The River Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDBEFGFHFIJKJLJMN ONPNQRHRSRKTUTVTWXHX YXZJHJA2JB2C2HC2D2C2 HJD2JHJE2F2G2F2H2F2J I2J2I2K2I2RHL2HHHHM2 N2M2HM2O2P2Q2P2R2P2S 2T2U2T2JV2C2W2X2W2O2 W2I2HW2HNHY2C2Z2C2A3 C2HB3HB3C3B3D3I2E3I2 HI2F3F2Z2F2G3F2R2D2W 2D2H3D2 I3J3C3J3I2J3RC2Z2C2A 3C2P2HAHK3HI2OL3OHOH Z2M3Z2N3Z2O3P3BP3M2P 3Q3XC2XR3XS3F2HF2OF2 B2T3U3T3HT3V3BD3BW3B X3C3RC3Y3C3Z3MA4MY2MIt is a venerable place | A |
An old ancestral ground | B |
So broad the rainbow wholly stands | C |
Within its lordly bound | B |
And here the river waits and winds | D |
By many a wooded mound | B |
Upon a rise where single oaks | E |
And clumps of beeches tall | F |
Drop pleasantly their shade beneath | G |
Half hid amidst them all | F |
Stands in its quiet dignity | H |
An ancient manor hall | F |
About its many gable ends | I |
The swallows wheel their flight | J |
The huge fantastic weather vanes | K |
Look happy in the light | J |
The warm front through the foliage gleams | L |
A comfortable sight | J |
The ivied turrets seem to love | M |
The low protected leas | N |
And though this manor hall hath seen | O |
The snow of centuries | N |
How freshly still it stands amid | P |
Its wealth of swelling trees | N |
The leafy summer time is young | Q |
The yearling lambs are strong | R |
The sunlight glances merrily | H |
The trees are full of song | R |
The valley loving river flows | S |
Contentedly along | R |
Look where the merry weather vanes | K |
Veer upon yonder tower | T |
There amid starry jessamine | U |
And clasping passion flower | T |
The sweetest Maid of all the land | V |
Is weeping in her bower | T |
Alas the lowly Youth she loves | W |
Loves her but fears to sue | X |
He came this morning hurriedly | H |
Then forth her blushes flew | X |
But he talk'd of common things and so | Y |
Her eyes are fill'd with dew | X |
Time passes on the clouds are come | Z |
The river late so bright | J |
Rolls foul and black and gloomily | H |
Makes known across the night | J |
In far heard plash and weary drench | A2 |
The passage of its might | J |
The noble Bridegroom counts the hours | B2 |
The guests are coming fast | C2 |
The vanes are creaking drearily | H |
Within the dying blast | C2 |
The bashful Bride is at his side | D2 |
And night is here at last | C2 |
The guests are gay the minstrels play | H |
'Tis liker noon than night | J |
From side to side they toast the Bride | D2 |
Who blushes ruby light | J |
For one and all within that hall | H |
It is a cheerful sight | J |
But unto one who stands alone | E2 |
Among the mists without | F2 |
Watching the windows bright with shapes | G2 |
Of king and saint devout | F2 |
Strangely across the muffled air | H2 |
Pierces the laughter shout | F2 |
No sound or sight this solemn night | J |
But moves the soul to fear | I2 |
The faded saints stare through the gloom | J2 |
Askant and wan and blear | I2 |
And wither'd cheeks of watchful kings | K2 |
Start from their purple gear | I2 |
The burthen of the wedding song | R |
Comes to him like a wail | H |
The stream athwart the cedar grove | L2 |
Is shining ghastly pale | H |
His cloudy brow clears suddenly | H |
Dark soul what does thee ail | H |
He turns him from the lighted hall | H |
The pale stream curls and heaves | M2 |
And moans beyond the gloomy wood | N2 |
Through which he breaks and cleaves | M2 |
And now his footfall dies away | H |
Upon the wither'd leaves | M2 |
The restless moon among the clouds | O2 |
Is loitering slowly by | P2 |
Now in a circle like the ring | Q2 |
About a weeping eye | P2 |
Now left quite bare and bright and now | R2 |
A pallor in the sky | P2 |
And now she's looking through the mist | S2 |
Cold lustreless and wan | T2 |
And wildly past her dreary form | U2 |
The watery clouds rush on | T2 |
A moment white beneath her light | J |
And then like spirits gone | V2 |
Silent and fast they hurry past | C2 |
Their swiftness striketh dread | W2 |
For earth is hush'd and no breath sweeps | X2 |
The spider's rainy thread | W2 |
And everything but those pale clouds | O2 |
Is dark and still and dead | W2 |
