The Months: A Pageant Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A ABCDEFF GA H A IJHF B KL F KKLKMMMM NMHM NOHO NMPM NQFRHPN B F B PPHPH AHHNSAF B QTPQQQT HNN HUHFUNNF NK DDH NAA B HDD V N AAWHHWXXNNNN PN HHNYYDZZDAAA2NNA2B2B 2A2 HAC2H C N BBHHHBB AANNNAA DDNNNDD C Y OH V C C HHOHAAAHHA AHFD2 C AHAHDNDN AN C O D OA2A2A2HFF PA2 D HFAUHHAU ADNNAD E2F2G2G2E2F2 BA D E E EEEAAYY A E BHBH B BH2BH2 OH O A NNKK ANAA E B O NNB N ABAAAAA F O I2NI2H FNFH FI2FNNI2NN FNFN F2J2 O BBAA BBA A N ANANNNN FNFNFFF K2 N OOOOO NN F PPPPPP HHA F OOHOOH ZZHZL2H AAA NG2NG2M2M2N2O2 NHAP2 F FFPPPA F AA NFNNAN F FQ2FQ2Q2 AAAAA H F BBAF F Y HHAAAUAAU NHA F NH2NH2 WOWO HA F H NF QH F YNYYAN F AAN OQOQ A NKNK NG2NG2 NNNN ANQA| PERSONIFICATIONS | A |
| - | |
| Boys Girls | A |
| January February | B |
| March April | C |
| July May | D |
| August June | E |
| October September | F |
| December November | F |
| - | |
| Robin Redbreasts Lambs and Sheep Nightingale and | G |
| Nestlings | A |
| - | |
| Various Flowers Fruits etc | H |
| - | |
| Scene A Cottage with its Grounds | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| A room in a large comfortable cottage a fire burning on | I |
| the hearth a table on which the breakfast things have | J |
| been left standing January discovered seated by the | H |
| fire | F |
| - | |
| - | |
| January | B |
| - | |
| Cold the day and cold the drifted snow | K |
| Dim the day until the cold dark night | L |
| - | |
| Stirs the fire | F |
| - | |
| Crackle sparkle fagot embers glow | K |
| Some one may be plodding through the snow | K |
| Longing for a light | L |
| For the light that you and I can show | K |
| If no one else should come | M |
| Here Robin Redbreast's welcome to a crumb | M |
| And never troublesome | M |
| Robin why don't you come and fetch your crumb | M |
| - | |
| - | |
| Here's butter for my hunch of bread | N |
| And sugar for your crumb | M |
| Here's room upon the hearthrug | H |
| If you'll only come | M |
| - | |
| In your scarlet waistcoat | N |
| With your keen bright eye | O |
| Where are you loitering | H |
| Wings were made to fly | O |
| - | |
| Make haste to breakfast | N |
| Come and fetch your crumb | M |
| For I'm as glad to see you | P |
| As you are glad to come | M |
| - | |
| - | |
| Two Robin Redbreasts are seen tapping with their beaks at | N |
| the lattice which January opens The birds flutter in | Q |
| hop about the floor and peck up the crumbs and sugar | F |
| thrown to them They have scarcely finished their meal | R |
| when a knock is heard at the door January hangs a | H |
| guard in front of the fire and opens to February who | P |
| appears with a bunch of snowdrops in her hand | N |
| - | |
| January | B |
| - | |
| Good morrow sister | F |
| - | |
| February | B |
| - | |
| Brother joy to you | P |
| I've brought some snowdrops only just a few | P |
| But quite enough to prove the world awake | H |
| Cheerful and hopeful in the frosty dew | P |
| And for the pale sun's sake | H |
| - | |
| She hands a few of her snowdrops to January who retires | A |
| into the background While February stands arranging | H |
| the remaining snowdrops in a glass of water on the | H |
| window sill a soft butting and bleating are heard outside | N |
| She opens the door and sees one foremost lamb with | S |
| other sheep and lambs bleating and crowding towards | A |
| her | F |
| - | |
| February | B |
| - | |
| O you you little wonder come come in | Q |
| You wonderful you woolly soft white lamb | T |
| You panting mother ewe come too | P |
| And lead that tottering twin | Q |
| Safe in | Q |
| Bring all your bleating kith and kin | Q |
| Except the horny ram | T |
| - | |
| February opens a second door in the background and the | H |
| little flock files through into a warm and sheltered compartment | N |
| out of sight | N |
| - | |
| The lambkin tottering in its walk | H |
| With just a fleece to wear | U |
| The snowdrop drooping on its stalk | H |
| So slender | F |
