Dante At Verona Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AAABBACCDEEFGGHAAHII JKKJLLJJJMNNOKKOPAJJ JJAAJQQJRRGJJGAAJJJJ SSLJJLTTKAAKAAJJJJKK OUUOAAVAAVJJWJJWAAXN QXAAYAAYKKJAAJJJZA2A 2ZJJB2C2UD2AAAAAAKKM KKMJJWJJWKKJMMJAAGJJ GWWJKKJJJE2SSIJJAF2F 2AGG2JJJMJJJAAJNNJZZ JC2C2AZZAJJJAAJJJJJJ JAAA2AAA2JJJ

Behold even I even I am BeatriceA
Div Com Purg xxxA
OF Florence and of BeatriceA
Servant and singer from of oldB
O'er Dante's heart in youth had toll'dB
The knell that gave his Lady peaceA
And now in manhood flew the dartC
Wherewith his City pierced his heartC
Yet if his Lady's home aboveD
Was Heaven on earth she filled his soulE
And if his City held controlE
To cast the body forth to roveF
The soul could soar from earth's vain throngG
And Heaven and Hell fulfil the songG
Follow his feet's appointed wayH
But little light we find that clearsA
The darkness of the exiled yearsA
Follow his spirit's journey nayH
What fires are blent what winds are blownI
On paths his feet may tread aloneI
Yet of the twofold life he ledJ
In chainless thought and fettered willK
Some glimpses reach us somewhat stillK
Of the steep stairs and bitter breadJ
Of the soul's quest whose stern avowL
For years had made him haggard nowL
Alas the Sacred Song wheretoJ
Both heaven and earth had set their handJ
Not only at Fame's gate did standJ
Knocking to claim the passage throughM
But toiled to ope that heavier doorN
Which Florence shut for evermoreN
Shall not his birth's baptismal TownO
One last high presage yet fulfilK
And at that font in Florence stillK
His forehead take the laurel crownO
O God or shall dead souls denyP
The undying soul its prophecyA
Aye 'tis their hour Not yet forgotJ
The bitter words he spoke that dayJ
When for some great charge far awayJ
Her rulers his acceptance soughtJ
And if I go who stays so roseA
His scorn and if I stay who goesA
Lo thou art gone now and we stayJ
The curled lips mutter and no starQ
Is from thy mortal path so farQ
As streets where childhood knew the wayJ
To Heaven and Hell thy feet may winR
But thine own house they come not inR
Therefore the loftier rose the songG
To touch the secret things of GodJ
The deeper pierced the hate that trodJ
On base men's track who wrought the wrongG
Till the soul's effluence came to beA
Its own exceeding agonyA
Arriving only to departJ
From court to court from land to landJ
Like flame within the naked handJ
His body bore his burning heartJ
That still on Florence strove to bringS
God's fire for a burnt offeringS
Even such was Dante's mood when nowL
Mocked for long years with Fortune's sportJ
He dwelt at yet another courtJ
There where Verona's knee did bowL
And her voice hailed with all acclaimT
Can Grande della Scala's nameT
As that lord's kingly guest awhileK
His life we follow through the daysA
Which walked in exile's barren waysA
The nights which still beneath one smileK
Heard through all spheres one song increaseA
Even I even I am BeatriceA
At Can La Scala's court no doubtJ
Due reverence did his steps attendJ
The ushers on his path would bendJ
At ingoing as at going outJ
The penmen waited on his callK
At council board the grooms in hallK
And pages hushed their laughter downO
And gay squires stilled the merry stirU
When he passed up the dais chamberU
With set brows lordlier than a frownO
And tire maids hidden among theseA
Drew close their loosened bodicesA
Perhaps the priests exact to spanV
All God's circumference if at whilesA
They found him wandering in their aislesA
Grudged ghostly greeting to the manV
By whom though not of ghostly guildJ
With Heaven and Hell men's hearts were fill'dJ
And the court poets he forsoothW
A whole world's poet strayed to courtJ
Had for his scorn their hate's retortJ
He'd meet them flushed with easy youthW
Hot on their errands Like noon fliesA
They vexed him in the ears and eyesA
But at this court peace still must wrenchX
Her chaplet from the teeth of warN
By day they held high watch afarQ
At night they cried across the trenchX
And still in Dante's path the fierceA
Gaunt soldiers wrangled o'er their spearsA
But vain seemed all the strength to himY
As golden convoys sunk at seaA
Whose wealth might root out penuryA
