Concepcion De Arguello Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BB CC DD AA EE FF A GG HH II JJ GG KK A GG LL LL KK AA KK KK LL MM LL GG NN O NN PP KK KK KK KK KK KK QQ RR LL DD KK KK SS DD LL TT KK KKI | A |
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Looking seaward o'er the sand hills stands the fortress old and quaint | B |
By the San Francisco friars lifted to their patron saint | B |
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Sponsor to that wondrous city now apostate to the creed | C |
On whose youthful walls the Padre saw the angel's golden reed | C |
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All its trophies long since scattered all its blazon brushed away | D |
And the flag that flies above it but a triumph of to day | D |
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Never scar of siege or battle challenges the wandering eye | A |
Never breach of warlike onset holds the curious passer by | A |
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Only one sweet human fancy interweaves its threads of gold | E |
With the plain and homespun present and a love that ne'er grows old | E |
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Only one thing holds its crumbling walls above the meaner dust | F |
Listen to the simple story of a woman's love and trust | F |
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II | A |
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Count von Resanoff the Russian envoy of the mighty Czar | G |
Stood beside the deep embrasures where the brazen cannon are | G |
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He with grave provincial magnates long had held serene debate | H |
On the Treaty of Alliance and the high affairs of state | H |
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He from grave provincial magnates oft had turned to talk apart | I |
With the Commandante's daughter on the questions of the heart | I |
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Until points of gravest import yielded slowly one by one | J |
And by Love was consummated what Diplomacy begun | J |
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Till beside the deep embrasures where the brazen cannon are | G |
He received the twofold contract for approval of the Czar | G |
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Till beside the brazen cannon the betrothed bade adieu | K |
And from sallyport and gateway north the Russian eagles flew | K |
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III | A |
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Long beside the deep embrasures where the brazen cannon are | G |
Did they wait the promised bridegroom and the answer of the Czar | G |
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Day by day on wall and bastion beat the hollow empty breeze | L |
Day by day the sunlight glittered on the vacant smiling seas | L |
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Week by week the near hills whitened in their dusty leather cloaks | L |
Week by week the far hills darkened from the fringing plain of oaks | L |
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Till the rains came and far breaking on the fierce southwester tost | K |
Dashed the whole long coast with color and then vanished and were lost | K |
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So each year the seasons shifted wet and warm and drear and dry | A |
Half a year of clouds and flowers half a year of dust and sky | A |
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Still it brought no ship nor message brought no tidings ill or meet | K |
For the statesmanlike Commander for the daughter fair and sweet | K |
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Yet she heard the varying message voiceless to all ears beside | K |
He will come the flowers whispered Come no more the dry hills sighed | K |
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Still she found him with the waters lifted by the morning breeze | L |
Still she lost him with the folding of the great white tented seas | L |
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Until hollows chased the dimples from her cheeks of olive brown | M |
And at times a swift shy moisture dragged the long sweet lashes down | M |
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Or the small mouth curved and quivered as for some denied caress | L |
And the fair young brow was knitted in an infantine distress | L |
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Then the grim Commander pacing where the brazen cannon are | G |
Comforted the maid with proverbs wisdom gathered from afar | G |
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Bits of ancient observation by his fathers garnered each | N |
As a pebble worn and polished in the current of his speech | N |
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'Those who wait the coming rider travel twice as far as he ' | - |
'Tired wench and coming butter never did in time agree ' | - |
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'He that getteth himself honey though a clown he shall have flies ' | - |
'In the end God grinds the miller ' 'In the dark the mole has eyes ' | - |
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'He whose father is Alcalde of his trial hath no fear ' | - |
And be sure the Count has reasons that will make his conduct clear | O |
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Then the voice sententious faltered and the wisdom it would teach | N |
Lost itself in fondest trifles of his soft Castilian speech | N |
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And on Concha Conchitita and Conchita he would dwell | P |
With the fond reiteration which the Spaniard knows so well | P |
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So with proverbs and caresses half in faith and half in doubt | K |
Every day some hope was kindled flickered faded and went out | K |
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IV | - |
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Yearly down the hillside sweeping came the stately cavalcade | K |
Bringing revel to vaquero joy and comfort to each maid | K |
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Bringing days of formal visit social feast and rustic sport | K |
Of bull baiting on the plaza of love making in the court | K |
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Vainly then at Concha's lattice vainly as the idle wind | K |
Rose the thin high Spanish tenor that bespoke the youth too kind | K |
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Vainly leaning from their saddles caballeros bold and fleet | K |
Plucked for her the buried chicken from beneath their mustang's feet | K |
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So in vain the barren hillsides with their gay serapes blazed | K |
Blazed and vanished in the dust cloud that their flying hoofs had raised | K |
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Then the drum called from the rampart and once more with patient mien | Q |
The Commander and his daughter each took up the dull routine | Q |
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Each took up the petty duties of a life apart and lone | R |
Till the slow years wrought a music in its dreary monotone | R |
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V | - |
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Forty years on wall and bastion swept the hollow idle breeze | L |
Since the Russian eagle fluttered from the California seas | L |
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Forty years on wall and bastion wrought its slow but sure decay | D |
And St George's cross was lifted in the port of Monterey | D |
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And the citadel was lighted and the hall was gayly drest | K |
All to honor Sir George Simpson famous traveler and guest | K |
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Far and near the people gathered to the costly banquet set | K |
And exchanged congratulations with the English baronet | K |
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Till the formal speeches ended and amidst the laugh and wine | S |
Some one spoke of Concha's lover heedless of the warning sign | S |
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Quickly then cried Sir George Simpson Speak no ill of him I pray | D |
He is dead He died poor fellow forty years ago this day | D |
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Died while speeding home to Russia falling from a fractious horse | L |
Left a sweetheart too they tell me Married I suppose of course | L |
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Lives she yet A deathlike silence fell on banquet guests and hall | T |
And a trembling figure rising fixed the awestruck gaze of all | T |
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Two black eyes in darkened orbits gleamed beneath the nun's white hood | K |
Black serge hid the wasted figure bowed and stricken where it stood | K |
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Lives she yet Sir George repeated All were hushed as Concha drew | K |
Closer yet her nun's attire Senor pardon she died too | K |
Bret Harte (francis)
(1)
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