| Snowdrop and lamb a pretty pair | U |
| Braving the cold for our delight | N |
| Both white | N |
| Both tender | F |
| - | |
| A rattling of doors and windows branches seen without | N |
| tossing violently to and fro | K |
| - | |
| How the doors rattle and the branches sway | D |
| Here's brother March comes whirling on his way | D |
| With winds that eddy and sing | H |
| - | |
| She turns the handle of the door which bursts open and | N |
| discloses March hastening up both hands full of violets | A |
| and anemones | A |
| - | |
| February | B |
| - | |
| Come show me what you bring | H |
| For I have said my say fulfilled my day | D |
| And must away | D |
| - | |
| March | V |
| - | |
| Stopping short on the threshold | N |
| - | |
| I blow an arouse | A |
| Through the world's wide house | A |
| To quicken the torpid earth | W |
| Grappling I fling | H |
| Each feeble thing | H |
| But bring strong life to the birth | W |
| I wrestle and frown | X |
| And topple down | X |
| I wrench I rend I uproot | N |
| Yet the violet | N |
| Is born where I set | N |
| The sole of my flying foot | N |
| - | |
| Hands violets and anemones to February who retires into | P |
| the background | N |
| - | |
| And in my wake | H |
| Frail wind flowers quake | H |
| And the catkins promise fruit | N |
| I drive ocean ashore | Y |
| With rush and roar | Y |
| And he cannot say me nay | D |
| My harpstrings all | Z |
| Are the forests tall | Z |
| Making music when I play | D |
| And as others perforce | A |
| So I on my course | A |
| Run and needs must run | A2 |
| With sap on the mount | N |
| And buds past count | N |
| And rivers and clouds and sun | A2 |
| With seasons and breath | B2 |
| And time and death | B2 |
| And all that has yet begun | A2 |
| - | |
| Before March has done speaking a voice is heard approaching | H |
| accompanied by a twittering of birds April comes | A |
| along singing and stands outside and out of sight to finish | C2 |
| her song | H |
| - | |
| April | C |
| - | |
| Outside | N |
| - | |
| Pretty little three | B |
| Sparrows in a tree | B |
| Light upon the wing | H |
| Though you cannot sing | H |
| You can chirp of Spring | H |
| Chirp of Spring to me | B |
| Sparrows from your tree | B |
| - | |
| Never mind the showers | A |
| Chirp about the flowers | A |
| While you build a nest | N |
| Straws from east and west | N |
| Feathers from your breast | N |
| Make the snuggest bowers | A |
| In a world of flowers | A |
| - | |
| You must dart away | D |
| From the chosen spray | D |
| You intrusive third | N |
| Extra little bird | N |
| Join the unwedded herd | N |
| These have done with play | D |
| And must work to day | D |
| - | |
| April | C |
| - | |
| Appearing at the open door | Y |
| - | |
| Good morrow and good bye if others fly | O |
| Of all the flying months you're the most flying | H |
| - | |
| March | V |
| - | |
| You're hope and sweetness April | C |
| - | |
| April | C |
| - | |
| Birth means dying | H |
| As wings and wind mean flying | H |
| So you and I and all things fly or die | O |
| And sometimes I sit sighing to think of dying | H |
| But meanwhile I've a rainbow in my showers | A |
| And a lapful of flowers | A |
| And these dear nestlings aged three hours | A |
| And here's their mother sitting | H |
| Their father's merely flitting | H |
| To find their breakfast somewhere in my bowers | A |
| - | |
| As she speaks April shows March her apron full of flowers | A |
| and nest full of birds March wanders away into the | H |
| grounds April without entering the cottage hangs over | F |
| the hungry nestlings watching them | D2 |
| - | |
| April | C |
| - | |
| What beaks you have you funny things | A |
| What voices shrill and weak | H |
| Who'd think that anything that sings | A |
| Could sing through such a beak | H |
| Yet you'll be nightingales one day | D |
| And charm the country side | N |
| When I'm away and far away | D |
| And May is queen and bride | N |
| - | |
