Delilah Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBB D EFEFF GHGHH IBIBB J CKCKK D DLDLL MNMON PQPQQ K DRDRR SDSTT UVUWV XDXDD Y ZA2ZA2A2 QPQPP B2C2B2C2C2 D2E2D2E2E2 A SDSDD F2BF2BB KG2KG2G2 H2ZH2ZZ B I2J2I2J2J2 I2I2I2I2I2 K2DL2DD DTDDD B M2DM2DD DJ2DJ2J2 D N2I2N2I2I2 LI2LI2I2 D J2I2J2I2I2 S I2NI2OO BDBDD O2J2O2J2J2 I2 BI2BI2I2 I2J2I2J2J2 C2P2C2P2P2 BI2BI2I2 T I2BI2BB O2KO2KK Q2DQ2DDBecause thou wast most delicate | A |
A woman fair for men to see | B |
The earth did compass thy estate | C |
Thou didst hold life and death in fee | B |
And every soul did bend the knee | B |
- | |
Sidenote Wherein the corrupt spirit of privilege is symbolized by Delilah and the People by Samson | D |
- | |
Much pleasure also made thee grieve | E |
For that the goblet had been drained | F |
The well spiced viand thou didst leave | E |
To frown on want whose throat was strained | F |
And violence whose hands were stained | F |
- | |
The purple of thy royal cloak | G |
Made the sea paler for its hue | H |
Much people bent beneath the yoke | G |
To fetch thee jewels white and blue | H |
And rings to pass thy gold hair through | H |
- | |
Therefore Delilah wast thou called | I |
Because the choice wines nourished thee | B |
In Sorek by the mountains walled | I |
Against the north wind's misery | B |
Where flourished every pleasant tree | B |
- | |
Sidenote Delilah hath a taste for ease and luxury and wantoneth with divers lovers | J |
- | |
Thy lovers also were as great | C |
In numbers as the sea sands were | K |
Thou didst requite their love with hate | C |
And give them up to massacre | K |
Who brought thee gifts of gold and myrrh | K |
- | |
Sidenote Delilah conceiveth the design of ensnaring Samson | D |
- | |
At Gaza and at Ashkelon | D |
The obscene Dagon worshipping | L |
Thy face was fair to look upon | D |
Yet thy tongue sweet to talk or sing | L |
Was deadlier than the adder's sting | L |
- | |
Wherefore thou saidst I will procure | M |
The strong man Samson for my spouse | N |
His death will make my ease secure | M |
The god has heard this people's vows | O |
To recompense their injured house | N |
- | |
Thereafter when the giant lay | P |
Supinely rolled against thy feet | Q |
Him thou didst craftily betray | P |
With amorous vexings low and sweet | Q |
To tell thee that which was not meet | Q |
- | |
Sidenote Delilah attempteth to discover the source of Samson's strength Samson very neatly deceiveth her | K |
- | |
And Samson spake to thee again | D |
With seven green withes I may be bound | R |
So shall I be as other men | D |
Whereat the lords the green withes found | R |
The same about his limbs were bound | R |
- | |
Then did the fish god in thee cry | S |
The Philistines be upon thee now | D |
But Samson broke the withes awry | S |
As when a keen fire toucheth tow | T |
So thou didst not the secret know | T |
- | |
But thou being full of guile didst plead | U |
My lord thou hast but mocked my love | V |
With lies who gave thy saying heed | U |
Hast thou not vexed my heart enough | W |
To ease me all the pain thereof | V |
- | |
Now in the chamber with fresh hopes | X |
The liers in wait did list and then | D |
He said Go to and get new ropes | X |
Wherewith thou shalt bind me again | D |
So shall I be as other men | D |
- | |
Sidenote Samson retaineth his intellect and the lustihood of his body and again misleadeth the subtle craft of Delilah | Y |
- | |
Then didst thou do as he had said | Z |
Whereat the fish god in thee cried | A2 |
The Philistines be upon thy head | Z |
He shook his shoulders deep and wide | A2 |
And cast the ropes like thread aside | A2 |
- | |
Yet thou still fast to thy conceit | Q |
Didst chide him softly then and say | P |
Beforetime thou hast shown deceit | Q |
And mocked my quest with idle play | P |
Thou canst not now my wish gainsay | P |
- | |
Then with the secret in his thought | B2 |
He said If thou wilt weave my hair | C2 |
The web withal the deed is wrought | B2 |
Thou shalt have all my strength in snare | C2 |
And I as other men shall fare | C2 |
- | |
Seven locks of him thou tookest and wove | D2 |
The web withal and fastened it | E2 |
And then the pin thy treason drove | D2 |
With laughter making all things fit | E2 |
As did beseem thy cunning wit | E2 |
- | |
Sidenote Delilah still pursueth her designs and Samson beginning to be somewhat wearied hinteth very close to his secret | A |
- | |
Then the god Dagon speaking by | S |
Thy delicate mouth made horrid din | D |
Lo the Philistine lords are nigh | S |
He woke ere thou couldst scarce begin | D |
And took away the web and pin | D |
- | |
Yet saying not it doth suffice | F2 |
Thou in the chamber's secrecy | B |
Didst with thy artful words entice | F2 |
Samson to give his heart to thee | B |
And tell thee where his strength might be | B |
- | |
Pleading How canst thou still aver | K |
I love thee being yet unkind | G2 |
How is it thou dost minister | K |
Unto my heart with treacherous mind | G2 |
Thou art but cruelly inclined | G2 |
- | |
From early morn to falling dusk | H2 |
