Ballad Of A Wilful Woman Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDC BBEB FGBG HIJI A KLMF BNFN OPJP A DQFQ DRSR BBJB NFTF A UVKV WXKX A KYXZ BA2B2B2 HXB2X B2 FXHX XB2XB2 XC2XC2 XYD2Y XXE2X BFB2F FFIRST PART | A |
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Upon her plodding palfrey | B |
With a heavy child at her breast | C |
And Joseph holding the bridle | D |
They mount to the last hill crest | C |
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Dissatisfied and weary | B |
She sees the blade of the sea | B |
Dividing earth and heaven | E |
In a glitter of ecstasy | B |
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Sudden a dark faced stranger | F |
With his back to the sun holds out | G |
His arms so she lights from her palfrey | B |
And turns her round about | G |
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She has given the child to Joseph | H |
Gone down to the flashing shore | I |
And Joseph shading his eyes with his hand | J |
Stands watching evermore | I |
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SECOND PART | A |
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THE sea in the stones is singing | K |
A woman binds her hair | L |
With yellow frail sea poppies | M |
That shine as her fingers stir | F |
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While a naked man comes swiftly | B |
Like a spurt of white foam rent | N |
From the crest of a falling breaker | F |
Over the poppies sent | N |
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He puts his surf wet fingers | O |
Over her startled eyes | P |
And asks if she sees the land the land | J |
The land of her glad surmise | P |
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THIRD PART | A |
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AGAIN in her blue blue mantle | D |
Riding at Joseph's side | Q |
She says I went to Cythera | F |
And woe betide | Q |
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Her heart is a swinging cradle | D |
That holds the perfect child | R |
But the shade on her forehead ill becomes | S |
A mother mild | R |
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So on with the slow mean journey | B |
In the pride of humility | B |
Till they halt at a cliff on the edge of the land | J |
Over a sullen sea | B |
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While Joseph pitches the sleep tent | N |
She goes far down to the shore | F |
To where a man in a heaving boat | T |
Waits with a lifted oar | F |
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FOURTH PART | A |
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THEY dwelt in a huge hoarse sea cave | U |
And looked far down the dark | V |
Where an archway torn and glittering | K |
Shone like a huge sea spark | V |
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He said Do you see the spirits | W |
Crowding the bright doorway | X |
He said Do you hear them whispering | K |
He said Do you catch what they say | X |
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FIFTH PART | A |
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THEN Joseph grey with waiting | K |
His dark eyes full of pain | Y |
Heard I have been to Patmos | X |
Give me the child again | Z |
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Now on with the hopeless journey | B |
Looking bleak ahead she rode | A2 |
And the man and the child of no more account | B2 |
Than the earth the palfrey trode | B2 |
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Till a beggar spoke to Joseph | H |
But looked into her eyes | X |
So she turned and said to her husband | B2 |
I give whoever denies | X |
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SIXTH PART | B2 |
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SHE gave on the open heather | F |
Beneath bare judgment stars | X |
And she dreamed of her children and Joseph | H |
And the isles and her men and her scars | X |
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And she woke to distil the berries | X |
The beggar had gathered at night | B2 |
Whence he drew the curious liquors | X |
He held in delight | B2 |
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He gave her no crown of flowers | X |
No child and no palfrey slow | C2 |
Only led her through harsh hard places | X |
Where strange winds blow | C2 |
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She follows his restless wanderings | X |
Till night when by the fire's red stain | Y |
Her face is bent in the bitter steam | D2 |
That comes from the flowers of pain | Y |
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Then merciless and ruthless | X |
He takes the flame wild drops | X |
To the town and tries to sell them | E2 |
With the market crops | X |
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So she follows the cruel journey | B |
That ends not anywhere | F |
And dreams as she stirs the mixing pot | B2 |
She is brewing hope from despair | F |
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TRIER | F |
D. H. Lawrence (david Herbert Richards)
(1)
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