St. Dorothy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDDEECCFFE EGGEEHHIJEEKILLIIEEE E IIEEEEMMIINNEEH HOPQQRREESSTTUUIIEEV VEEEEEEVVEEVVIIC CEEEEVVEEVVWWXXVVVVE EVVVVEE EEEEEENNE EEEIIEEEEYYIIZZEEEEE EV VEEIIVVE EA2A2IIVVEEEEVVCCZZN NB2C2YYVVVVEEXXVVYYE EE

IT HATH been seen and yet it shall be seenA
That out of tender mouths God s praise hath beenB
Made perfect and with wood and simple stringC
He hath played music sweet as shawm playingC
To please himself with softness of all soundD
And no small thing but hath been sometime foundD
Full sweet of use and no such humblenessE
But God hath bruised withal the sentencesE
And evidence of wise men witnessingC
No leaf that is so soft a hidden thingC
It never shall get sight of the great sunF
The strength of ten has been the strength of oneF
And lowliness has waxed imperiousE
-
There was in Rome a man TheophilusE
Of right great blood and gracious ways that hadG
All noble fashions to make people gladG
And a soft life of pleasurable daysE
He was a goodly man for one to praiseE
Flawless and whole upward from foot to headH
His arms were a red hawk that alway fedH
On a small bird with feathers gnawed uponI
Beaten and plucked about the bosom boneJ
Whereby a small round fleck like fire there wasE
They called it in their tongue lampadiasE
This was the banner of the lordly manK
In many straits of sea and reaches wanI
Full of quick wind and many a shaken firthL
It had seen fighting days of either earthL
Westward or east of waters GaditaneI
This was the place of sea rocks under SpainI
Called after the great praise of HerculesE
And north beyond the washing Pontic seasE
Far windy Russian places fabulousE
And salt fierce tides of storm swoln BosphorusE
-
Now as this lord came straying in Rome townI
He saw a little lattice open downI
And after it a press of maidens headsE
That sat upon their cold small quiet bedsE
Talking and played upon short string d lutesE
And other some ground perfume out of rootsE
Gathered by marvellous moons in AsiaM
Saffron and aloes and wild cassiaM
Coloured all through and smelling of the sunI
And over all these was a certain oneI
Clothed softly with sweet herbs about her hairN
And bosom flowerful her face more fairN
Than sudden singing April in soft landsE
Eyed like a gracious bird and in both handsE
She held a psalter painted green and redH
-
This Theophile laughed at the heart and saidH
Now God so help me hither and St PaulO
As by the new time of their festivalP
I have good will to take this maid to wifeQ
And herewith fell to fancies of her lifeQ
And soft half thoughts that ended suddenlyR
This is man s guise to please himself when heR
Shall not see one thing of his pleasant thingsE
Nor with outwatch of many travailingsE
Come to be eased of the least pain he hathS
For all his love and all his foolish wrathS
And all the heavy manner of his mindT
Thus is he like a fisher fallen blindT
That casts his nets across the boat awryU
To strike the sea but lo he striketh dryU
And plucks them back all broken for his painI
And bites his beard and casts across againI
And reaching wrong slips over in the seaE
So hath this man a strangled neck for feeE
For all his cost he chuckles in his throatV
-
This Theophile that little hereof woteV
Laid wait to hear of her what she might beE
Men told him she had name of DorothyE
And was a lady of a worthy houseE
Thereat this knight grew inly gloriousE
That he should have a love so fair of placeE
She was a maiden of most quiet faceE
Tender of speech and had no hardihoodV
But was nigh feeble of her fearful bloodV
Her mercy in her was so marvellousE
From her least years that seeing her school fellowsE
That read beside her stricken with a rodV
She would cry sore and say some word to GodV
That he would ease her fellow of his painI
There is no touch of sun or fallen rainI
That ever fell on a more gracious thingC
-
In middle Rome there was in stone workingC
The church of Venus painted royallyE
The chapels of it were some two or threeE
In each of them her tabernacle wasE
And a wide window of six feet in glassE
Coloured with all her works in red and goldV
The altars had bright cloths and cups to holdV
The wine of Venus for the servicesE
