The Months: A Pageant Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A ABCDEFF A G A F B HI F HHIHJJJJ KJGJ KLGL KJMJ K B F B MMGMG F B NOMNNNO K GPGFPKKF H DDG A B GDD Q K AARGGRSSKKKK K GGKTTDUUDAAVKKVWWV G C K BBGGGBB AAKKKAA DDKKKDD C T LG Q C C GGLGAAAGGA X C AGAGDKDK K C L D LVVVGFF V D GFAPGGAP ADKKAD YZA2A2YZ A D E E EEEAATT A E BGBG B BB2BB2 G L A KKHH A E B L KKB K ABAAAAA F L C2KC2G FKFG FC2FKKC2KK FKFK D2 L BBAA BBA A K AKAKKKK FKFKFFF E2 K LLLLL K F MMMMMM A F LLGLLG UUGUF2G AAA KA2KA2G2G2H2I2 J2 F FFMMMA F AA K F FK2FK2K2 AAAAA G F BBAF F T GGAAAPAAP A F KB2KB2 RLRL A F G KF G F TKTTAK F AAK LNLN A KHKH KA2KA2 KKKK KA

PERSONIFICATIONSA
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Boys nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp GirlsA
January nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp FebruaryB
March nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp AprilC
July nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp MayD
August nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp JuneE
October nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp SeptemberF
December nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp NovemberF
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Robin Redbreasts Lambs and Sheep Nightingale and NestlingsA
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Various Flowers Fruits etcG
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Scene A Cottage with its GroundsA
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A room in a large comfortable cottage a fire burning on the hearth a table on which the breakfast things have been left standing January discovered seated by the fireF
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JanuaryB
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Cold the day and cold the drifted snowH
Dim the day until the cold dark nightI
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Stirs the fireF
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Crackle sparkle fagot embers glowH
Some one may be plodding through the snowH
Longing for a lightI
For the light that you and I can showH
If no one else should comeJ
Here Robin Redbreast's welcome to a crumbJ
And never troublesomeJ
Robin why don't you come and fetch your crumbJ
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Here's butter for my hunch of breadK
And sugar for your crumbJ
Here's room upon the hearthrugG
If you'll only comeJ
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In your scarlet waistcoatK
With your keen bright eyeL
Where are you loiteringG
Wings were made to flyL
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Make haste to breakfastK
Come and fetch your crumbJ
For I'm as glad to see youM
As you are glad to comeJ
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Two Robin Redbreasts are seen tapping with their beaks at the lattice which January opens The birds flutter in hop about the floor and peck up the crumbs and sugar thrown to them They have scarcely finished their meal when a knock is heard at the door January hangs a guard in front of the fire and opens to February who appears with a bunch of snowdrops in her handK
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JanuaryB
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Good morrow sisterF
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FebruaryB
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Brother joy to youM
I've brought some snowdrops only just a fewM
But quite enough to prove the world awakeG
Cheerful and hopeful in the frosty dewM
And for the pale sun's sakeG
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She hands a few of her snowdrops to January who retires into the background While February stands arranging the remaining snowdrops in a glass of water on the window sill a soft butting and bleating are heard outside She opens the door and sees one foremost lamb with other sheep and lambs bleating and crowding towards herF
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FebruaryB
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O you you little wonder come come inN
You wonderful you woolly soft white lambO
You panting mother ewe come tooM
And lead that tottering twinN
Safe inN
Bring all your bleating kith and kinN
Except the horny ramO
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February opens a second door in the background and the little flock files through into a warm and sheltered compartment out of sightK
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The lambkin tottering in its walkG
With just a fleece to wearP
The snowdrop drooping on its stalkG
So slenderF
Snowdrop and lamb a pretty pairP
Braving the cold for our delightK
Both whiteK
Both tenderF
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A rattling of doors and windows branches seen without tossing violently to and froH
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How the doors rattle and the branches swayD
Here's brother March comes whirling on his wayD
With winds that eddy and singG
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She turns the handle of the door which bursts open and discloses March hastening up both hands full of violets and anemonesA
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FebruaryB
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Come show me what you bringG
For I have said my say fulfilled my dayD
And must awayD
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MarchQ
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Stopping short on the thresholdK
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I blow an arouseA
Through the world's wide houseA
To quicken the torpid earthR
