The Monk Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BBBBBBCC A DBDBDBEE A FGFGFGHH C IBIBIBJJ C BBBBBBJJ C KBKBKBJJ C CLCLCLBB C MJMJMJBB B JNJNJNOO B BJBJBJBB B PQPQPQBB B BBBBBBGG B BRBRBSJJ C JJJJJJTT C BJBJBJUU C JVJVJVJJ C JBJBJBJJ C BJBJBJGG B JWJWJWJJ W XIXI IW W JYJYJYJJ W ZJZJZJUU W NININIWW C HRHRHRA2A2 C CJCJCJB2B2 C C2D2C2D2C2D2E2E2 C JF2JF2JG2H2 C GWGWGWBB W JJJJJJJJ W JKJKJKK W GWGWGWJJ W GD2GD2GD2BB W JGJGJGJJ C XWXWXWD2D2 C WJWJWJWW C JGJGJGWW C HWHWHWI2I2 C JJJJJJD2D2 W BGBGBGWW G JJJJJJBB G WD2WD2WD2BB G D2JD2JD2JCC D2 KJKJKJXX C XCXCXCD2D2 C WD2WD2WD2KK C E2BE2BE2BJJ C JHJHJHD2D2

I	A
	-
In Nino's chamber not a sound intrudes	B
Upon the midnight's tingling silentness	B
Where Nino sits before his book and broods	B
Thin and brow burdened with some fine distress	B
Some gloom that hangs about his mournful moods	B
His weary bearing and neglected dress	B
So sad he sits nor ever turns a leaf	C
Sorrow's pale miser o'er his hoard of grief	C
	-
II	A
	-
Young Nino and Leonora they had met	D
Once at a revel by some lover's chance	B
And they were young with hearts already set	D
To tender thoughts attuned to romance	B
Wherefore it seemed they never could forget	D
That winning touch that one bewildering glance	B
But found at last a shelter safe and sweet	E
Where trembling hearts and longing hands might meet	E
	-
III	A
	-
Ah sweet their dreams and sweet the life they led	F
With that great love that was their bosoms' all	G
Yet ever shadowed by some circling dread	F
It gloomed at moments deep and tragical	G
And so for many a month they seemed to tread	F
With fluttering hearts whatever might befall	G
Half glad half sad their sweet and secret way	H
To the soft tune of some old lover's lay	H
	-
IV	C
	-
But she is gone alas he knows not where	I
Or how his life that tender gift should lose	B
Indeed his love was ever full of care	I
The hasty joys and griefs of him who woos	B
Where sweet success is neighbour to despair	I
With stolen looks and dangerous interviews	B
But one long week she came not nor the next	J
And so he wandered here and there perplext	J
	-
V	C
	-
Nor evermore she came Full many days	B
He sought her at their trysts devised deep schemes	B
To lure her back and fell on subtle ways	B
To win some word of her but all his dreams	B
Vanished like smoke and then in sore amaze	B
From town to town as one that crazed seems	B
He wandered following in unhappy quest	J
Uncertain clues that ended like the rest	J
	-
VI	C
	-
And now this midnight as he sits forlorn	K
The printed page for him no meaning bears	B
With every word some torturing dream is born	K
And every thought is like a step that scares	B
Old memories up to make him weep and mourn	K
He cannot turn but from their latchless lairs	B
The weary shadows of his lost delight	J
Rise up like dusk birds through the lonely night	J
	-
VII	C
	-
And still with questions vain he probes his grief	C
Till thought is wearied out and dreams grow dim	L
What bitter chance what woe beyond belief	C
Could keep his lady's heart so hid from him	L
Or was her love indeed but light and brief	C
A passing thought a moment's dreamy whim	L
Aye there it stings the woe that never sleeps	B
Poor Nino leans upon his book and weeps	B
	-
VIII	C
	-
Until at length the sudden grief that shook	M
His pierced bosom like a gust is past	J
And laid full weary on the wide spread book	M
His eyes grow dim with slumber light and fast	J
But scarcely have his dreams had time to look	M
On lands of kindlier promise when aghast	J
He starts up softly and in wondering wise	B
Listens atremble with wide open eyes	B
	-
IX	B
	-
What sound was that Who knocks like one in dread	J
With such swift hands upon his outer door	N
Perhaps some beggar driven from his bed	J
By gnawing hunger he can bear no more	N
Or questing traveller with confused tread	J
Straying bewildered in the midnight hoar	N
Nino uprises scared he knows not how	O
The dreams still pale about his burdened brow	O
	-
X	B
	-
The heavy bolt he draws and unawares	B
A stranger enters with slow steps unsought	J
A long robed monk and in his hand he bears	B
A jewelled goblet curiously wrought	J
But of his face beneath the cowl he wears	B
For all his searching Nino seeth nought	J
And slowly past him with long stride he hies	B
While Nino follows with bewildered eyes	B
	-
XI	B
	-
Straight on he goes with dusky rustling gown	P
His steps are soft his hands are white and fine	Q
And still he bears the goblet on whose crown	P
A hundred jewels in the lamplight shine	Q
And ever from its edges dripping down	P
