The Ghost's Petition Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABA CDC EFG EHG IJI KBL MBM NBN OBO PJP QRQ SAS TRT UFU VOV WJW XBA YFY AZA A2JB2 C2FC2 D2AD2 TA2T EE2E F2RF2There's a footstep coming look out and see | A |
The leaves are falling the wind is calling | B |
No one cometh across the lea | A |
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There's a footstep coming O sister look | C |
The ripple flashes the white foam dashes | D |
No one cometh across the brook | C |
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But he promised that he would come | E |
Tonight tomorrow in joy or sorrow | F |
He must keep his word and must come home | G |
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For he promised that he would come | E |
His word was given from earth or heaven | H |
He must keep his word and must come home | G |
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Go to sleep my sweet sister Jane | I |
You can slumber who need not number | J |
Hour after hour in doubt and pain | I |
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I shall sit here awhile and watch | K |
Listening hoping for one hand groping | B |
In deep shadow to find the latch | L |
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After the dark and before the light | M |
One lay sleeping and one sat weeping | B |
Who had watched and wept the weary night | M |
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After the night and before the day | N |
One lay sleeping and one sat weeping | B |
Watching weeping for one away | N |
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There came a footstep climbing the stair | O |
Some one standing out on the landing | B |
Shook the door like a puff of air | O |
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Shook the door and in he passed | P |
Did he enter In the room centre | J |
Stood her husband the door shut fast | P |
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O Robin but you are cold | Q |
Chilled with the night dew so lily white you | R |
Look like a stray lamb from our fold | Q |
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O Robin but you are late | S |
Come and sit near me sit here and cheer me | A |
Blue the flame burnt in the grate | S |
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Lay not down your head on my breast | T |
I cannot hold you kind wife nor fold you | R |
In the shelter that you love best | T |
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Feel not after my clasping hand | U |
I am but a shadow come from the meadow | F |
Where many lie but no tree can stand | U |
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We are trees which have shed their leaves | V |
Our heads lie low there but no tears flow there | O |
Only I grieve for my wife who grieves | V |
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I could rest if you would not moan | W |
Hour after hour I have no power | J |
To shut my ears where I lie alone | W |
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I could rest if you would not cry | X |
But there's no sleeping while you sit weeping | B |
Watching weeping so bitterly | A |
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Woe's me woe's me for this I have heard | Y |
Oh night of sorrow oh black tomorrow | F |
Is it thus that you keep your word | Y |
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O you who used so to shelter me | A |
Warm from the least wind why now tlie east wind | Z |
Is warmer than you whom I quake to see | A |
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O my husband offlesh and blood | A2 |
For whom my mother I left and brother | J |
And all I had accounting it good | B2 |
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What do you do there underground | C2 |
In the dark hollow I'm fain to follow | F |
What do you do there what have you found | C2 |
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What I do there I must not tell | D2 |
But I have plenty kind wife content ye | A |
It is well with us it is well | D2 |
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Tender hand hath made our nest | T |
Our fear is ended our hope is blended | A2 |
With present pleasure and we have rest | T |
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Oh but Robin I'm fain to come | E |
If your present days are so pleasant | E2 |
For my days are so wearisome | E |
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Yet I'll dry my tears for your sake | F2 |
Why should I tease you who cannot please you | R |
Any more with the pains I take | F2 |
Christina Rossetti
(1)
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