The Forsaken Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHFIHJKBLMLNOG PPGPOPQRSBIPGTLUPBGG PHVGPOWBXPYPZA2 A BB2GBBCBC2PPBD2PE2B2 AGF2G2PGPH2GOOI2I2J2 GBK2BGPL2GGA2PA2

IA
Once in the winterB
Out on a lakeC
In the heart of the north landD
Far from the FortE
And far from the huntersF
A Chippewa womanG
With her sick babyH
Crouched in the last hoursF
Of a great stormI
Frozen and hungryH
She fished through the iceJ
With a line of the twistedK
Bark of the cedarB
And a rabbit bone hookL
Polished and barbedM
Fished with the bare hookL
All through the wild dayN
Fished and caught nothingO
While the young chieftainG
Tugged at her breastsP
Or slept in the lacingsP
Of the warm tikanaganG
All the lake surfaceP
Streamed with the hissingO
Of millions of iceflakesP
Hurled by the windQ
Behind her the roundR
Of a lonely islandS
Roared like a fireB
With the voice of the stormI
In the deeps of the cedarsP
Valiant unshakenG
She took of her own fleshT
Baited the fish hookL
Drew in a gray troutU
Drew in his fellowsP
Heaped them beside herB
Dead in the snowG
Valiant unshakenG
She faced the long distanceP
Wolf haunted and lonelyH
Sure of her goalV
And the life of her dear oneG
Tramped for two daysP
On the third in the morningO
Saw the strong bulkW
Of the Fort by the riverB
Saw the wood smokeX
Hand soft in the sprucesP
Heard the keen yelpY
Of the ravenous huskiesP
Fighting for whitefishZ
Then she had restA2
-
IIA
-
Years and years afterB
When she was old and witheredB2
When her son was an old manG
And his children filled with vigourB
They came in their northern tour on the verge of winterB
To an island in a lonely lakeC
There one night they camped and on the morrowB
Gathered their kettles and birch barkC2
Their rabbit skin robes and their mink trapsP
Launched their canoes and slunk away through the islandsP
Left her alone foreverB
Without a word of farewellD2
Because she was old and uselessP
Like a paddle broken and warpedE2
Or a pole that was splinteredB2
Then without a sighA
Valiant unshakenG
She smoothed her dark locks under her kerchiefF2
Composed her shawl in stateG2
Then folded her hands ridged with sinews and corded with veinsP
Folded them across her breasts spent with the nourishment of childrenG
Gazed at the sky past the tops of the cedarsP
Saw two spangled nights arise out of the twilightH2
Saw two days go by filled with the tranquil sunshineG
Saw without pain or dread or even a moment of longingO
Then on the third great night there came thronging and throngingO
Millions of snowflakes out of a windless cloudI2
They covered her close with a beautiful crystal shroudI2
Covered her deep and silentJ2
But in the frost of the dawnG
Up from the life belowB
Rose a column of breathK2
Through a tiny cleft in the snowB
Fragile delicately drawnG
Wavering with its own weaknessP
In the wilderness a sign of the spiritL2
Persisting still in the sight of the sunG
Till day was doneG
Then all light was gathered up by the hand of God and hid in His breastA2
Then there was born a silence deeper than silenceP
Then she had restA2

Duncan Campbell Scott



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