The lonely stars are here and there | I2 |
But weak and wasting all | H |
The winds are dead the cedars spread | W2 |
Their branches like a pall | H |
The guests by laughing twos and threes | N |
Have left the bridal hall | H |
Beneath the mossy ivied bridge | Y2 |
The river slippeth past | C2 |
The current deep is still as sleep | Z2 |
And yet so very fast | C2 |
There's something in its quietness | A3 |
That makes the soul aghast | C2 |
No wind is in the willow tree | H |
That droops above the bank | B3 |
The water passes quietly | H |
Beneath the sedges dank | B3 |
Yet the willow trembles in the stream | C3 |
And the dry reeds talk and clank | B3 |
The weak stars swoon the jagged moon | D3 |
Is lost in the cloudy air | I2 |
No thought of light save where the wave | E3 |
Sports with a fitful glare | I2 |
The dumb and dreadful world is full | H |
Of darkness and night mare | I2 |
The hall clocks clang the watch dog barks | F3 |
What are his dreams about | F2 |
Marsh lights leap and tho' fast asleep | Z2 |
The owlets shriek and shout | F2 |
The stars thro' chasms in utter black | G3 |
Race like a drunken rout | F2 |
Wake wake oh wake the Bridegroom now | R2 |
Calls to his sleeping Bride | D2 |
Alas I saw thee pale and dead | W2 |
Roll down a frightful tide | D2 |
He takes her hand How chill thou art | H3 |
What is it sweet my Bride | D2 |
- | |
The Bride bethinks her now of him | I3 |
Who last night was no guest | J3 |
Sweet Heaven and for me I dream | C3 |
Be calm thou throbbing breast | J3 |
She says in thought a solemn prayer | I2 |
And sinks again to rest | J3 |
Along along swiftly and strong | R |
The river slippeth past | C2 |
The current deep is still as sleep | Z2 |
And yet so very fast | C2 |
There's something in its quietness | A3 |
That makes the soul aghast | C2 |
The morn has risen wildly by | P2 |
The water glides to day | H |
Outspread upon its eddying face | A |
Long weeds and rushes play | H |
And on the bank the fungus rots | K3 |
And the grass is foul'd with clay | H |
Time passes on the park is bare | I2 |
The year is scant and lean | O |
The river's banks are desolate | L3 |
The air is chill and keen | O |
But now and then a sunny day | H |
Comes with a thought of green | O |
Amid blear February's flaw | H |
Tremulous snowdrops peep | Z2 |
The crocus in the shrewd March morn | M3 |
Starts from its wintry sleep | Z2 |
The daisies sun themselves in hosts | N3 |
Among the pasturing sheep | Z2 |
The waters in their old content | O3 |
Between fresh margins run | P3 |
The pike as trackless as a sound | B |
Shoots thro' the current dun | P3 |
And languid new born chestnut leaves | M2 |
Expand beneath the sun | P3 |
The summer's prime is come again | Q3 |
The lilies bloom anew | X |
The current keeps the doubtful past | C2 |
Deep in its bosom blue | X |
And babbles low thro' quiet fields | R3 |
Gray with the falling dew | X |
The sheep bell tolls the curfew time | S3 |
The gnats a busy rout | F2 |
Fleck the warm air the distant owl | H |
Shouteth a sleepy shout | F2 |
The voiceless bat more felt than seen | O |
Is flitting round about | F2 |
The poplar's leaflet scarcely stirs | B2 |
The river seems to think | T3 |
Across the dusk the lily broad | U3 |
Looks coolly from the brink | T3 |
And knee deep in the freshet's fall | H |
The meek eyed cattle drink | T3 |
The chafers boom the white moths rise | V3 |
Like spirits from the ground | B |
The gray flies sing their weary tune | D3 |
A distant dream like sound | B |
And far far off in the slumberous eve | W3 |
Bayeth a restless hound | B |
At this sweet time the Lady walks | X3 |
Beside the gentle stream | C3 |
She marks the waters curl along | R |
Beneath the sunset gleam | C3 |
And in her soul a sorrow moves | Y3 |
Like memory of a dream | C3 |
She passes on How still the earth | Z3 |
And all the air above | M |
Here where of late the scritch owl shriek'd | A4 |
Whispers the happy dove | M |
And the river through the ivied bridge | Y2 |
Flows calm as household love | M |
Coventry Patmore
(1)
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