Falls with dark stain the rich and lustrous wine	Q
Wherefrom through all the chamber's shadowy deeps	B
A deadly perfume like a vapour creeps	B
	-
XII	B
	-
And now he sets it down with careful hands	B
On the slim table's polished ebony	B
And for a space as if in dreams he stands	B
Close hidden in his sombre drapery	B
Oh lover by thy lady's last commands	B
I bid thee hearken for I bear with me	B
A gift to give thee and a tale to tell	G
From her who loved thee while she lived too well	G
	-
XIII	B
	-
The stranger's voice falls slow and solemnly	B
Tis soft and rich and wondrous deep of tone	R
And Nino's face grows white as ivory	B
Listening fast rooted like a shape of stone	R
Ah blessed saints can such a dark thing be	B
And was it death and is Leonora gone	S
Oh love is harsh and life is frail indeed	J
That gives men joy and then so makes them bleed	J
	-
XIV	C
	-
There is the gift I bring the stranger's head	J
Turns to the cup that glitters at his side	J
And now my tongue draws back for very dread	J
Unhappy youth from what it must not hide	J
The saddest tale that ever lips have said	J
Yet thou must know how sweet Lenora died	J
A broken martyr for love's weary sake	T
And left this gift for thee to leave or take	T
	-
XV	C
	-
Poor Nino listens with that marble face	B
And eyes that move not strangely wide and set	J
The monk continues with his mournful grace	B
She told me Nino how you often met	J
In secret and your plighted loves kept pace	B
Together tangled in the self same net	J
Your dream's dark danger and its dread you knew	U
And still you met and still your passion grew	U
	-
XVI	C
	-
And aye with that luxurious fire you fed	J
Your dangerous longing daily crumb by crumb	V
Nor ever cared that still above your head	J
The shadow grew for that your lips were dumb	V
You knew full keenly you could never wed	J
'Twas all a dream the end must surely come	V
For not on thee her father's eyes were turned	J
To find a son when mighty lords were spurned	J
	-
XVII	C
	-
Thou knowest that new sprung prince that proud up start	J
Pisa's new tyrant with his armed thralls	B
Who bends of late to take the people's part	J
Yet plays the king among his marble halls	B
Whose gloomy palace in our city's heart	J
Frowns like a fortress with its loop holed walls	B
'Twas him he sought for fair Leonora's hand	J
That so his own declining house might stand	J
	-
XVIII	C
	-
The end came soon 'twas never known to thee	B
But when your love was scarce a six months old	J
She sat one day beside her father's knee	B
And in her ears the dreadful thing was told	J
Within one month her bridal hour should be	B
With Messer Gianni for his power and gold	J
And as she sat with whitened lips the while	G
The old man kissed her with his crafty smile	G
	-
XIX	B
	-
Poor pallid lady all the woe she felt	J
Thou wretched Nino thou alone canst know	W
Down at his feet with many a moan she knelt	J
And prayed that he would never wound her so	W
Ah tender saints it was a sight to melt	J
The flintiest heart but his could never glow	W
He sat with clenched hands and straightened head	J
And frowned and glared and turned from white to red	J
	-
XX	W
	-
And still with cries about his knees she clung	X
Her tender bosom broken with her care	I
His words were brief with bitter fury flung	X
'The father's will the child must meekly bear	I
I am thy father thou a girl and young '	-
Then to her feet she rose in her despair	I
And cried with tightened lips and eyes aglow	W
One daring word a straight and simple 'No '	-
	-
XXI	W
	-
Her father left her with wild words and sent	J
Rough men who dragged her to a dungeon deep	Y
Where many a weary soul in darkness pent	J
For many a year had watched the slow days creep	Y
And there he left her for his dark intent	J
Where madness breeds and sorrows never sleep	Y
Coarse robes he gave her and her lips he fed	J
With bitter water and a crust of bread	J
	-
XXII	W
	-
And day by day still following out his plan	Z
He came to her and with determined spite	J
Strove with soft words and then with curse and ban	Z
To bend her heart so wearied to his might	J
And aye she bode his bitter pleasure's span	Z
As one that hears but hath not sense or sight	J
Ah Nino still her breaking heart held true	U
Poor lady sad she had no thought but you	U
	-
XXIII	W
	-
The father tired at last and came no more	N
But in his settled anger bade prepare	I
The marriage feast with all luxurious store	N
With pomps and shows and splendors rich and rare	I
And so in toil another fortnight wore	N