| May arrives unperceived by April and gives her a kiss | A |
| April starts and looks round | N |
| - | |
| April | C |
| - | |
| Ah May good morrow May and so good bye | O |
| - | |
| May | D |
| - | |
| That's just your way sweet April smile and sigh | O |
| Your sorrow's half in fun | A2 |
| Begun and done | A2 |
| And turned to joy while twenty seconds run | A2 |
| I've gathered flowers all as I came along | H |
| At every step a flower | F |
| Fed by your last bright shower | F |
| - | |
| She divides an armful of all sorts of flowers with April who | P |
| strolls away through the garden | A2 |
| - | |
| May | D |
| - | |
| And gathering flowers I listened to the song | H |
| Of every bird in bower | F |
| The world and I are far too full of bliss | A |
| To think or plan or toil or care | U |
| The sun is waxing strong | H |
| The days are waxing long | H |
| And all that is | A |
| Is fair | U |
| - | |
| Here are my buds of lily and of rose | A |
| And here's my namesake blossom may | D |
| And from a watery spot | N |
| See here forget me not | N |
| With all that blows | A |
| To day | D |
| - | |
| Hark to my linnets from the hedges green | E2 |
| Blackbird and lark and thrush and dove | F2 |
| And every nightingale | G2 |
| And cuckoo tells its tale | G2 |
| And all they mean | E2 |
| Is love | F2 |
| - | |
| June appears at the further end of the garden coming slowly | B |
| towards May who seeing her exclaims | A |
| - | |
| May | D |
| - | |
| Surely you're come too early sister June | E |
| - | |
| June | E |
| - | |
| Indeed I feel as if I came too soon | E |
| To round your young May moon | E |
| And set the world a gasping at my noon | E |
| Yet come I must So here are strawberries | A |
| Sun flushed and sweet as many as you please | A |
| And here are full blown roses by the score | Y |
| More roses and yet more | Y |
| - | |
| May eating strawberries withdraws among the flower beds | A |
| - | |
| June | E |
| - | |
| The sun does all my long day's work for me | B |
| Raises and ripens everything | H |
| I need but sit beneath a leafy tree | B |
| And watch and sing | H |
| - | |
| Seats herself in the shadow of a laburnum | B |
| - | |
| Or if I'm lulled by note of bird and bee | B |
| Or lulled by noontide's silence deep | H2 |
| I need but nestle down beneath my tree | B |
| And drop asleep | H2 |
| - | |
| June falls asleep and is not awakened by the voice of July | O |
| who behind the scenes is heard half singing half calling | H |
| - | |
| July | O |
| - | |
| Behind the scenes | A |
| - | |
| Blue flags yellow flags flags all freckled | N |
| Which will you take yellow blue speckled | N |
| Take which you will speckled blue yellow | K |
| Each in its way has not a fellow | K |
| - | |
| Enter July a basket of many colored irises slung upon his | A |
| shoulders a bunch of ripe grass in one hand and a plate | N |
| piled full of peaches balanced upon the other He steals | A |
| up to June and tickles her with the grass She wakes | A |
| - | |
| June | E |
| - | |
| What here already | B |
| - | |
| July | O |
| - | |
| Nay my tryst is kept | N |
| The longest day slipped by you while you slept | N |
| I've brought you one curved pyramid of bloom | B |
| - | |
| Hands her the plate | N |
| - | |
| Not flowers but peaches gathered where the bees | A |
| As downy bask and boom | B |
| In sunshine and in gloom of trees | A |
| But get you in a storm is at my heels | A |
| The whirlwind whistles and wheels | A |
| Lightning flashes and thunder peals | A |
| Flying and following hard upon my heels | A |
| - | |
| June takes shelter in a thickly woven arbor | F |
| - | |
| July | O |
| - | |
| The roar of a storm sweeps up | I2 |
| From the east to the lurid west | N |
| The darkening sky like a cup | I2 |
| Is filled with rain to the brink | H |
| - | |
| The sky is purple and fire | F |
| Blackness and noise and unrest | N |
| The earth parched with desire | F |
| Opens her mouth to drink | H |
| - | |