Made out of honey and crushed wood berriesE
That shed sweet yellow through the thick wet redV
That on high days was borne upon the headV
Of Venus priest for any man to drinkW
So that in drinking he should fall to thinkW
On some fair face and in the thought thereofX
Worship and such should triumph in his loveX
For this soft wine that did such grace and goodV
Was new trans shaped and mixed with Love s own bloodV
That in the fighting Trojan time was bledV
For which came such a woe to DiomedV
That he was stifled after in hard seaE
And some said that this wine shedding should beE
Made of the falling of Adonis bloodV
That curled upon the thorns and broken woodV
And round the gold silk shoes on Venus feetV
The taste thereof was as hot honey sweetV
And in the mouth ran soft and riotousE
This was the holiness of Venus houseE
-
It was their worship that in August daysE
Twelve maidens should go through those Roman waysE
Naked and having gold across their browsE
And their hair twisted in short golden rowsE
To minister to Venus in this wiseE
And twelve men chosen in their companiesE
To match these maidens by the altar stairN
All in one habit crowned upon the hairN
Among these men was chosen TheophileE
-
This knight went out and prayed a little whileE
Holding queen Venus by her hands and kneesE
I will give thee twelve royal imagesE
Cut in glad gold with marvels of wrought stoneI
For thy sweet priests to lean and pray uponI
Jasper and hyacinth and chrysoprasE
And the strange Asian thalamite that wasE
Hidden twelve ages under heavy seaE
Among the little sleepy pearls to beE
A shrine lit over with soft candle flameY
Burning all night red as hot brows of shameY
So thou wilt be my lady without sinI
Goddess that art all gold outside and inI
Help me to serve thee in thy holy wayZ
Thou knowest Love that in my bearing dayZ
There shone a laughter in the singing starsE
Round the gold ceil d bride bed wherein MarsE
Touched thee and had thee in your kissing wiseE
Now therefore sweet kiss thou my maiden s eyesE
That they may open graciously towards meE
And this new fashion of thy shrine shall beE
As soft with gold as thine own happy headV
-
The goddess that was painted with face redV
Between two long green tumbled sides of seaE
Stooped her neck sideways and spake pleasantlyE
Thou shalt have grace as thou art thrall of mineI
And with this came a savour of shed wineI
And plucked out petals from a rose s headV
And softly with slow laughs of lip she saidV
Thou shalt have favour all thy days of meE
-
Then came Theophilus to DorothyE
Saying O sweet if one should strive or speakA2
Against God s ways he gets a beaten cheekA2
For all his wage and shame above all menI
Therefore I have no will to turn againI
When God saith go lest a worse thing fall outV
Then she misdoubting lest he went aboutV
To catch her wits made answer somewhat thusE
I have no will my lord TheophilusE
To speak against this worthy word of yoursE
Knowing how God s will in all speech enduresE
That save by grace there may no thing be saidV
Then Theophile waxed light from foot to headV
And softly fell upon this answeringC
It is well seen you are a chosen thingC
To do God service in his gracious wayZ
I will that you make haste and holidayZ
To go next year upon the Venus stairN
Covered none else but crowned upon your hairN
And do the service that a maiden dothB2
She said but I that am Christ s maid were lothC2
To do this thing that hath such bitter nameY
Thereat his brows were beaten with sore shameY
And he came off and said no other wordV
Then his eyes chanced upon his banner birdV
And he fell fingering at the staff of itV
And laughed for wrath and stared between his feetV
And out of a chafed heart he spake as thusE
Lo how she japes at me TheophilusE
Feigning herself a fool and hard to loveX
Yet in good time for all she boasteth ofX
She shall be like a little beaten birdV
And while his mouth was open in that wordV
He came upon the house JaniculumY
Where some went busily and other someY
Talked in the gate called the gate gloriousE
The emperor which was one GabalusE
Sat over all and drank chillE

Algernon Charles Swinburne



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