Because it was not limb with limbY
Knit like his heart strings round the wallK
Of Florence that ill pride might fallK
Yet in the tiltyard when the dustJ
Cleared from the sundered press of knightsA
Ere yet again it swoops and smitesA
He almost deemed his longing mustJ
Find force to yield that multitudeJ
And hurl that strength the way he wouldJ
How should he move them fame and gainZ
On all hands calling them at strifeA2
He still might find but his one lifeA2
To give by Florence counted vainZ
One heart the false hearts made her doubtJ
One voice she heard once and cast outJ
Oh if his Florence could but comeB2
A lily sceptred damsel fairC2
As her own Giotto painted herU
On many shields and gates at homeD2
A lady crowned at a soft paceA
Riding the lists round to the daisA
Till where Can Grande rules the listsA
As young as Truth as calm as ForceA
She draws her rein now while her horseA
Bows at the turn of the white wristsA
And when each knight within his stallK
Gives ear she speaks and tells them allK
All the foul tale truth sworn untrueM
And falsehood's triumph All the taleK
Great God and must she not prevailK
To fire them ere they heard it throughM
And hand achieve ere heart could restJ
That high adventure of her questJ
How would his Florence lead them forthW
Her bridle ringing as she wentJ
And at the last within her tentJ
'Neath golden lilies worship worthW
How queenly would she bend the whileK
And thank the victors with her smileK
Also her lips should turn his wayJ
And murmur O thou tried and trueM
With whom I wept the long years throughM
What shall it profit if I sayJ
Thee I remember Nay through theeA
All ages shall remember meA
Peace Dante peace The task is longG
The time wears short to compass itJ
Within thine heart such hopes may flitJ
And find a voice in deathless songG
But lo as children of man's earthW
Those hopes are dead before their birthW
Fame tells us that Verona's courtJ
Was a fair place The feet might stillK
Wander for ever at their willK
In many ways of sweet resortJ
And still in many a heart aroundJ
The Poet's name due honour foundJ
Watch we his steps He comes uponE2
The women at their palm playingS
The conduits round the gardens singS
And meet in scoops of milk white stoneI
Where wearied damsels rest and holdJ
Their hands in the wet spurt of goldJ
One of whom knowing well that heA
By some found stern was mild with themF2
Would run and pluck his garment's hemF2
Saying Messer Dante pardon meA
Praying that they might hear the songG
Which first of all he made when youngG2
Donne che avete ThereuntoJ
Thus would he murmur having firstJ
Drawn near the fountain while she nurs'dJ
His hand against her side a fewM
Sweet words and scarcely those half saidJ
Then turned and changed and bowed his headJ
For then the voice said in his heartJ
Even I even I am BeatriceA
And his whole life would yearn to ceaseA
Till having reached his room apartJ
Beyond vast lengths of palace floorN
He drew the arras round his doorN
At such times Dante thou hast setJ
Thy forehead to the painted paneZ
Full oft I know and if the rainZ
Smote it outside her fingers metJ
Thy brow and if the sun fell thereC2
Her breath was on thy face and hairC2
Then weeping I think certainlyA
Thou hast beheld past sight of eyneZ
Within another room of thineZ
Where now thy body may not beA
But where in thought thou still remain'stJ
A window often wept againstJ
The window thou a youth hast soughtJ
Flushed in the limpid eventimeA
Ending with daylight the day's rhymeA
Of her where oftenwhiles her thoughtJ
Held thee the lamp untrimmed to writeJ
In joy through the blue lapse of nightJ
At Can La Scala's court no doubtJ
Guests seldom wept It was brave sportJ
No doubt at Can La Scala's courtJ
Within the palace and withoutJ
Where music set to madrigalsA
Loitered all day through groves and hallsA
Because Can Grande of his lifeA2
Had not had six and twenty yearsA
As yet And when the chroniclersA
Tell you of that Vicenza strifeA2
And of strifes elsewhere you must notJ
Conceive for church sooth he had gotJ
Just nothing in his wits butJ

Dante Gabriel Rossetti



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