The Bride's Prelude Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABAAACDAAAEFGGGHAAAA IJCCCKALMLNOAAABCAAA MPAAAQRSSSANTTTLUAAA VWXYYAZJJJA2SB2B2B2C 2AD2D2D2B2AE2E2E2AF2 G2G2G2AAMMMIB2AAAALA AABAWWWBH2I2I2I2MJ2A AAAAB2B2B2K2AUUL2ACM 2M2M2N2O2P2P2P2TAMMM Q2AAAACAAAAAAZZZAR2S 2E2T2AL2U2U2U2O2G2A2 A2A2G2MAAAAMV2W2W2W2 X2AAAAY2Z2E2Z2G2F2LL LMA3M2M2M2OG2B3B3B3A C3AAAAD3AAAM2AAH

Sister said busy AmelotteA
To listless Alo seB
Along your wedding road the wheatA
Bends as to hear your horse's feetA
And the noonday stands still for heatA
Amelotte laughed into the airC
With eyes that sought the sunD
But where the walls in long brocadeA
Were screened as one who is afraidA
Sat Alo se within the shadeA
And even in shade was gleam enoughE
To shut out full reposeF
From the bride's 'tiring chamber whichG
Was like the inner altar nicheG
Whose dimness worship has made richG
Within the window's heaped recessH
The light was counterchangedA
In blent reflexes manifoldA
From perfume caskets of wrought goldA
And gems the bride's hair could not holdA
All thrust together and with theseI
A slim curved lute which nowJ
At Amelotte's sudden passing thereC
Was swept in somewise unawareC
And shook to music the close airC
Against the haloed lattice panesK
The bridesmaid sunned her breastA
Then to the glass turned tall and freeL
And braced and shifted daintilyM
Her loin belt through her c te hardieL
The belt was silver and the claspN
Of lozenged arm bearingsO
A world of mirrored tints minuteA
The rippling sunshine wrought into 'tA
That flushed her hand and warmed her footA
At least an hour had Alo seB
Her jewels in her hairC
Her white gown as became a brideA
Quartered in silver at each sideA
Sat thus aloof as if to hideA
Over her bosom that lay stillM
The vest was rich in grainP
With close pearls wholly oversetA
Around her throat the fastenings metA
Of chevesayle and manteletA
Her arms were laid along her lapQ
With the hands open lifeR
Itself did seem at fault in herS
Beneath the drooping brows the stirS
Of thought made noonday heavierS
Long sat she silent and then raisedA
Her head with such a gaspN
As while she summoned breath to speakT
Fanned high that furnace in the cheekT
But sucked the heart pulse cold and weakT
Oh gather round her now all yeL
Past seasons of her fearU
Sick springs and summers deadly coldA
To flight your hovering wings unfoldA
For now your secret shall be toldA
Ye many sunlights barbed with dartsV
Of dread detecting flameW
Gaunt moonlights that like sentinelsX
Went past with iron clank of bellsY
Draw round and render up your spellsY
Sister said Alo se I hadA
A thing to tell thee ofZ
Long since and could not But do thouJ
Kneel first in prayer awhile and bowJ
Thine heart and I will tell thee nowJ
Amelotte wondered with her eyesA2
But her heart said in herS
Dear Alo se would have me prayB2
Because the awe she feels to dayB2
Must need more prayers than she can sayB2
So Amelotte put by the foldsC2
That covered up her feetA
And knelt beyond the arras'd gloomD2
And the hot window's dull perfumeD2
Where day was stillest in the roomD2
Queen Mary hear she said and sayB2
To Jesus the Lord ChristA
This bride's new joy which He confersE2
New joy to many ministersE2
And many griefs are bound in hersE2
The bride turned in her chair and hidA
Her face against the backF2
And took her pearl girt elbows inG2
Her hands and could not yet beginG2
But shuddering uttered UrscelynG2
Most weak she was for as she pressedA
Her hand against her throatA
Along the arras she let trailM
Her face as if all heart did failM
And sat with shut eyes dumb and paleM
Amelotte still was on her kneesI
As she had kneeled to prayB2
Deeming her sister swooned she thoughtA
At first some succour to have broughtA
But Alo se rocked as one distraughtA
She would have pushed the lattice wideA
To gain what breeze might beL
But marking that no leaf once beatA
The outside casement it seemed meetA
Not to bring in more scent and heatA
So she said only Alo seB
Sister when happened itA
At any time that the bride cameW
To ill or spoke in fear of shameW
