Medea In Athens Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFAGHIJK LMNOPQRSRKT UB OVWXKYBR ZA2 UB2BV KUBKC2MD2E2F2KG2 H2D2AKI2J2K2K2K2 A K2L2M2KGKK2RN2O2P2 VK2S SQ2EK2KSK2K2K SKR2RSKKKKS2ES KT2KSSKGRU2V2S SJKBSSSKSSBSKSS W2KBKSSS SK RKS RX2SS SY2RKZ2R2 EA3B3BKC3 KRNR2KR2D3SKKT2KSNRE 3 RSF3JRK BER2SSSG3 KSKS

Dead is he Yes our stranger guest said deadA
said it by noonday when it seemed a thingB
most natural and so indifferentC
as if the tale ran that a while agoD
there died a man I talked with a chance hourE
when he by chance was near me If I spokeF
Good news for us but ill news for the deadA
when the gods sweep a villain down to themG
'twas the prompt trick of words like a pat phraseH
from some one other's song found on the lipsI
and used because 'tis there for through all dayJ
the news seemed neither good nor ill to meK
-
And now when day with all its useless talkL
and useless smiles and idiots' prying eyesM
that impotently peer into one's lifeN
when day with all its seemly lying showsO
has gone its way and left pleased fools to sleepP
while weary mummers taking off the maskQ
discern that face themselves forgot anonR
and sitting in the lap of sheltering nightS
learn their own secrets from her even nowR
does it seem either good or ill to meK
No but mere strangeT
-
And this most strange of allU
that I care nothingB
-
Nay how wild thought growsO
Meseems one came and told of Jason's deathV
but 'twas a dream Else should I wondering thusW
reck not of him nor with the virulent hateX
that should be mine against mine enemyK
nor with that weakness which sometimes I fearedY
should this day make me not remembering GlaucB
envy him to death as though he had died mineR
-
Can he be dead It were so strange a worldZ
with him not in itA2
-
Dimly I recallU
some prophecy a god breathed by my mouthB2
It could not err What was it For I thinkB
it told his deathV
-
Has a god come to meK
Is it thou my Hecate How know I allU
For I know all as if from long agoB
and I know all beholding instantlyK
Is not that he arisen through the mistsC2
a lean and haggard man rough round the eyesM
dull and with no scorn left upon his lipD2
decayed out of his goodliness and strengthE2
a wanned and broken image of a godF2
dim counterfeit of Jason heavilyK
wearing the name of him and memoriesG2
-
And lo he rests with lax and careless limbsH2
on the loose sandbed wind heaped round his shipD2
that rots in sloth like him and props his headA
on a half buried fallen spar The seaK
climbing the beach towards him seethes and fretsI2
and on the verge two sunned and shadowed cloudsJ2
take shapes of notched rock islands and his thoughtsK2
drift languid to the steep SymplegadesK2
and the sound of waters crashing at their baseK2
-
Su d wsper eikos katqanei kakos kakws Argous kara son leiyanw peplhgmenos EUR MedA
-
And now he speaks out to his lonelinessK2
I was afraid and careful but she laughedL2
'Love steers' she said and when the rocks were farM2
grey twinkling spots in distance suddenlyK
her face grew white and looking back to themG
she said 'Oh love a god has whispered meK
'twere well had we died there for strange mad woesK2
are waiting for us in your Greece' and thenR
she tossed her head back while her brown hair streamedN2
gold in the wind and sun and her face glowedO2
with daring beauty 'What of woes' she criedP2
'if only they leave time for love enough '-
But what a fire and flush It took one's breathV
And then he lay half musing half adozeK2
shadows of me went misty through his sightS
-
And bye and bye he roused and cried Oh doltS
Glauc was never half so beautifulQ2
Then under part closed lids remembering herE
Poor Glauc a sweet face and yet methinksK2
she might have wearied me and suddenlyK
smiting the sand awhirl with his angry handS
scorned at himself What god befooled my witsK2
to dream my fancy for her yellow curlsK2
and milk white softness subtle policyK
-
Wealth and a royal bride but what beyondS
Medea with her skills her presciencesK
man's wisdom woman's craft her rage of loveR2
that gave her to serve me strength next divineR
