A Child's Battles Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCCB DDEFGE DDHIJH KLMDDM GGNOON PPQLLQ RRSDDS LLTOOT UUVLLV WWXGGX MMLYYL LLZA2A2Z AAB2DDB2 DDDGGD YYC2A2A2F LLD2A2A2D2 LLE2PPE2 LLF2DDF2 LLG2H2H2G2 I2I2A2DDA2 LLA2LLA2 LLA2A2A2A2 J2J2A2OOA2 C2FZA2A2Z TTTDDT| Praise of the knights of old | A |
| May sleep their tale is told | A |
| And no man cares | B |
| The praise which fires our lips is | C |
| A knight's whose fame eclipses | C |
| All of theirs | B |
| - | |
| The ruddiest light in heaven | D |
| Blazed as his birth star seven | D |
| Long years ago | E |
| All glory crown that old year | F |
| Which brought our stout small soldier | G |
| With the snow | E |
| - | |
| Each baby born has one | D |
| Star for his friends a sun | D |
| The first of stars | H |
| And we the more we scan it | I |
| The more grow sure your planet | J |
| Child was Mars | H |
| - | |
| For each one flower perchance | K |
| Blooms as his cognizance | L |
| The snowdrop chill | M |
| The violet unbeholden | D |
| For some for you the golden | D |
| Daffodil | M |
| - | |
| Erect a fighting flower | G |
| It breasts the breeziest hour | G |
| That ever blew | N |
| And bent or broke things brittle | O |
| Or frail unlike a little | O |
| Knight like you | N |
| - | |
| Its flower is firm and fresh | P |
| And stout like sturdiest flesh | P |
| Of children all | Q |
| The strenuous blast that parches | L |
| Spring hurts it not till March is | L |
| Near his fall | Q |
| - | |
| If winds that prate and fret | R |
| Remark rebuke regret | R |
| Lament or blame | S |
| The brave plant's martial passion | D |
| It keeps its own free fashion | D |
| All the same | S |
| - | |
| We that would fain seem wise | L |
| Assume grave mouths and eyes | L |
| Whose looks reprove | T |
| Too much delight in battle | O |
| But your great heart our prattle | O |
| Cannot move | T |
| - | |
| We say small children should | U |
| Be placid mildly good | U |
| And blandly meek | V |
| Whereat the broad smile rushes | L |
| Full on your lips and flushes | L |
| All your cheek | V |
| - | |
| If all the stars that are | W |
| Laughed out and every star | W |
| Could here be heard | X |
| Such peals of golden laughter | G |
| We should not hear as after | G |
| Such a word | X |
| - | |
| For all the storm saith still | M |
| Stout stands the daffodil | M |
| For all we say | L |
| Howe'er he look demurely | Y |
| Our martialist will surely | Y |
| Have his way | L |
| - | |
| We may not bind with bands | L |
| Those large and liberal hands | L |
| Nor stay from fight | Z |
| Nor hold them back from giving | A2 |
| No lean mean laws of living | A2 |
| Bind a knight | Z |
| - | |
| And always here of old | A |
| Such gentle hearts and bold | A |
| Our land has bred | B2 |
| How durst her eye rest else on | D |
| The glory shed from Nelson | D |
| Quick and dead | B2 |
| - | |
| Shame were it if but one | D |
| Such once were born her son | D |
| That one to have borne | D |
| And brought him ne'er a brother | G |
| His praise should bring his mother | G |
| Shame and scorn | D |
| - | |
| A child high souled as he | Y |
| Whose manhood shook the sea | Y |
| Smiles haply here | C2 |
| His face where love lies baslcing | A2 |
| With bright shut mouth seems asking | A2 |
| What is fear | F |
| - | |
| The sunshine coloured fists | L |
| Beyond his dimpling wrists | L |
| Were never closed | D2 |
| For saving or for sparing | A2 |
| For only deeds of daring | A2 |
| Predisposed | D2 |
| - | |
| Unclenched the gracious hands | L |
| Let slip their gifts like sands | L |
| Made rich with ore | E2 |
| That tongues of beggars ravish | P |
| From small stout hands so lavish | P |
| Of their store | E2 |
| - | |
| Sweet hardy kindly hands | L |
| Like these were his that stands | L |
| With heel on gorge | F2 |
| Seen trampling down the dragon | D |
| On sign or flask or flagon | D |
| Sweet Saint George | F2 |
| - | |
| Some tournament perchance | L |
| Of hands that couch no lance | L |
| Might mark this spot | G2 |
| Your lists if here some pleasant | H2 |
| Small Guenevere were present | H2 |
| Launcelot | G2 |
| - | |
| My brave bright flower you need | I2 |
| No foolish song nor heed | I2 |
| It more than spring | A2 |
| The sighs of winter stricken | D |
| Dead when your haunts requicken | D |
| Here my king | A2 |
| - | |
| Yet O how hardly may | L |
| The wheels of singing stay | L |
| That whirl along | A2 |
| Bright paths whence echo raises | L |
| The phantom of your praises | L |
| Child my song | A2 |
| - | |
| Beyond all other things | L |
| That give my words fleet wings | L |
| Fleet wings and strong | A2 |
| You set their jesses ringing | A2 |
| Till hardly can I singing | A2 |
| Stint my song | A2 |
| - | |
| But all things better friend | J2 |
| And worse must find an end | J2 |
| And right or wrong | A2 |
| 'Tis time lest rhyme should baffle | O |
| I doubt to put a snaffle | O |
| On my song | A2 |
| - | |
| And never may your ear | C2 |
| Aught harsher hear or fear | F |
| Nor wolfish night | Z |
| Nor dog toothed winter snarling | A2 |
| Behind your steps my darling | A2 |
| My delight | Z |
| - | |
| For all the gifts you give | T |
| Me dear each day you live | T |
| Of thanks above | T |
| All thanks that could be spoken | D |
| Take not my song in token | D |
| Take my love | T |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1)
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