Grappling I flingG
Each feeble thingG
But bring strong life to the birthR
I wrestle and frownS
And topple downS
I wrench I rend I uprootK
Yet the violetK
Is born where I setK
The sole of my flying footK
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Hands violets and anemones to February who retires into the backgroundK
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And in my wakeG
Frail wind flowers quakeG
And the catkins promise fruitK
I drive ocean ashoreT
With rush and roarT
And he cannot say me nayD
My harpstrings allU
Are the forests tallU
Making music when I playD
And as others perforceA
So I on my courseA
Run and needs must runV
With sap on the mountK
And buds past countK
And rivers and clouds and sunV
With seasons and breathW
And time and deathW
And all that has yet begunV
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Before March has done speaking a voice is heard approaching accompanied by a twittering of birds April comes along singing and stands outside and out of sight to finish her songG
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AprilC
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OutsideK
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Pretty little threeB
Sparrows in a treeB
Light upon the wingG
Though you cannot singG
You can chirp of SpringG
Chirp of Spring to meB
Sparrows from your treeB
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Never mind the showersA
Chirp about the flowersA
While you build a nestK
Straws from east and westK
Feathers from your breastK
Make the snuggest bowersA
In a world of flowersA
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You must dart awayD
From the chosen sprayD
You intrusive thirdK
Extra little birdK
Join the unwedded herdK
These have done with playD
And must work to dayD
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AprilC
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Appearing at the open doorT
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Good morrow and good bye if others flyL
Of all the flying months you're the most flyingG
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MarchQ
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You're hope and sweetness AprilC
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AprilC
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Birth means dyingG
As wings and wind mean flyingG
So you and I and all things fly or dieL
And sometimes I sit sighing to think of dyingG
But meanwhile I've a rainbow in my showersA
And a lapful of flowersA
And these dear nestlings aged three hoursA
And here's their mother sittingG
Their father's merely flittingG
To find their breakfast somewhere in my bowersA
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As she speaks April shows March her apron full of flowers and nest full of birds March wanders away into the grounds April without entering the cottage hangs over the hungry nestlings watching themX
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AprilC
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What beaks you have you funny thingsA
What voices shrill and weakG
Who'd think that anything that singsA
Could sing through such a beakG
Yet you'll be nightingales one dayD
And charm the country sideK
When I'm away and far awayD
And May is queen and brideK
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May arrives unperceived by April and gives her a kiss April starts and looks roundK
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AprilC
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Ah May good morrow May and so good byeL
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MayD
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That's just your way sweet April smile and sighL
Your sorrow's half in funV
Begun and doneV
And turned to joy while twenty seconds runV
I've gathered flowers all as I came alongG
At every step a flowerF
Fed by your last bright showerF
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She divides an armful of all sorts of flowers with April who strolls away through the gardenV
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MayD
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And gathering flowers I listened to the songG
Of every bird in bowerF
The world and I are far too full of blissA
To think or plan or toil or careP
The sun is waxing strongG
The days are waxing longG
And all that isA
Is fairP
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Here are my buds of lily and of roseA
And here's my namesake blossom mayD
And from a watery spotK
See here forget me notK
With all that blowsA
To dayD
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Hark to my linnets from the hedges greenY
Blackbird and lark and thrush and doveZ
And every nightingaleA2
And cuckoo tells its taleA2
And all they meanY
Is loveZ
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June appears at the further end of the garden coming slowly towards May who seeing her exclaimsA
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MayD
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Surely you're come too early sister JuneE
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JuneE
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Indeed I feel as if I came too soonE
To round your young May moonE
And set the world a gasping at my noonE
Yet come I must So here are strawberriesA
Sun flushed and sweet as many as you pleaseA
And here are full blown roses by the scoreT
More roses and yet moreT
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May eating strawberries withdraws among the flower bedsA
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JuneE
