The Falcon Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AAABBBCCCDDDEEEFFFGG GHHHIIIJJJKKKLLLMMMN ONPPPMMMJJJQRRDDDDDD SSSTTTRRRUUUVVVDDDWW WXXXDDDUUUDDDDDDUUUD DDUUUYYYDDDRRRDDDDDD ZA2A2UUUB2A2

Who would not be Sir Hubert for his birth and bearing fineA
His rich sky skirted woodlands valleys flowing oil and wineA
Sir Hubert to whose sunning all the rays of fortune shineA
So most men praised Sir Hubert and some others warm'd with praiseB
Of Hubert noble hearted than whom none went on his waysB
Less spoilt by splendid fortune whom no peril could amazeB
To Ladies all save one he was the rule by which the worthC
Of other men was reckon'd so that many a maid for dearthC
Of such a knight to woo her love forswore and with it mirthC
No prince could match his banquets when proud Mabel was his guestD
And shows and sumptuous triumphs day by day his hope express'dD
That love e'en yet might burgeon in her young unburgeon'd breastD
Time pass'd and use for riches pass'd with hope which slowly fledE
And want came on unheeded and report in one day spreadE
Of good Sir Hubert houseless and of Mabel richly wedE
Forth went he from the city where she dwelt to one poor farmF
All left of all his valleys there Sir Hubert's single armF
Served Hubert's wants and labour soon relieved love's rankling harmF
Much hardship brought much easement of the melancholy freightG
He bore within his bosom and his fancy was elateG
And proud of Love's rash sacrifice which led to this estateG
One friend was left a falcon famed for beauty skill and sizeH
Kept from his fortune's ruin for the sake of its great eyesH
That seem'd to him like Mabel's Of an evening he would riseH
And wake its royal glances and reluctantly flapp'd wingsI
And looks of grave communion with his lightsome questioningsI
That broke the drowsy sameness and the sense like fear that springsI
At night when we are conscious of our distance from the strifeJ
Of cities and the memory of the spirit in all things rifeJ
Endows the silence round us with a grim and ghastly lifeJ
His active resignation wrought in time a heartfelt peaceK
And though in noble bosoms love once lit can never ceaseK
He could walk and think of Mabel and his pace would not increaseK
Who say when somewhat distanced from the heat and fiercer mightL
Love's brand burns us no longer it is out use not their sightL
For ever and for ever we are lighted by the lightL
And ere there be extinguish'd one minutest flame love fann'dM
The Pyramids of Egypt shall have no place in the landM
But as a nameless portion of its ever shifting sandM
News came at last that Mabel was a widow but with thisN
That all her dead Lord's wealth went first to her one child and hisO
So she was not for Hubert had she beckon'd him to blissN
For Hubert felt tho' Mabel might like him become resign'dP
To poverty for Love's sake she might never like him findP
That poverty is plenty peace and freedom of the mindP
One morning while he rested from his delving spade in handM
He thought of her and blest her and he look'd about the landM
And he and all he look'd at seem'd to brighten and expandM
The wind was newly risen and the airy skies were rifeJ
With fleets of sailing cloudlets and the trees were all in strifeJ
Extravagantly triumphant at their newly gotten lifeJ
Birds wrangled in the branches with a trouble of sweet noiseQ
Even the conscious cuckoo judging wisest to rejoiceR
Shook round his cuckoo cuckoo as if careless of his voiceR
But Hubert mused and marvell'd at the glory in his breastD
The first glow turn'd to passion and he nursed it unexpress'dD
And glory gilding glory turn'd at last to sunny restD
Then again he look'd around him like an angel and beholdD
The scene was changed no cloudlets cross'd the serious blue but roll'dD
Behind the distant hill tops gleam'd a rial hills of goldD
The wind too was abated and the trees and birds were grownS
As quiet as the cloud banks right above the bright sun shoneS
Down looking from the forehead of the giant sky aloneS
Then the nightingale awaken'd by the silence shot a throngT
Of notes into the sunshine cautious first then swift and strongT
Then he madly smote them round him till the bright air throbb'd with songT
And suddenly stopp'd singing all amid his ecstasiesR
Myrtles rustle what sees Hubert sight is sceptic but his kneesR
Bend to the Lady Mabel as she blossoms from the treesR
She spoke her eyes cast downwards while upon them dropp'd half wayU
Lids fairer than the bosom of an unblown lily layU
In faith of ancient amity Sir Hubert I this dayU
Would beg a boon and bind me your great debtor O her mouthV
Was sweet beyond new honey or the bean perfumed SouthV
And better than pomegranates to a pilgrim dumb for drouthV
She look'd at his poor homestead at the spade beside his handD
And then her heart reproach'd her What inordinate demandD
Was she come there for making Then she says in accents blandD
Her Page and she are weary and her wish can wait she'll shareW
His noontide meal by his favour This he hastens to prepareW
But lo the roost is empty and his humble larder bareW
No friend has he to help him no one near of whom to claimX
The tax and force its payment in his passion's sovereign nameX
No time to set the pitfalls for the swift and fearful gameX
Too late to fly his falcon which as if it would assistD
Its master's trouble perches on his idly proffer'd fistD
With busy dumb caresses treading up and down his wristD
But now a gleam of comfort and a shadow of dismayU
Pass o'er the good knight's features now it seems he would essayU
The fatness of his falcon while it flaps both wings for playU
Now lo the ruthless lover takes it off its trusted standD
Grasps all its frighten'd body with his hard remorseless handD
Puts out its faithful life and plucks and broils it on the brandD
In midst of this her dinner Mabel gave her wish its wordD
My wilful child Sir Hubert pines from fancy long deferr'dD
And now he raves in fever to possess your famous birdD
Alas he said behold it there Then nobly did she sayU
It grieves my heart Sir Hubert that I'm much too poor to payU
For this o'er queenly banquet I am honour'd with to dayU
But if Sir we two henceforth can converse as friends my boardD
To you shall be as open as it would were you its LordD
And so she bow'd and left him from his vex'd mind unrestoredD
Months pass'd and Hubert went not but lived on in his old wayU
Until to him one morning Mabel sent her Page to sayU
That should it suit his pleasure she would speak with him that dayU
Ah welcome Sir said Mabel rising courteous kind and freeY
I hoped ere this to have had you for my guest but now I seeY
That you are even prouder than they whisper you to beY
Made grave by her great beauty but not dazzled he repliedD
With every noble courtesy to her words and spoke besideD
Such things as are permitted to bare friendship not in prideD
Or wilful overacting of the right which often blendsR
Its sacrificial pathos bitter sweet with lover's endsR
Or that he now remember'd her command to meet as friendsR
But having not had knowledge that the infant heir was deadD
Whose life made it more loving to preserve his love unsaidD
He waited calmly wondering to what mark this summons ledD
She puzzled with a strangeness by his actions disavow'dD
Spoke further Once Sir Hubert I was thoughtless therefore proudD
Your love on me shone sunlike I alas have been your cloudD
And graceless quench'd the light that made me splendid I would fainZ
Pay part of what I owe you that is if alas but thenA2
I know not Things are changed and you are not as other menA2
She strove to give her meaning yet blush'd deeply with dismayU
Lest he should find it Hubert fear'd she purpos'd to repayU
His love with less than love Thought he Sin 'twas my hawk to slayU
His eyes are dropp'd in sorrow from their worshipping but loB2
Upon her sable vesture they are fall'nA2

Coventry Patmore



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