Nor knew she aught what things were in the air	I
Till came the old lord's message brief and coarse	W
Within three days she should be wed by force	W
	-
XXIV	C
	-
And all that noon and weary night she lay	H
Poor child like death upon her prison stone	R
And none that came to her but crept away	H
Sickened at heart to see her lips so moan	R
Her eyes so dim within their sockets grey	H
Her tender cheeks so thin and ghastly grown	R
But when the next morn's light began to stir	A2
She sent and prayed that I might be with her	A2
	-
XXV	C
	-
This boon he gave perchance he deemed that I	C
The chaplain of his house her childhood's friend	J
With patient tones and holy words might try	C
To soothe her purpose to his gainful end	J
I bowed full low before his crafty eye	C
But knew my heart had no base help to lend	J
That night with many a silent prayer I came	B2
To poor Leonora in her grief and shame	B2
	-
XXVI	C
	-
But she was strange to me I could not speak	C2
For glad amazement mixed with some dark fear	D2
I saw her stand no longer pale and weak	C2
But a proud maiden queenly and most clear	D2
With flashing eyes and vermeil in her cheek	C2
And on the little table set anear	D2
I marked two goblets of rare workmanship	E2
With some strange liquor crowned to the lip	E2
	-
XXVII	C
	-
And then she ran to me and caught my hand	J
Tightly imprisoned in her meagre twain	F2
And like the ghost of sorrow she did stand	J
And eyed me softly with a liquid pain	F2
'Oh father grant I pray thee I command	J
One boon to me I'll never ask again	G2
One boon to me and to my love to both	H2
Dear father grant and bind it with an oath '	-
	-
XXVIII	C
	-
This granted I and then with many a wail	G
She told me all the story of your woe	W
And when she finished lightly but most pale	G
To those two brimming goblets she did go	W
And one she took within her fingers frail	G
And looked down smiling in its crimson glow	W
'And now thine oath I'll tell God grant to thee	B
No rest in grave if thou be false to me	B
	-
XXIX	W
	-
'Alas poor me whom cruel hearts would wed	J
On the sad morrow to that wicked lord	J
But I'll not go nay rather I'll be dead	J
Safe from their frown and from their bitter word	J
Without my Nino life indeed were sped	J
And sith we two can never more accord	J
In this drear world so weary and perplext	J
We'll die and win sweet pleasure in the next	J
	-
XXX	W
	-
'Oh father God will never give thee rest	J
If thou be false to what thy lips have sworn	K
And false to love and false to me distressed	J
A helpless maid so broken and outworn	K
This cup she put it softly to her breast	J
I pray thee carry ere the morrow morn	K
To Nino's hand and tell him all my pain	K
This other with mine own lips I will drain '	-
	-
XXXI	W
	-
Slowly she raised it to her lips the while	G
I darted forward madly fain to seize	W
Her dreadful hands but with a sudden wile	G
She twisted and sprang from me with bent knees	W
And rising turned upon me with a smile	G
And drained her goblet to the very lees	W
'Oh priest remember keep thine oath ' she cried	J
And the spent goblet fell against her side	J
	-
XXXII	W
	-
And then she moaned and murmured like a bell	G
'My Nino my sweet Nino ' and no more	D2
She said but fluttered like a bird and fell	G
Lifeless as marble to the footworn floor	D2
And there she lies even now in lonely cell	G
Poor lady pale with all the grief she bore	D2
She could not live and still be true to thee	B
And so she's gone where no rude hands can be	B
	-
XXXIII	W
	-
The monk's voice pauses like some mournful flute	J
Whose pondered closes for sheer sorrow fail	G
And then with hand that seems as it would suit	J
A soft girl best it is so light and frail	G
He turns half round and for a moment mute	J
Points to the goblet and so ends his tale	G
Mine oath is kept thy lady's last command	J
'Tis but a short hour since it left her hand	J
	-
XXXIV	C
	-
So ends the stranger surely no man's tongue	X
Was e'er so soft or half so sweet as his	W
Oft as he listened Nino's heart had sprung	X
With sudden start as from a spectre's kiss	W
For deep in many a word he deemed had rung	X
The liquid fall of some loved emphasis	W
And so it pierced his sorrow to the core	D2
The ghost of tones that he should hear no more	D2
	-
XXXV	C
	-
But now the tale is ended and still keeps	W
The stranger hidden in dusky weed	J
And Nino stands wide eyed as one that sleeps	W
And dimly wonders how his heart doth bleed	J
Anon he bends yet neither moans nor weeps	W
But hangs atremble like a broken reed	J
Ah bitter fate that lured and sold us so	W