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The sun does all my long day's work for meB
Raises and ripens everythingG
I need but sit beneath a leafy treeB
And watch and singG
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Seats herself in the shadow of a laburnumB
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Or if I'm lulled by note of bird and beeB
Or lulled by noontide's silence deepB2
I need but nestle down beneath my treeB
And drop asleepB2
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June falls asleep and is not awakened by the voice of July who behind the scenes is heard half singing half callingG
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JulyL
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Behind the scenesA
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Blue flags yellow flags flags all freckledK
Which will you take yellow blue speckledK
Take which you will speckled blue yellowH
Each in its way has not a fellowH
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Enter July a basket of many colored irises slung upon his shoulders a bunch of ripe grass in one hand and a plate piled full of peaches balanced upon the other He steals up to June and tickles her with the grass She wakesA
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JuneE
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What here alreadyB
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JulyL
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Nay my tryst is keptK
The longest day slipped by you while you sleptK
I've brought you one curved pyramid of bloomB
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Hands her the plateK
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Not flowers but peaches gathered where the beesA
As downy bask and boomB
In sunshine and in gloom of treesA
But get you in a storm is at my heelsA
The whirlwind whistles and wheelsA
Lightning flashes and thunder pealsA
Flying and following hard upon my heelsA
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June takes shelter in a thickly woven arborF
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JulyL
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The roar of a storm sweeps upC2
From the east to the lurid westK
The darkening sky like a cupC2
Is filled with rain to the brinkG
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The sky is purple and fireF
Blackness and noise and unrestK
The earth parched with desireF
Opens her mouth to drinkG
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Send forth thy thunder and fireF
Turn over thy brimming cupC2
O sky appease the desireF
Of earth in her parched unrestK
Pour out drink to her thirstK
Her famishing life lift upC2
Make thyself fair as at firstK
With a rainbow for thy crestK
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Have done with thunder and fireF
O sky with the rainbow crestK
O earth have done with desireF
Drink and drink deep and restK
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Enter August carrying a sheaf made up of different kinds of grainD2
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JulyL
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Hail brother August flushed and warmB
And scatheless from my stormB
Your hands are full of corn I seeA
As full as hands can beA
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And earth and air both smell as sweet as balmB
In their recovered calmB
And that they owe to meA
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July retires into a shrubberyA
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AugustK
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Wheat sways heavy oats are airyA
Barley bows a graceful headK
Short and small shoots up canaryA
Each of these is some one's breadK
Bread for man or bread for beastK
Or at very leastK
A bird's savory feastK
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Men are brethren of each otherF
One in flesh and one in foodK
And a sort of foster brotherF
Is the litter or the broodK
Of that folk in fur or featherF
Who with men togetherF
Breast the wind and weatherF
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August descries September toiling across the lawnE2
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AugustK
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My harvest home is ended and I spyL
September drawing nighL
With the first thought of Autumn in her eyeL
And the first sighL
Of Autumn wind among her locks that flyL
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September arrives carrying upon her head a basket heaped high with fruitK
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SeptemberF
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Unload me brother I have brought a fewM
Plums and these pears for youM
A dozen kinds of apples one or twoM
Melons some figs all bursting throughM
Their skins and pearled with dewM
These damsons violet blueM
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While September is speaking August lifts the basket to the ground selects various fruits and withdraws slowly along the gravel walk eating a pear as he goesA
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SeptemberF
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My song is half a sighL
Because my green leaves dieL
Sweet are my fruits but all my leaves are dyingG
And well may Autumn sighL
And well may IL
Who watch the sere leaves flyingG
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My leaves that fade and fallU
I note you one and allU
I call you and the Autumn wind is callingG
Lamenting for your fallU
And for the pallF2
You spread on earth in fallingG
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And here's a song of flowers to suit such hoursA
