGTFFGG J F FUVUVUJFJJFF F CCCTTWXWXFFFFFF FFYZYA2ZFA2FGEGEB2EB 2FF FFGFFGC2EC2EEE D2D2EEEFFFE2E2E2F2F2 F2FFFNNNGGGGGGLLL

Courage he said and pointed toward the landA
This mounting wave will roll us shoreward soonB
In the afternoon they came unto a landA
In which it seemed always afternoonB
All round the coast the languid air did swoonB
Breathing like one that hath a weary dreamC
Full faced above the valley stood the moonB
And like a downward smoke the slender streamC
Along the cliff to fall and pause and fall did seemC
-
A land of streams some like a downward smokeD
Slow dropping veils of thinnest lawn did goE
And some thro' wavering lights and shadows brokeD
Rolling a slumbrous sheet of foam belowE
They saw the gleaming river seaward flowE
From the inner land far off three mountain topsF
Three silent pinnacles of aged snowE
Stood sunset flush'd and dew'd with showery dropsF
Up clomb the shadowy pine above the woven copseF
-
The charmed sunset linger'd low adownE
In the red West thro' mountain clefts the daleG
Was seen far inland and the yellow downE
Border'd with palm and many a winding valeG
And meadow set with slender galingaleG
A land where all things always seem'd the sameH
And round about the keel with faces paleG
Dark faces pale against that rosy flameH
The mild eyed melancholy Lotos eaters cameH
-
Branches they bore of that enchanted stemI
Laden with flower and fruit whereof they gaveJ
To each but whoso did receive of themI
And taste to him the gushing of the waveJ
Far far away did seem to mourn and raveJ
On alien shores and if his fellow spakeK
His voice was thin as voices from the graveJ
And deep asleep he seem'd yet all awakeK
And music in his ears his beating heart did makeK
-
They sat them down upon the yellow sandA
Between the sun and moon upon the shoreL
And sweet it was to dream of FatherlandA
Of child and wife and slave but evermoreL
Most weary seem'd the sea weary the oarL
Weary the wandering fields of barren foamM
Then some one said We will return no moreL
And all at once they sang Our island homeM
Is far beyond the wave we will no longer roamM
-
CHORIC SONGN
-
I-
-
There is sweet music here that softer fallsF
Than petals from blown roses on the grassF
Or night dews on still waters between wallsF
Of shadowy granite in a gleaming passF
Music that gentlier on the spirit liesF
Than tir'd eyelids upon tir'd eyesF
Music that brings sweet sleep down from the blissful skiesF
Here are cool mosses deepO
And thro' the moss the ivies creepO
And in the stream the long leaved flowers weepO
And from the craggy ledge the poppy hangs in sleepO
-
II-
-
Why are we weigh'd upon with heavinessF
And utterly consumed with sharp distressF
While all things else have rest from wearinessF
All things have rest why should we toil aloneE
We only toil who are the first of thingsF
And make perpetual moanE
Still from one sorrow to another thrownE
Nor ever fold our wingsF
And cease from wanderingsF
Nor steep our brows in slumber's holy balmP
Nor harken what the inner spirit singsF
There is no joy but calmP
Why should we only toil the roof and crown of thingsF
-
III-
-
Lo in the middle of the woodQ
The folded leaf is woo'd from out the budR
With winds upon the branch and thereS
Grows green and broad and takes no careS
Sun steep'd at noon and in the moonE
Nightly dew fed and turning yellowG
Falls and floats adown the airS
Lo sweeten'd with the summer lightT
The full juiced apple waxing over mellowG
Drops in a silent autumn nightT
All its allotted length of daysF
The flower ripens in its placeF
Ripens and fades and falls and hath no toilG
Fast rooted in the fruitful soilG
-
IVJ
-
Hateful is the dark blue sky-
Vaulted o'er the dark blue seaF
Death is the end of life ah why-
Should life all labour beF
Let us alone Time driveth onward fastU
And in a little while our lips are dumbV
Let us alone What is it that will lastU
All things are taken from us and becomeV
