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