At night upon the curtained bed | Z |
Fragrant with spikenard and with musk | H2 |
For weariness he laid his head | Z |
Whilst thou the insidious net didst spread | Z |
- | |
Sidenote Samson being weakened by lust and overcome by Delilah's importunities and guile telleth her wherein his great strength consisteth | B |
- | |
Nor wouldst not give him any rest | I2 |
But vexed with various words his soul | J2 |
Till death far more than life was blest | I2 |
Shot through and through with heavy dole | J2 |
He gave his strength to thy control | J2 |
- | |
Saying I am a Nazarite | I2 |
To God alway nor hath there yet | I2 |
Razor or shears done despite | I2 |
To these my locks of coarsen jet | I2 |
Therefore my strength hath known no let | I2 |
- | |
But and if these be shaven close | K2 |
Whereas I once was strong as ten | D |
I may not meet my meanest foes | L2 |
Among the hated Philistine | D |
I shall be weak like other men | D |
- | |
He turned to sleep the spell was done | D |
Thou saidst Come up this once I trow | T |
The secret of his strength is known | D |
Hereafter sweat shall bead his brow | D |
Bring up the silver thou didst vow | D |
- | |
Sidenote Samson having trusted Delilah turneth to sleep whereat her minions with force falleth upon him and depriveth him of his strength | B |
- | |
They came and sleeping on thy knees | M2 |
The giant of his locks was shorn | D |
And Dagon being now at ease | M2 |
Cried like the harbinger of morn | D |
To see the giant's strength forlorn | D |
- | |
For he wist not the Lord was gone | D |
I will go as I went erewhile | J2 |
He said and shake my mighty brawn | D |
Without the captains file on file | J2 |
Did execute Delilah's guile | J2 |
- | |
Sidenote Sansculottism as it seemeth is overthrown | D |
- | |
At Gaza where the mockers pass | N2 |
Midst curses and unholy sound | I2 |
They fettered him with chains of brass | N2 |
Put out his eyes and being bound | I2 |
Within the prison house he ground | I2 |
- | |
The heathen looking on did sing | L |
Behold our god into our hand | I2 |
Hath brought him for our banqueting | L |
Who slew us and destroyed our land | I2 |
Against whom none of us could stand | I2 |
- | |
Sidenote Samson being no longer formidable and being deprived of his eyes is reduced to slavery and made the sport of the heathen | D |
- | |
Now therefore when the festival | J2 |
Waxed merrily with one accord | I2 |
The lords and captains loud did call | J2 |
To bring him out whom they abhorred | I2 |
To make them sport who sat at board | I2 |
- | |
Sidenote After a time Samson prayeth for vengeance even though himself should perish thereby | S |
- | |
And Samson made them sport and stood | I2 |
Betwixt the pillars of the house | N |
Above with scornful hardihood | I2 |
Both men and women made carouse | O |
And ridiculed his eyeless brows | O |
- | |
Then Samson prayed Remember me | B |
O Lord this once if not again | D |
O God behold my misery | B |
Now weaker than all other men | D |
Who once was mightier than ten | D |
- | |
Grant vengeance for these sightless eyes | O2 |
And for this unrequited toil | J2 |
For fraud injustice perjuries | O2 |
For lords whose greed devours the soil | J2 |
And kings and rulers who despoil | J2 |
- | |
Sidenote Wherein by a very nice conceit revolution is symbolized | I2 |
- | |
For all that maketh light of Thee | B |
And sets at naught Thy holy word | I2 |
For tongues that babble blasphemy | B |
And impious hands that hold the sword | I2 |
Grant vengeance though I perish Lord | I2 |
- | |
He grasped the pillars having prayed | I2 |
And bowed himself the building fell | J2 |
And on three thousand souls was laid | I2 |
Gone soon to death with mighty yell | J2 |
And Samson died for it was well | J2 |
- | |
The lords and captains greatly err | C2 |
Thinking that Samson is no more | P2 |
Blind but with ever growing hair | C2 |
He grinds from Tyre to Singapore | P2 |
While yet Delilah plays the whore | P2 |
- | |
So it hath been and yet will be | B |
The captains drunken at the feast | I2 |
To garnish their felicity | B |
Will taunt him as a captive beast | I2 |
Until their insolence hath ceased | I2 |
- | |
Sidenote Wherein it is shown that while the people like Samson have been blinded and have not recovered their sight still that their hair continueth to grow | T |
- | |
Of ribaldry that smelleth sweet | I2 |
To Dagon and to Ashtoreth | B |
Of bloody stripes from head to feet | I2 |
He will endure unto the death | B |
Being blind he also nothing saith | B |
- | |
Then 'gainst the Doric capitals | O2 |
Resting in prayer to God for power | K |
He will shake down your marble walls | O2 |
Abiding heaven's appointed hour | K |
And those that fly shall hide and cower | K |
- | |
But this Delilah shall survive | Q2 |
To do the sin already done | D |
Her treacherous wiles and arts shall thrive | Q2 |
At Gaza and at Ashkelon | D |
A woman fair to look upon | D |
Edgar Lee Masters
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Delilah poem by Edgar Lee Masters
Best Poems of Edgar Lee Masters