Tamerton Church-tower, Or, First Love Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCDBDBEFEFGHGH AIBIBJKJKALHLMNMNOPO PMHMHMMMMQRQRMSMS ACHCH AT HSBUB ASASAVLVLABABWSWSHBH BXM XMYZYZMAMAMA2MA2B2MB 2M ABSBSB2CB2CMBMBBMBM A MBMBB2SB2SMC2MC2D2MU MMCMCBMBMSE2SE2B2MB2 M F2MF2MMBMBSASA ASCSCMAMASMSMMMMMMCM CMB2MB2MMMMMSMSSB2SB 2 SE2CE2CE2HE2HMG2MG2M H2MH2MSMS HMHMBSBSMB2MB2MMMME2 SE2S AAMMMMHE2

IA
We left the Church at TamertonB
In gloomy western airC
To greet the day we gallop'd onB
A merry minded pairC
The hazy East hot noon did bodeD
Our horses sniff'd the dawnB
We made ten Cornish miles of roadD
Before the dew was goneB
We clomb the hill where Lanson's KeepE
Fronts Dartmoor's distant ridgeF
Thence trotted South walk'd down the steepE
That slants to Gresson BridgeF
And paused awhile where Tamar waitsG
In many a shining coilH
And teeming Devon separatesG
From Cornwall's sorry soilH
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IIA
Our English skies contain'd that SpringI
A Caribbean sunB
The singing birds forgot to singI
The rivulets to runB
For three noons past the skies had frown'dJ
Obscured with blighting shadesK
That only mock'd the thirsty groundJ
And unrejoicing gladesK
To day before the noon was nighA
Bright skirted vapours grewL
And on the sky hung languidlyH
The sky was languid tooL
Our horses dropp'd their necks and nosedM
The dusty wayside grassN
Whilst we beneath still boughs reposedM
And watch'd the water passN
We spoke of plighted Bertha FrankO
Shot pebbles in the streamP
And I lay by him on the bankO
But dreamt no lover's dreamP
She was a blythe and bashful maidM
Much blushing in her gleeH
Yet gracing all she did and saidM
With sweet sufficiencyH
Is Blanche as fair ask'd I who yearn'dM
To feel my life completeM
To taste unselfish pleasures earn'dM
By service strict and sweetM
Well some say fairer she'll surpriseQ
Your heart with crimson lipsR
Fat underlids that hold bright eyesQ
In laughing half eclipseR
Alluring locks done up with tasteM
Behind her dainty earsS
And manners full of wayward hasteM
Tho' facile as the deer'sS
-
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IIIA
You paint a leaflet here and thereC
And not the blossom tellH
What mysteries of good and fairC
These blazon'd letters spellH
-
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IVA
Her mouth and teeth by Cupid's bowT
Are letters spelling 'kiss '-
And witchingly withdrawn belowH
Twin worlds of baby blissS
Her waist so soft and small may meanB
'O when will some one comeU
To make me catch my breath betweenB
His finger and his thumb '-
-
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VA
My life 'twas like a land of dreamsS
Where nothing noble throveA
Dull seem'd it as to maiden seemsS
The verse that's not of loveA
See where sigh'd I the water dimV
Repeats with leaden hueL
The fervid sun the cloud's hot rimV
The gap of dazzling blueL
Quoth Frank I do and hence foreseeA
And all too plainly scanB
Some sentimental homilyA
On Duty Death or ManB
'Tis this said I our senses marW
Ev'n so sweet Nature's faceS
Unless by love revived they areW
Or lit by heavenly graceS
Below the hazel talks the rillH
My heart speaks not againB
The solemn cloud the stately hillH
I look on each in vainB
Sure he for whom no Power shall strikeX
This darkness into dayM
-
Is damn'd said Frank who morall'd likeX
The Fool in an old PlayM
That's true cried I yet as the wormY
That sickens ere it changeZ
Or as the pup that nears the termY
At which pups have the mangeZ
Pooh Come Man let us on he saidM
For now the storm is nighA
And whilst we rode quaint sense we readM
Within the changing skyA
Above us bent a prophet wildM
Pointing to hidden harmA2
Beyond a magic woman smiledM
And wove some wondrous charmA2
Past that a censer jetted smokeB2
Black convolutions roll'dM
Sunwards and caught the light and brokeB2
In crowns of shining goldM
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VIA
The gaps of blue shrank fast in spanB
The long forgotten breezeS
By lazy starts and fits beganB
To stir the higher treesS
At noon we came to TavistockB2
And sunshine still was thereC
But gloomy Dartmoor seem'd to mockB2
Its weak and yellow glareC
The swallows in the wrathful lightM
Were pitching up and downB
A string of rooks made rapid flightM
Due southward o'er the townB
Where baiting at the Tiger InnB
We talk'd by windows wideM
