The Child Of The Islands - Summer Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCCDCDDA EFEFGAFAAA HIHJIKILMN OPOPPEPEEN QRQRRSRTTN UVUVVWVWWN XYXYYZYZZN VA2VA2A2B2A2C2C2W D2LD2LLE2F2E2E2W G2NG2NNWNWWW VVVVVWVWWW VVVVVXVXXW H2VH2VVWVWWN WNWNNNNNNN WWWWWWWWWN VWVWWWWWWN WI2J2I2I2I2I2I2I2N I2NI2NNK2NK2WW L2WI | A |
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FOR Summer followeth with its store of joy | B |
That too can bring thee only new delight | C |
Its sultry hours can work thee no annoy | B |
Veiled from thy head shall be its glowing might | C |
Sweet fruits shall tempt thy thirsty appetite | C |
Thy languid limbs on cushioned down shall sink | D |
Or rest on fern grown tufts by streamlets bright | C |
Where the large throated deer come down to drink | D |
And cluster gently round the cool refreshing brink | D |
II | A |
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There as the flak d light with changeful ray | E |
From where the unseen glory hotly glows | F |
Through the green branches maketh pleasant way | E |
And on the turf a chequered radiance throws | F |
Thou'lt lean and watch those kingly antlered brows | G |
The lustrous beauty of their glances shy | A |
As following still the pace their leader goes | F |
Who seems afraid to halt ashamed to fly | A |
Rapid yet stately too the lovely herd troop by | A |
III | A |
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This is the time of shadow and of flowers | H |
When roads gleam white for many a winding mile | I |
When gentle breezes fan the lazy hours | H |
And balmy rest o'erpays the time of toil | J |
When purple hues and shifting beams beguile | I |
The tedious sameness of the heath grown moor | K |
When the old grandsire sees with placid smile | I |
The sunburnt children frolic round his door | L |
And trellised roses deck the cottage of the poor | M |
IV | N |
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The time of pleasant evenings when the moon | O |
Riseth companioned by a single star | P |
And rivals e'en the brilliant summer noon | O |
In the clear radiance which she pours afar | P |
No stormy winds her hour of peace to mar | P |
Or stir the fleecy clouds which melt away | E |
Beneath the wheels of her illumined car | P |
While many a river trembles in her ray | E |
And silver gleam the sands round many an ocean bay | E |
V | N |
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Oh then the heart lies hushed afraid to beat | Q |
In the deep absence of all other sound | R |
And home is sought with loth and lingering feet | Q |
As though that shining tract of fairy ground | R |
Once left and lost might never more be found | R |
And happy seems the life that gipsies lead | S |
Who make their rest where mossy banks abound | R |
In nooks where unplucked wild flowers shed their seed | T |
A canvass spreading tent the only roof they need | T |
VI | N |
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Wild Nomades of our civilised calm land | U |
Whose Eastern origin is still betrayed | V |
By the swart beauty of the slender hand | U |
Eyes flashing forth from over arching shade | V |
And supple limbs for active movement made | V |
How oft beguiled by you the maiden looks | W |
For love her fancy ne'er before pourtrayed | V |
And slighting village swains and shepherd crooks | W |
Dreams of proud youths dark spells and wondrous magic books | W |
VII | N |
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Lo in the confines of a dungeon cell | X |
Sore weary of its silence and its gloom | Y |
One of this race who yet deserveth well | X |
The close imprisonment which is her doom | Y |
Lawless she was ere infancy's first bloom | Y |
Left the round outline of her sunny cheek | Z |
Vagrant and prowling Thief no chance no room | Y |
To bring that wild heart to obedience meek | Z |
Therefore th' avenging law its punishment must wreak | Z |
VIII | N |
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She lies crouched up upon her pallet bed | V |
Her slight limbs starting in unquiet sleep | A2 |
And oft she turns her feverish restless head | V |
Moans frets and murmurs or begins to weep | A2 |
Anon a calmer hour of slumber deep | A2 |
Sinks on her lids some happier thought hath come | B2 |
Some jubilee unknown she thinks to keep | A2 |
With liberated steps that wander home | C2 |
Once more with gipsy tribes a gipsy life to roam | C2 |
IX | W |
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But no her pale lips quiver as they moan | D2 |
What whisper they A name and nothing more | L |
But with such passionate tenderness of tone | D2 |
As shews how much those lips that name adore | L |
She dreams of one who shall her loss deplore | L |
With the unbridled anguish of despair | E2 |
Whose forest wanderings by her side are o'er | F2 |
But to whose heart one braid of her black hair | E2 |
Were worth the world's best throne and all its treasures rare | E2 |
X | W |
