Snap-dragon Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCD EFGFHH IJIJK HHLMLM NHNHN NOOPBPB BQRRSRT UHUVH WXWXUUU YUYUY HUHUUHUHU ZHZUHHUIIR UA2UA2B2B2 C2D2C2D2E2E2 F2G2F2G2H2H2UYUYYYI2 UI2UHH J2K2J2K2HHShe bade me follow to her garden where | A |
The mellow sunlight stood as in a cup | B |
Between the old grey walls I did not dare | A |
To raise my face I did not dare look up | B |
Lest her bright eyes like sparrows should fly in | C |
My windows of discovery and shrill 'Sin ' | D |
- | |
So with a downcast mien and laughing voice | E |
I followed followed the swing of her white dress | F |
That rocked in a lilt along I watched the poise | G |
Of her feet as they flew for a space then paused to press | F |
The grass deep down with the royal burden of her | H |
And gladly I'd offered my breast to the tread of her | H |
- | |
'I like to see ' she said and she crouched her down | I |
She sunk into my sight like a settling bird | J |
And her bosom crouched in the confines of her gown | I |
Like heavy birds at rest there softly stirred | J |
By her measured breaths 'I like to see ' said she | K |
'The snap dragon put out his tongue at me ' | - |
- | |
She laughed she reached her hand out to the flower | H |
Closing its crimson throat my own throat in her power | H |
Strangled my heart swelled up so full | L |
As if it would burst its wineskin in my throat | M |
Choke me in my own crimson I watched her pull | L |
The gorge of the gaping flower till the blood did float | M |
- | |
Over my eyes and I was blind | N |
Her large brown hand stretched over | H |
The windows of my mind | N |
And in the dark I did discover | H |
Things I was out to find | N |
- | |
My grail a brown bowl twined | N |
With swollen veins that met in the wrist | O |
Under whose brown the amethyst | O |
I longed to taste and I longed to turn | P |
My heart's red measure in her cup | B |
I longed to feel my hot blood burn | P |
With the lambent amethyst in her cup | B |
- | |
Then suddenly she looked up | B |
And I was blind in a tawny gold day | Q |
Till she took her eyes away So she came down from above | R |
And emptied my heart of love | R |
So I helf my heart aloft | S |
To the cuckoo that fluttered above | R |
And she settled soft | T |
- | |
It seemed that I and the morning world | U |
Were pressed cup shape to take this reiver | H |
Bird who was weary to have furled | U |
Her wings on us | V |
As we were weary to receive her | H |
- | |
This bird this rich | W |
Sumptuous central grain | X |
This mutable witch | W |
This one refrain | X |
This laugh in the fight | U |
This clot of light | U |
This core of night | U |
- | |
She spoke and I closed my eyes | Y |
To shut hallucinations out | U |
I echoed with surprise | Y |
Hearing my mere lips shout | U |
The answer they did devise | Y |
- | |
Again I saw a brown bird hover | H |
Over the flowers at my feet | U |
I felt a brown bird hover | H |
Over my heart and sweet | U |
Its shadow lay on my heart | U |
I thought I saw on the clover | H |
A brown bee pulling apart | U |
The closed flesh of the clover | H |
And burrowing into its heart | U |
- | |
She moved her hand and again | Z |
I felt the brown bird hover | H |
Over my heart and then | Z |
The bird came down on my heart | U |
As on a nest the rover | H |
Cuckoo comes and shoves over | H |
The brim each careful part | U |
Of love takes possession and settles down | I |
With her wings and her feathers does drown | I |
The nest in a heat of love | R |
- | |
She turned her flushed face to me for the glint | U |
Of a moment 'See ' she laughed 'if you also | A2 |
Can make them yawn ' I put my hand to the dint | U |
In the flower's throat and the flower gaped wide with woe | A2 |
She watched she went of a sudden intensely still | B2 |
She watched my hand and I let her watch her fill | B2 |
- | |
I pressed the wretched throttled flower between | C2 |
My fingers till its head lay back its fangs | D2 |
Poised at her like a weapon my hand stood white and keen | C2 |
And I held the choked flower serpent in its pangs | D2 |
Of mordant anguish till she ceased to laugh | E2 |
Until her pride's flag smitten cleaved down to the staff | E2 |
- | |
She hid her face she murmured between her lips | F2 |
The low word 'Don't ' I let the flower fall | G2 |
But held my hand afloat still towards the slips | F2 |
Of blossom she fingered and my crisp fingers all | G2 |
Put forth to her she did not move nor I | H2 |
For my hand like a snake watched hers that could not fly | H2 |
Then I laughed in the dark of my heart I did exult | U |
Like a sudden chuckling of music I bade her eyes | Y |
Meet mine I opened her helpless eyes to consult | U |
Their fear their shame their joy that underlies | Y |
Defeat in such a battle in the dark of her eyes | Y |
My heart was fierce to make her laughter rise | Y |
Till her dark deeps shook with convulsive thrills and the dark | I2 |
Of her spirit wavered like water thrilled with light | U |
And my heart leaped up in longing to plunge its stark | I2 |
Fervour within the pool of her twilight | U |
Within her spacious gloom in the mystery | H |
Of her barbarous soul to grope with ecstasy | H |
- | |
And I do not care though the large hands of revenge | J2 |
Shall get my throat at last shall get it soon | K2 |
If the joy that they are lifted to avenge | J2 |
Have risen red on my night as a harvest moon | K2 |
Which even Death can only put out for me | H |
And death I know is beter than not to be | H |
David Herbert Lawrence
(1)
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