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 X3C3RC3Y3C3Z3MA4MY2M

It is a venerable placeA
An old ancestral groundB
So broad the rainbow wholly standsC
Within its lordly boundB
And here the river waits and windsD
By many a wooded moundB
Upon a rise where single oaksE
And clumps of beeches tallF
Drop pleasantly their shade beneathG
Half hid amidst them allF
Stands in its quiet dignityH
An ancient manor hallF
About its many gable endsI
The swallows wheel their flightJ
The huge fantastic weather vanesK
Look happy in the lightJ
The warm front through the foliage gleamsL
A comfortable sightJ
The ivied turrets seem to loveM
The low protected leasN
And though this manor hall hath seenO
The snow of centuriesN
How freshly still it stands amidP
Its wealth of swelling treesN
The leafy summer time is youngQ
The yearling lambs are strongR
The sunlight glances merrilyH
The trees are full of songR
The valley loving river flowsS
Contentedly alongR
Look where the merry weather vanesK
Veer upon yonder towerT
There amid starry jessamineU
And clasping passion flowerT
The sweetest Maid of all the landV
Is weeping in her bowerT
Alas the lowly Youth she lovesW
Loves her but fears to sueX
He came this morning hurriedlyH
Then forth her blushes flewX
But he talk'd of common things and soY
Her eyes are fill'd with dewX
Time passes on the clouds are comeZ
The river late so brightJ
Rolls foul and black and gloomilyH
Makes known across the nightJ
In far heard plash and weary drenchA2
The passage of its mightJ
The noble Bridegroom counts the hoursB2
The guests are coming fastC2
The vanes are creaking drearilyH
Within the dying blastC2
The bashful Bride is at his sideD2
And night is here at lastC2
The guests are gay the minstrels playH
'Tis liker noon than nightJ
From side to side they toast the BrideD2
Who blushes ruby lightJ
For one and all within that hallH
It is a cheerful sightJ
But unto one who stands aloneE2
Among the mists withoutF2
Watching the windows bright with shapesG2
Of king and saint devoutF2
Strangely across the muffled airH2
Pierces the laughter shoutF2
No sound or sight this solemn nightJ
But moves the soul to fearI2
The faded saints stare through the gloomJ2
Askant and wan and blearI2
And wither'd cheeks of watchful kingsK2
Start from their purple gearI2
The burthen of the wedding songR
Comes to him like a wailH
The stream athwart the cedar groveL2
Is shining ghastly paleH
His cloudy brow clears suddenlyH
Dark soul what does thee ailH
He turns him from the lighted hallH
The pale stream curls and heavesM2
And moans beyond the gloomy woodN2
Through which he breaks and cleavesM2
And now his footfall dies awayH
Upon the wither'd leavesM2
The restless moon among the cloudsO2
Is loitering slowly byP2
Now in a circle like the ringQ2
About a weeping eyeP2
Now left quite bare and bright and nowR2
A pallor in the skyP2
And now she's looking through the mistS2
Cold lustreless and wanT2
And wildly past her dreary formU2
The watery clouds rush onT2
A moment white beneath her lightJ
And then like spirits goneV2
Silent and fast they hurry pastC2
Their swiftness striketh dreadW2
For earth is hush'd and no breath sweepsX2
The spider's rainy threadW2
And everything but those pale cloudsO2
Is dark and still and deadW2
The lonely stars are here and thereI2
But weak and wasting allH
The winds are dead the cedars spreadW2
Their branches like a pallH
The guests by laughing twos and threesN
Have left the bridal hallH
Beneath the mossy ivied bridgeY2
The river slippeth pastC2
The current deep is still as sleepZ2
And yet so very fastC2
There's something in its quietnessA3
That makes the soul aghastC2
No wind is in the willow treeH
That droops above the bankB3
The water passes quietlyH
Beneath the sedges dankB3
Yet the willow trembles in the streamC3
And the dry reeds talk and clankB3
The weak stars swoon the jagged moonD3
Is lost in the cloudy airI2
No thought of light save where the waveE3
Sports with a fitful glareI2
The dumb and dreadful world is fullH
Of darkness and night mareI2
The hall clocks clang the watch dog barksF3
What are his dreams aboutF2
Marsh lights leap and tho' fast asleepZ2
The owlets shriek and shoutF2
The stars thro' chasms in utter blackG3
Race like a drunken routF2
Wake wake oh wake the Bridegroom nowR2
Calls to his sleeping BrideD2
Alas I saw thee pale and deadW2
Roll down a frightful tideD2
He takes her hand How chill thou artH3
What is it sweet my BrideD2
-
The Bride bethinks her now of himI3
Who last night was no guestJ3
Sweet Heaven and for me I dreamC3
Be calm thou throbbing breastJ3
She says in thought a solemn prayerI2
And sinks again to restJ3
Along along swiftly and strongR
The river slippeth pastC2
The current deep is still as sleepZ2
And yet so very fastC2
There's something in its quietnessA3
That makes the soul aghastC2
The morn has risen wildly byP2
The water glides to dayH
Outspread upon its eddying faceA
Long weeds and rushes playH
And on the bank the fungus rotsK3
And the grass is foul'd with clayH
Time passes on the park is bareI2
The year is scant and leanO
The river's banks are desolateL3
The air is chill and keenO
But now and then a sunny dayH
Comes with a thought of greenO
Amid blear February's flawH
Tremulous snowdrops peepZ2
The crocus in the shrewd March mornM3
Starts from its wintry sleepZ2
The daisies sun themselves in hostsN3
Among the pasturing sheepZ2
The waters in their old contentO3
Between fresh margins runP3
The pike as trackless as a soundB
Shoots thro' the current dunP3
And languid new born chestnut leavesM2
Expand beneath the sunP3
The summer's prime is come againQ3
The lilies bloom anewX
The current keeps the doubtful pastC2
Deep in its bosom blueX
And babbles low thro' quiet fieldsR3
Gray with the falling dewX
The sheep bell tolls the curfew timeS3
The gnats a busy routF2
Fleck the warm air the distant owlH
Shouteth a sleepy shoutF2
The voiceless bat more felt than seenO
Is flitting round aboutF2
The poplar's leaflet scarcely stirsB2
The river seems to thinkT3
Across the dusk the lily broadU3
Looks coolly from the brinkT3
And knee deep in the freshet's fallH
The meek eyed cattle drinkT3
The chafers boom the white moths riseV3
Like spirits from the groundB
The gray flies sing their weary tuneD3
A distant dream like soundB
And far far off in the slumberous eveW3
Bayeth a restless houndB
At this sweet time the Lady walksX3
Beside the gentle streamC3
She marks the waters curl alongR
Beneath the sunset gleamC3
And in her soul a sorrow movesY3
Like memory of a dreamC3
She passes on How still the earthZ3
And all the air aboveM
Here where of late the scritch owl shriek'dA4
Whispers the happy doveM
And the river through the ivied bridgeY2
Flows calm as household loveM

Coventry Patmore



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