Portions and parcels of the dreadful pastU
Let us alone What pleasure can we haveJ
To war with evil Is there any peaceF
In ever climbing up the climbing waveJ
All things have rest and ripen toward the graveJ
In silence ripen fall and ceaseF
Give us long rest or death dark death or dreamful easeF
-
VF
-
How sweet it were hearing the downward streamC
With half shut eyes ever to seemC
Falling asleep in a half dreamC
To dream and dream like yonder amber lightT
Which will not leave the myrrh bush on the heightT
To hear each other's whisper'd speechW
Eating the Lotos day by dayX
To watch the crisping ripples on the beachW
And tender curving lines of creamy sprayX
To lend our hearts and spirits whollyF
To the influence of mild minded melancholyF
To muse and brood and live again in memoryF
With those old faces of our infancyF
Heap'd over with a mound of grassF
Two handfuls of white dust shut in an urn of brassF
-
VI-
-
Dear is the memory of our wedded livesF
And dear the last embraces of our wivesF
And their warm tears but all hath suffer'd changeY
For surely now our household hearths are coldZ
Our sons inherit us our looks are strangeY
And we should come like ghosts to trouble joyA2
Or else the island princes over boldZ
Have eat our substance and the minstrel singsF
Before them of the ten years' war in TroyA2
And our great deeds as half forgotten thingsF
Is there confusion in the little isleG
Let what is broken so remainE
The Gods are hard to reconcileG
'Tis hard to settle order once againE
There is confusion worse than deathB2
Trouble on trouble pain on painE
Long labour unto aged breathB2
Sore task to hearts worn out by many warsF
And eyes grown dim with gazing on the pilot starsF
-
VII-
-
But propt on beds of amaranth and molyF
How sweet while warm airs lull us blowing lowlyF
With half dropt eyelid stillG
Beneath a heaven dark and holyF
To watch the long bright river drawing slowlyF
His waters from the purple hillG
To hear the dewy echoes callingC2
From cave to cave thro' the thick twined vineE
To watch the emerald colour'd water fallingC2
Thro' many a wov'n acanthus wreath divineE
Only to hear and see the far off sparkling brineE
Only to hear were sweet stretch'd out beneath the pineE
-
VIII-
-
The Lotos blooms below the barren peakD2
The Lotos blows by every winding creekD2
All day the wind breathes low with mellower toneE
Thro' every hollow cave and alley loneE
Round and round the spicy downs the yellow Lotos dust is blownE
We have had enough of action and of motion weF
Roll'd to starboard roll'd to larboard when the surge was seething freeF
Where the wallowing monster spouted his foam fountains in the seaF
Let us swear an oath and keep it with an equal mindE2
In the hollow Lotos land to live and lie reclinedE2
On the hills like Gods together careless of mankindE2
For they lie beside their nectar and the bolts are hurl'dF2
Far below them in the valleys and the clouds are lightly curl'dF2
Round their golden houses girdled with the gleaming worldF2
Where they smile in secret looking over wasted landsF
Blight and famine plague and earthquake roaring deeps and fiery sandsF
Clanging fights and flaming towns and sinking ships and praying handsF
But they smile they find a music centred in a doleful songN
Steaming up a lamentation and an ancient tale of wrongN
Like a tale of little meaning tho' the words are strongN
Chanted from an ill used race of men that cleave the soilG
Sow the seed and reap the harvest with enduring toilG
Storing yearly little dues of wheat and wine and oilG
Till they perish and they suffer some 'tis whisper'd down in hellG
Suffer endless anguish others in Elysian valleys dwellG
Resting weary limbs at last on beds of asphodelG
Surely surely slumber is more sweet than toil the shoreL
Than labour in the deep mid ocean wind and wave and oarL
O rest ye brother mariners we will not wander moreL

Alfred Lord Tennyson



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