Poor lady mine alas for all our woe	W
	-
XXXVI	C
	-
But even as he moans in such dark mood	J
His wandering eyes upon the goblet fall	G
Oh dreaming heart Oh strange ingratitude	J
So to forget his lady's lingering call	G
Her parting gift so rich so crimson hued	J
The lover's draught that shall be cure for all	G
He lifts the goblet lightly from its place	W
And smiles and rears it with his courtly grace	W
	-
XXXVII	C
	-
Oh lady sweet I shall not long delay	H
This gift of thine shall bring me to thine eyes	W
Sure God will send on no unpardoned way	H
The faithful soul that at such bidding dies	W
When thou art gone I cannot longer stay	H
To brave this world with all its wrath and lies	W
Where hands of stone and tongues of dragon's breath	I2
Have bruised mine angel to her piteous death	I2
	-
XXXVIII	C
	-
And now the gleaming goblet hath scarce dyed	J
His lips' thin pallor with its deathly red	J
When Nino starts in wonder fearful eyed	J
For lo the stranger with outstretched head	J
Springs at his face one soft and sudden stride	J
And from his hand the deadly cup hath sped	J
Dashed to the ground and all its seeded store	D2
Runs out like blood upon the marble floor	D2
	-
XXXIX	W
	-
Oh Nino my sweet Nino speak to me	B
Nor stand so strange nor look so deathly pale	G
'Twas all to prove thy heart's dear constancy	B
I brought that cup and told that piteous tale	G
Ah chains and cells and cruel treachery	B
Are weak indeed when women's hearts assail	G
Art angry Nino 'Tis no monk that cries	W
But sweet Leonora with her love lit eyes	W
	-
XL	G
	-
She dashes from her brow the pented hood	J
The dusky robe falls rustling to her feet	J
And there she stands as aye in dreams she stood	J
Ah Nino see Sure man did never meet	J
So warm a flower from such a sombre bud	J
So trembling fair so wan so pallid sweet	J
Aye Nino down like saint upon thy knee	B
And soothe her hands with kisses warm and free	B
	-
XLI	G
	-
And now with broken laughter on her lips	W
And now with moans remembering of her care	D2
She weeps and smiles and like a child she slips	W
Her lily fingers through his curly hair	D2
The while her head with all it's sweet she dips	W
Close to his ear to soothe and murmur there	D2
Oh Nino I was hid so long from thee	B
That much I doubted what thy love might be	B
	-
XLII	G
	-
And though 'twas cruel hard of me to try	D2
Thy faithful heart with such a fearful test	J
Yet now thou canst be happy sweet as I	D2
Am wondrous happy in thy truth confessed	J
To haggard death indeed thou needst not fly	D2
To find the softness of thy lady's breast	J
For such a gift was never death's to give	C
But thou shalt have me for thy love and live	C
	-
XLIII	D2
	-
Dost see these cheeks my Nino they're so thin	K
Not round and soft as when thou touched them last	J
So long with bitter rage they pent me in	K
Like some poor thief in lonely dungeons cast	J
Only this night through every bolt and gin	K
By cunning stealth I wrought my way at last	J
Straight to thine heart I fled unfaltering	X
Like homeward pigeon with uncaged wing	X
	-
XLIV	C
	-
Nay Nino kneel not let me hear thee speak	X
We must not tarry long the dawn is nigh	C
So rises he for very gladness weak	X
But half in fear that yet the dream may fly	C
He touches mutely mouth and brow and cheek	X
Till in his ear she 'gins to plead and sigh	C
Dear love forgive me for that cruel tale	D2
That stung thine heart and made thy lips so pale	D2
	-
XLV	C
	-
And so he folds her softly with quick sighs	W
And both with murmurs warm and musical	D2
Talk and retalk with dim or smiling eyes	W
Of old delights and sweeter days to fall	D2
And yet not long for ere the starlit skies	W
Grow pale above the city's eastern wall	D2
They rise with lips and happy hands withdrawn	K
And pass out softly into the dawn	K
	-
XLVI	C
	-
For Nino knows the captain of a ship	E2
The friend of many journeys who may be	B
This very morn will let his cables slip	E2
For the warm coast of Sicily	B
There in Palermo at the harbour's lip	E2
A brother lives of tried fidelity	B
So to the quays by hidden ways they wend	J
In the pale morn nor do they miss their friend	J
	-
XLVII	C
	-
And ere the shadow off another night	J
Hath darkened Pisa many a foe shall stray	H
Through Nino's home with eyes malignly bright	J
In wolfish quest but shall not find his prey	H
The while those lovers in their white winged flight	J
Shall see far out upon the twilight grey	H
Behind the glimmer of the sea before	D2
The dusky outlines of a kindlier shore	D2

Archibald Lampman

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