| Send forth thy thunder and fire | F |
| Turn over thy brimming cup | I2 |
| O sky appease the desire | F |
| Of earth in her parched unrest | N |
| Pour out drink to her thirst | N |
| Her famishing life lift up | I2 |
| Make thyself fair as at first | N |
| With a rainbow for thy crest | N |
| - | |
| Have done with thunder and fire | F |
| O sky with the rainbow crest | N |
| O earth have done with desire | F |
| Drink and drink deep and rest | N |
| - | |
| Enter August carrying a sheaf made up of different kinds of | F2 |
| grain | J2 |
| - | |
| July | O |
| - | |
| Hail brother August flushed and warm | B |
| And scatheless from my storm | B |
| Your hands are full of corn I see | A |
| As full as hands can be | A |
| - | |
| And earth and air both smell as sweet as balm | B |
| In their recovered calm | B |
| And that they owe to me | A |
| - | |
| July retires into a shrubbery | A |
| - | |
| August | N |
| - | |
| Wheat sways heavy oats are airy | A |
| Barley bows a graceful head | N |
| Short and small shoots up canary | A |
| Each of these is some one's bread | N |
| Bread for man or bread for beast | N |
| Or at very least | N |
| A bird's savory feast | N |
| - | |
| Men are brethren of each other | F |
| One in flesh and one in food | N |
| And a sort of foster brother | F |
| Is the litter or the brood | N |
| Of that folk in fur or feather | F |
| Who with men together | F |
| Breast the wind and weather | F |
| - | |
| August descries September toiling across the lawn | K2 |
| - | |
| August | N |
| - | |
| My harvest home is ended and I spy | O |
| September drawing nigh | O |
| With the first thought of Autumn in her eye | O |
| And the first sigh | O |
| Of Autumn wind among her locks that fly | O |
| - | |
| September arrives carrying upon her head a basket heaped | N |
| high with fruit | N |
| - | |
| - | |
| September | F |
| - | |
| Unload me brother I have brought a few | P |
| Plums and these pears for you | P |
| A dozen kinds of apples one or two | P |
| Melons some figs all bursting through | P |
| Their skins and pearled with dew | P |
| These damsons violet blue | P |
| - | |
| While September is speaking August lifts the basket to the | H |
| ground selects various fruits and withdraws slowly along | H |
| the gravel walk eating a pear as he goes | A |
| - | |
| September | F |
| - | |
| My song is half a sigh | O |
| Because my green leaves die | O |
| Sweet are my fruits but all my leaves are dying | H |
| And well may Autumn sigh | O |
| And well may I | O |
| Who watch the sere leaves flying | H |
| - | |
| My leaves that fade and fall | Z |
| I note you one and all | Z |
| I call you and the Autumn wind is calling | H |
| Lamenting for your fall | Z |
| And for the pall | L2 |
| You spread on earth in falling | H |
| - | |
| And here's a song of flowers to suit such hours | A |
| A song of the last lilies the last flowers | A |
| Amid my withering bowers | A |
| - | |
| In the sunny garden bed | N |
| Lilies look so pale | G2 |
| Lilies droop the head | N |
| In the shady grassy vale | G2 |
| If all alike they pine | M2 |
| In shade and in shine | M2 |
| If everywhere they grieve | N2 |
| Where will lilies live | O2 |
| - | |
| October enters briskly some leafy twigs bearing different | N |
| sorts of nuts in one hand and a long ripe hop bine trailing | H |
| after him from the other A dahlia is stuck in his | A |
| buttonhole | P2 |
| - | |
| October | F |
| - | |
| Nay cheer up sister Life is not quite over | F |
| Even if the year has done with corn and clover | F |
| With flowers and leaves besides in fact it's true | P |
| Some leaves remain and some flowers too | P |
| For me and you | P |
| Now see my crops | A |
| - | |
| Offering his produce to September | F |
| - | |
| I've brought you nuts and hops | A |
| And when the leaf drops why the walnut drops | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| October wreaths the hop bine about September's neck and | N |