Of Blanche and all my unseen kinB
Who did our coming bideM
-
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VIIA
-
The heavy sign board swung and shriek'dM
In dark air whirl'd the vaneB
Blinds flapp'd dust rose and straining creak'dM
The shaken window paneB
And just o'erhead a huge cloud flungB2
For earnest of its storesS
A few calm drops that struck amongB2
The light leaved sycamoresS
Hot to be gone Frank rose and eyedM
Dark cloud and swinging branchC2
But less long'd he to greet his BrideM
Than I to look on BlancheC2
Her name pair'd still with praise at homeD2
Would make my pulses startM
The hills between us were becomeU
A weight upon my heartM
Behold I cried the storm comes notM
The northern heavens grow fairC
Look South said Frank 'tis one wide blotM
Of thunder threatening airC
The string of rooks had travell'd onB
Against the southern shroudM
And like some snaky skeletonB
Lay twisted in the cloudM
No storm to day said I for seeS
Yon black thing travels southE2
We follow'd soon our spirits freeS
Our bodies slaked from drouthE2
I rode in silence Frank with tongueB2
Made lax by too much portM
Soliloquising said or sungB2
After this tipsy sortM
-
Yea nerves they are the Devil's meshF2
And pups begin quite blindM
And health is ofttimes in the fleshF2
And measles in the mindM
Foolish and fair was Joan withoutM
Foolish and foul withinB
High as a hunted pig his snoutM
She carried a foolish chinB
The Boy beheld and brisk rose heS
At this badly painted flyA
That boys less wise than fish will beS
Makes many a man to sighA
-
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VIIIA
On on we toil'd amidst the blazeS
From Dartmoor's ridges bareC
Beneath the hush'd and scorching hazeS
And through the twinkling airC
Along the endless mountain sideM
That seem'd with us to moveA
Past dreary mine mouths far and wideM
Huge dross heap wheel and grooveA
Dark towns by disembowell'd hillsS
Where swarthy tribes abodeM
Who in hard rocks with harder willsS
Pursued the crooked lodeM
Up heights that seem'd against us match'dM
Until from table landM
Before the teasing midge was hatch'dM
We hail'd the southern strandM
Then pleasantly on level groundM
And through the lighter airC
We paced along and breathed aroundM
A merry minded pairC
A western night of even cloudM
Suck'd in the sultry diskB2
Bright racks look'd on a fiery crowdM
To seamen boding riskB2
The late crow wing'd his silent wayM
Across the shadowy EastM
The gnat danced out his little dayM
His ceaseless singing ceasedM
Along the dim horizon roundM
Fled faint electric firesS
Blue glow worms lit the fresher groundM
By moisture harbouring briersS
Far northward twinkled lonely lightsS
The peopled vales amongB2
In front between the gaping heightsS
The mystic ocean hungB2
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IXS
Our weary spirits flagg'd beneathE2
The still and loaded airC
We left behind the fre r heathE2
A moody minded pairC
With senses slack and sick of mirthE2
Tho' near the happy goalH
I murmur'd fearing nought on earthE2
Could quite content the soulH
Suppose your love prove such a lightM
As yonder glow worm's lampG2
That gleams at distance strong and brightM
Approach'd burns weak and dampG2
Perchance by much of bliss arousedM
Your heart will pant for moreH2
And then the worm of want lies housedM
Within the sweet fruit's coreH2
Far worse if led by fancy blindM
But undeceiv'd by useS
I dream yawn'd Frank and wake to findM
My Goddess a green gooseS
-
Vain vain said I is worldly wealH
We faint within the heartM
For good which all we see and feelH
Foreshadows but in partM
Frank answer'd What you faint for winB
Faint not but forward pressS
Heav'n proffers all 'twere grievous sinB
To live content in lessS
The Sun rolls by us every dayM
And it and all things speakB2
To the sinking heart of man and sayM
'Tis wicked to be weakB2
We would not hear the hated soundM
But by the Lord we mustM
If not the heavy world goes roundM
And grinds us into dustM
With each a moral in his mouthE2
We rein'd our sweating nagsS
Where quiet Ocean on the SouthE2
Kiss'd Edgecumb's ruddy cragsS
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IIA
IA
So subtly love within me wroughtM
So excellent she seem'dM
Daily of Blanche was all my thoughtM
Nightly of Blanche I dream'dM
And this was all my wish and allH
TheE2

Coventry Patmore



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