A song of the last lilies the last flowersA
Amid my withering bowersA
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In the sunny garden bedK
Lilies look so paleA2
Lilies droop the headK
In the shady grassy valeA2
If all alike they pineG2
In shade and in shineG2
If everywhere they grieveH2
Where will lilies liveI2
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October enters briskly some leafy twigs bearing different sorts of nuts in one hand and a long ripe hop bine trailing after him from the other A dahlia is stuck in his buttonholeJ2
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OctoberF
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Nay cheer up sister Life is not quite overF
Even if the year has done with corn and cloverF
With flowers and leaves besides in fact it's trueM
Some leaves remain and some flowers tooM
For me and youM
Now see my cropsA
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Offering his produce to SeptemberF
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I've brought you nuts and hopsA
And when the leaf drops why the walnut dropsA
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October wreaths the hop bine about September's neck and gives her the nut twigs They enter the cottage together but without shutting the door She steps into the background he advances to the hearth removes the guard stirs up the smouldering fire and arranges several chestnuts ready to roastK
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OctoberF
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Crack your first nut and light your first fireF
Roast your first chestnut crisp on the barK2
Make the logs sparkle stir the blaze higherF
Logs are cheery as sun or as starK2
Logs we can find wherever we areK2
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Spring one soft day will open the leavesA
Spring one bright day will lure back the flowersA
Never fancy my whistling wind grievesA
Never fancy I've tears in my showersA
Dance nights and days and dance on my hoursA
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Sees November approachingG
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OctoberF
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Here comes my youngest sister looking dimB
And grimB
With dismal waysA
What cheer NovemberF
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NovemberF
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Entering and shutting the doorT
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Nought have I to bringG
Tramping a chill and shiveringG
Except these pine cones for a blazeA
Except a fog which followsA
And stuffs up all the hollowsA
Except a hoar frost here and thereP
Except some shooting starsA
Which dart their luminous carsA
Trackless and noiseless through the keen night airP
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October shrugging his shoulders withdraws into the background while November throws her pine cones on the fire and sits down listlesslyA
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NovemberF
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The earth lies fast asleep grown tiredK
Of all that's high or deepB2
There's nought desired and nought requiredK
Save a sleepB2
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I rock the cradle of the earthR
I lull her with a sighL
And know that she will wake to mirthR
By and byL
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Through the window December is seen running and leaping in the direction of the door He knocksA
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NovemberF
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Calls out without risingG
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Ah here's my youngest brother come at lastK
Come in DecemberF
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He opens the door and enters loaded with evergreens in berry etcG
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NovemberF
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Come and shut the doorT
For now it's snowing fastK
It snows and will snow more and moreT
Don't let it drift in on the floorT
But you you're all aglow how can you beA
Rosy and warm and smiling in the coldK
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DecemberF
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Nay no closed doors for meA
But open doors and open hearts and gleeA
To welcome young and oldK
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Dimmest and brightest month am IL
My short days end my lengthening days beginN
What matters more or less sun in the skyL
When all is sun withinN
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He begins making a wreath as he singsA
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Ivy and privet dark as nightK
I weave with hips and haws a cheerful showH
And holly for a beauty and delightK
And milky mistletoeH
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While high above them all I setK
Yew twigs and Christmas roses pure and paleA2
Then Spring her snowdrop and her violetK
May keep so sweet and frailA2
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May keep each merry singing birdK
Of all her happy birds that singing buildK
For I've a carol which some shepherds heardK
Once in a wintry fieldK
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While December concludes his song all the other Months troop in from the garden or advance out of the backgroundK
The Twelve join hands in a circle and begin dancing round to a stately measure as the Curtain fallsA

Christina Georgina Rossetti



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