| gives her the nut twigs They enter the cottage together | F |
| but without shutting the door She steps into the background | N |
| he advances to the hearth removes the guard | N |
| stirs up the smouldering fire and arranges several chestnuts | A |
| ready to roast | N |
| - | |
| October | F |
| - | |
| Crack your first nut and light your first fire | F |
| Roast your first chestnut crisp on the bar | Q2 |
| Make the logs sparkle stir the blaze higher | F |
| Logs are cheery as sun or as star | Q2 |
| Logs we can find wherever we are | Q2 |
| - | |
| Spring one soft day will open the leaves | A |
| Spring one bright day will lure back the flowers | A |
| Never fancy my whistling wind grieves | A |
| Never fancy I've tears in my showers | A |
| Dance nights and days and dance on my hours | A |
| - | |
| Sees November approaching | H |
| - | |
| October | F |
| - | |
| Here comes my youngest sister looking dim | B |
| And grim | B |
| With dismal ways | A |
| What cheer November | F |
| - | |
| November | F |
| - | |
| Entering and shutting the door | Y |
| - | |
| Nought have I to bring | H |
| Tramping a chill and shivering | H |
| Except these pine cones for a blaze | A |
| Except a fog which follows | A |
| And stuffs up all the hollows | A |
| Except a hoar frost here and there | U |
| Except some shooting stars | A |
| Which dart their luminous cars | A |
| Trackless and noiseless through the keen night air | U |
| - | |
| October shrugging his shoulders withdraws into the background | N |
| while November throws her pine cones on the | H |
| fire and sits down listlessly | A |
| - | |
| November | F |
| - | |
| The earth lies fast asleep grown tired | N |
| Of all that's high or deep | H2 |
| There's nought desired and nought required | N |
| Save a sleep | H2 |
| - | |
| I rock the cradle of the earth | W |
| I lull her with a sigh | O |
| And know that she will wake to mirth | W |
| By and by | O |
| - | |
| Through the window December is seen running and leaping | H |
| in the direction of the door He knocks | A |
| - | |
| November | F |
| - | |
| Calls out without rising | H |
| - | |
| Ah here's my youngest brother come at last | N |
| Come in December | F |
| - | |
| He opens the door and enters loaded with evergreens in | Q |
| berry etc | H |
| - | |
| November | F |
| - | |
| Come and shut the door | Y |
| For now it's snowing fast | N |
| It snows and will snow more and more | Y |
| Don't let it drift in on the floor | Y |
| But you you're all aglow how can you be | A |
| Rosy and warm and smiling in the cold | N |
| - | |
| December | F |
| - | |
| Nay no closed doors for me | A |
| But open doors and open hearts and glee | A |
| To welcome young and old | N |
| - | |
| Dimmest and brightest month am I | O |
| My short days end my lengthening days begin | Q |
| What matters more or less sun in the sky | O |
| When all is sun within | Q |
| - | |
| He begins making a wreath as he sings | A |
| - | |
| Ivy and privet dark as night | N |
| I weave with hips and haws a cheerful show | K |
| And holly for a beauty and delight | N |
| And milky mistletoe | K |
| - | |
| While high above them all I set | N |
| Yew twigs and Christmas roses pure and pale | G2 |
| Then Spring her snowdrop and her violet | N |
| May keep so sweet and frail | G2 |
| - | |
| May keep each merry singing bird | N |
| Of all her happy birds that singing build | N |
| For I've a carol which some shepherds heard | N |
| Once in a wintry field | N |
| - | |
| While December concludes his song all the other Months | A |
| troop in from the garden or advance out of the background | N |
| The Twelve join hands in a circle and begin | Q |
| dancing round to a stately measure as the Curtain falls | A |
Christina Rossetti
(1)
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About The Months: A Pageant
The Months: A Pageant is a poem by Christina Rossetti. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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