When speaking first the bridegroom's nameW
A bird had out its song and ceasedB
Ere the bride spoke At lengthH2
She said The name is as the thingI2
Sin hath no second christeningI2
And shame is all that shame can bringI2
In divers places many an whileM
I would have told thee thisJ2
But faintness took me or a fitA
Like fever God would not permitA
That I should change thine eyes with itA
Yet once I spoke hadst thou but heardA
That time we wandered outA
All the sun's hours but missed our wayB2
When evening darkened and so layB2
The whole night covered up in hayB2
At last my face was hidden soK2
Having God's hint I pausedA
Not long but drew myself more nearU
Where thou wast laid and shook off fearU
And whispered quick into thine earL2
Something of the whole tale At firstA
I lay and bit my hairC
For the sore silence thou didst keepM2
Till as thy breath came long and deepM2
I knew that thou hadst been asleepM2
The moon was covered but the starsN2
Lasted till morning brokeO2
Awake thou told'st me that thy dreamP2
Had been of me that all did seemP2
At jar but that it was a dreamP2
I knew God's hand and might not speakT
After that night I keptA
Silence and let the record swellM
Till now there is much more to tellM
Which must be told out ill or wellM
She paused then weary with dry lipsQ2
Apart From the outsideA
By fits there boomed a dull reportA
From where i' the hanging tennis courtA
The bridegroom's retinue made sportA
The room lay still in dusty glareC
Having no sound through itA
Except the chirp of a caged birdA
That came and ceased and if she stirredA
Amelotte's raiment could be heardA
Quoth Amelotte The night this chancedA
Was a late summer nightA
Last year What secret for Christ's loveZ
Keep'st thou since then Mary aboveZ
What thing is this thou speakest ofZ
Mary and Christ Lest when 'tis toldA
I should be prone to wrathR2
This prayer beforehand How she errsS2
Soe'er take count of grief like hersE2
Whereof the days are turned to yearsT2
She bowed her neck and having saidA
Kept on her knees to hearL2
And then because strained thought demandsU2
Quiet before it understandsU2
Darkened her eyesight with her handsU2
So when at last her sister spokeO2
She did not see the painG2
O' the mouth nor the asham d eyesA2
But marked the breath that came in sighsA2
And the half pausing for repliesA2
This was the bride's sad prelude strainG2
I' the convent where a girlM
I dwelt till near my womanhoodA
I had but preachings of the roodA
And Aves told in solitudeA
To spend my heart on and my handA
Had but the weary skillM
To eke out upon silken clothV2
Christ's visage or the long bright growthW2
Of Mary's hair or Satan wrothW2
So when at last I went and thouW2
A child not known beforeX2
Didst come to take the place I leftA
My limbs after such lifelong theftA
Of life could be but little deftA
In all that ministers delightA
To noble women IY2
Had learned no word of youth's discourseZ2
Nor gazed on games of warriorsE2
Nor trained a hound nor ruled a horseZ2
Besides the daily life i' the sunG2
Made me at first hold backF2
To thee this came at once to meL
It crept with pauses timidlyL
I am not blithe and strong like theeL
Yet my feet liked the dances wellM
The songs went to my voiceA3
The music made me shake and weepM2
And often all night long my sleepM2
Gave dreams I had been fain to keepM2
But though I loved not holy thingsO
To hear them scorned brought painG2
They were my childhood and these damesB3
Were merely perjured in saints' namesB3
And fixed upon saints' days for gamesB3
And sometimes when my father rodeA
To hunt with his loud friendsC3
I dared not bring him to be quaff'dA
As my wont was his stirrup draughtA
Because they jested so and laughedA
At last one day my brothers saidA
The girl must not grow thusD3
Bring her a jennet she shall rideA
They helped my mounting and I triedA
To laugh with them and keep their sideA
But brakes were rough and bents were steepM2
Upon our path that dayA
My palfrey threw me and I wentA
Upon men's shoulders home sore sH

Dante Gabriel Rossetti



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