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The shadow of his eyes is on her soul | G2 |
His passionate eyes that held her in such love | N |
Which love she answered scorning all control | G2 |
Of reasoning thoughts which tranquil bosoms move | N |
No lengthened courtship it was his to prove | N |
Gleaning capricious smiles by fits and starts | W |
Nor feared her simple faith lest he should rove | N |
Rapid and subtle as the flame that darts | W |
To meet its fellow flame shot passion through their hearts | W |
XI | W |
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And though no holy priest that union blessed | V |
By gipsy laws and customs made his bride | V |
The love her looks avowed in words confessed | V |
She shared his tent she wandered by his side | V |
His glance her morning star his will her guide | V |
Animal beauty and intelligence | W |
Were her sole gifts his heart they satisfied | V |
Himself could claim no higher better sense | W |
So loved her with a love wild passionate intense | W |
XII | W |
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And oft where flowers lay spangled round about | V |
And to the dying twilight incense shed | V |
They sat to watch heaven's glittering stars come out | V |
Her cheek down leaning on his cherished head | V |
That head upon her heart's soft pillow laid | V |
In fulness of content and such deep spell | X |
Of loving silence that the word first said | V |
With startling sweetness on their senses fell | X |
Like silver coins dropped down a many fathomed well | X |
XIII | W |
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Look her brows darken with a sudden frown | H2 |
She dreams of Rescue by his angry aid | V |
She dreams he strikes the Law's vile minions down | H2 |
And bears her swiftly to the wild wood shade | V |
There where their bower of bliss at first was made | V |
Safe in his sheltering arms once more she sleeps | W |
Ah happy dream She wakes amazed afraid | V |
Like a young panther from her couch she leaps | W |
Gazes bewildered round then madly shrieks and weeps | W |
XIV | N |
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For far above her head the prison bars | W |
Mock her with narrow sections of that sky | N |
She knew so wide and blue and full of stars | W |
When gazing upward through the branches high | N |
Of the free forest Is she then to die | N |
Where is he where the strong armed and the brave | N |
Who in that vision answered her wild cry | N |
Where is he where the lover who should save | N |
And snatch her from her fate an ignominious grave | N |
XV | N |
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Oh pity her all sinful though she be | W |
While thus the transient dreams of freedom rise | W |
Contrasted with her waking destiny | W |
Scorn is for devils soft compassion lies | W |
In angel hearts and beams from angel eyes | W |
Pity her Never more with wild embrace | W |
Those flexile arms shall clasp him ere she dies | W |
Never the fierce sad beauty of her face | W |
Be lit with gentler hope or love's triumphant grace | W |
XVI | N |
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Lonely she perishes like some wild bird | V |
That strains its wing against opposing wires | W |
Her heart's tumultuous panting may be heard | V |
While to the thought of rescue she aspires | W |
Then of its own deep strength it faints and tires | W |
The frenzy of her mood begins to cease | W |
Her varying pulse with fluttering stroke expires | W |
And the sick weariness that is not peace | W |
Creeps slowly through her blood and promises release | W |
XVII | N |
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Alas dark shadows press not on her so | W |
Stand off and let her hear the linnet sing | I2 |
Crumble ye walls that sunshine may come through | J2 |
Each crevice of your ruins Rise clear spring | I2 |
Bubbling from hidden fountain depths and bring | I2 |
Water the death thirst of her pain to slake | I2 |
Come from the forest breeze with wandering wing | I2 |
There dwelt a heart would perish for her sake | I2 |
Oh save her No Death stands prepared his prey to take | I2 |
XVIII | N |
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But because youth and health are very strong | I2 |
And all her veins were full of freshest life | N |
The deadly struggle must continue long | I2 |
Ere the free heart lie still that was so rife | N |
With passion's mad excess The gaoler's wife | N |
Bends with revolted pity on her brow | K2 |
To watch the working of that fearful strife | N |
Till the last quivering spark is out And now | K2 |
All's dark all's cold all's lost that loved and mourned below | W |
XIX | W |
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She could not live in prison could not breathe | L2 |
The dull pollution of its | W |
Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton
(1)
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