Medea would have made me what I wouldS
Glauc but what she could I schemed amissK
and earned the curses the gods send on foolsK
Ruined ruined A laughing stock to foesK
No man so mean but he may pity meK
no man so wretched but will keep aloofS2
lest the curse upon me make him wretchederE
RuinedS
-
And lo I see him hide his faceK
like a man who'll weep with passion but to himT2
the passion comes not only slow few tearsK
of one too weary And from the great fieldS
where the boys race he hears their jubilant shoutS
hum through the distance and he sighs Ah meK
she might have spared the children left me themG
no sons no sons to stand about me nowR
and prosper me and tend me bye and byeU2
in faltering age and keep my name on earthV2
when I shall be departed out of sightS
-
And the shout hummed louder forth and whirring pastS
a screaming sea bird flapped out to the bayJ
and listlessly he watched it dip and riseK
till it skimmed out of sight so small a speckB
as a mayfly on the brook and then he saidS
Fly forth fly forth bird fly to fierce MedeaS
where by great geus she sits queening itS
belike a joyful mother of new sonsK
tell her she never loved me as she talkedS
else had no wrong at my hand shewn so greatS
tell her that she breaks oaths more than I brokeB
even so much as she seemed to love mostS
she who fits fondling in a husband's armsK
while I am desolate And again he saidS
My house is perished with me ruined ruinedS
-
At that he rose and muttering in his teethW2
still ruined ruined slowly paced the sandsK
then stood and gazing on the ragged hulkB
cried Oh loathed tool of fiends that through all stormsK
and sundering waters borest me to MedeaS
rot rot accursed thing and petulantS
pashed at the sideS
-
Lo lo I see it partS
a tottering spar it parts it falls it strikesK
-
He is prone on the sand the blood wells from his browR
he moans he speaks Medea's prophecyK
See he has faintedS
-
Hush hush he has lainR
with death and silence long now he wakes upX2
Where is Medea Let her bind my headS
Hush hush A sigh a breath He is deadS
-
-
-
-
MedeaS
What is it thou What thou this whimpering foolY2
this kind meek coward Sick for pity art thouR
Or did the vision scare thee Out on meK
do I drivel like a slight disconsolate girlZ2
wailing her loveR2
-
No not one foolish tearE
that shamed my cheek welled up for any griefA3
at his so pitiful lone end The touchB3
of ancient memories and the woman's trickB
of easy weeping took me unawaresK
but grief Why should I grieveC3
-
And yet for thisK
that he is dead He should still pine and dwineR
hungry for his old lost strong food of lifeN
vanished with me hungry for children's loveR2
hungry for me Ever to think of meK
with love with hate what care I hate is loveR2
Ever to think and long Oh it was wellD3
Yea my new marriage hope has been achievedS
for he did count me happy picture meK
happy with geus he did dream of meK
as all to geus that I was to himT2
and to him nothing and did yearn for meK
and know me lost we two so far apartS
as dead and living I an envied wifeN
and he alone and childless Jason JasonR
come back to earth live live for my revengeE3
-
But lo the man is dead I am forgottenR
Forgotten something goes from life in thatS
as if oneself had died when the half selfF3
of one's true living time has slipped awayJ
from reach of memories has ceased to knowR
that such a woman isK
-
A wondrous thingB
to be so separate having been so nearE
near by hate last and once by so strong loveR2
Would love have kept us near if he had diedS
in the good days Tush I should have died tooS
we should have gone together hand in handS
and made dusk Hades glorious each to eachG3
-
Ah me if then when through the fitful seasK
we saw the great rocks glimmer and the crewS
howled We are lost lo the SymplegadesK
too late to shuS

Augusta Davies Webster



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about Medea In Athens poem by Augusta Davies Webster


 
Best Poems of Augusta Davies Webster

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 16 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets