Irma Leese Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFG HIJKCLLC MNOPQFLDRS TUQVWXDYZCA2B2C2LCD2 D2E2E2A2QXE2F2G2ZH2 KQJQGI2J2Q ZE2K2YD L2M2DH2N2ZZO2P2NQQ2R 2S2DT2H2U2V2W2X2JY2Z QZZ2 Y2A3C2B3QC3N L2DD3E3ZF3Q G3D3H3I3E3J3K3Z2E3ZL 3 DM3KZM3N2N3KE2 Y2QO3TP3PQ3R3ZS3ZY2H 2PR2T3U3V3W3L2X3ZY3Z 3A4G3G3B4C4ZZA3LQQE2 Y2D4E2E2E4E3F4G4H4Y2 ZI4B4ZJ4ZE2 K4KL4M4ZN4O4 N4ZJ3XQ3ZK4H3P4LQ4Z N4E2ZB4KEDR4ZS4ZZ K3E2D2B4QD2ZG3E3ZJ2Y 2N2ZY2J3Q QE3ZT4Y2KU4ZV4 W4ZX4ZY4R2Z4E3E2R2 A2ZA2QA2 QM3ZB4

Elenor Murray landing in New YorkA
After a weary voyage none too wellB
Staid in the city for a week and thenC
Upon a telegram from Irma LeeseD
Born Irma Fouche her aunt who lived aloneE
This summer in the Fouche house near LeRoyF
Came west to visit Irma Leese and restG
-
For Elenor Murray had not been herselfH
Since that hard spring when in the hospitalI
Caring for soldiers stricken with the fluJ
She took bronchitis after weeks in bedK
Rose weak and shaky crept to health againC
Through egg nogs easy strolls about BordeauxL
And later went to Nice upon a furloughL
To get her strength againC
-
But while she sawM
Her vital flame burn brightly as of oldN
On favored days yet for the rest the flameO
Sputtered or sank a little So she thoughtP
How good it might be to go west and strollQ
About the lovely country of LeRoyF
And hear the whispering cedars by a windowL
In the Fouche mansion where this Irma LeeseD
Her aunt was summering So she telegraphedR
And being welcomed wentS
-
This stately houseT
Built sixty years before by Arthur FoucheU
A brick home with a mansard roof an orielQ
That looked between the cedars and a porchV
With great Ionic columns from the streetW
Stood distantly amid ten acres of lawnX
Trees flower plots belonged to Irma LeeseD
Who had reclaimed it from a chiropractorY
To cleanse the name of Fouche from that indignityZ
And bring it in the family againC
Since she had spent her girlhood womanhoodA2
To twenty years amid its twenty roomsB2
For Irma Leese at twenty years had marriedC2
And found herself at twenty five a widowL
With money left her then had tried againC
And after years dissolved the second pactD2
And made a settlement was rich in factD2
Now forty two Five years before had comeE2
And found the house she loved a sanitariumE2
A chiropractor's home And as she stoodA2
Beside the fence and saw the orielQ
Remembered all her happiness on this lawnX
With brothers and with sisters one of whomE2
Was Elenor Murray's mother then she willedF2
To buy the place and spend some summers hereG2
And here she was the summer Elenor MurrayZ
Returned from FranceH2
-
And Irma Leese had saidK
Here is your room it has the orielQ
And there's the river and the hills for youJ
Have breakfast in your room what hour you willQ
Rise when you will We'll drive and walk and restG
Run to Chicago when we have a mindI2
I have a splendid chauffeur now and maidsJ2
You must grow strong and wellQ
-
And Elenor MurrayZ
Gasped out her happiness for the pretty roomE2
And stood and viewed the river and the hillsK2
And wept a little on the gentle shoulderY
Of Irma LeeseD
-
And so the days had passedL2
Of walking driving resting many talksM2
For Elenor Murray spoke to Irma LeeseD
Of tragic and of rapturous days in FranceH2
And Irma Leese though she had lived full yearsN2
Had scarcely lived as much as Elenor MurrayZ
And could not hear enough from Elenor MurrayZ
Of the war and France but mostly she would urgeO2
Her niece to tell of what affairs of loveP2
Had come to her And Elenor Murray toldN
Of Gregory Wenner save she did not tellQ
The final secret with a gesture touchedQ2
The story off by saying It was hopelessR2
I went into religion to forgetS2
But on a day she said to Irma LeeseD
I almost met my fate at Nice then sketchedT2
A hurried picture of a brief romanceH2
But Elenor Murray told her nothing elseU2
Of loves or men But all the while the auntV2
Weighed Elenor Murray on a day exclaimedW2
I see myself in you and you are likeX2
Your Aunt Corinne who died in ninety twoJ
I'll tell you all about your Aunt CorinneY2
Some day when we are talking but I seeZ
You have the Fouche blood we are lovers allQ
Your mother is a lover ElenorZ
If you would know itZ2
-
O your Aunt CorinneY2
She was most beautiful but unfortunateA3
Her husband was past sixty when she marriedC2
And she was thirty two He was distinguishedB3
Had money and all that but youth is allQ
Is everything for love and she was youngC3
And he was oldN
-
A week or two had passedL2
Since Elenor Murray came to Irma LeeseD
When on a morning fire broke from the eavesD3
And menaced all the house but maids and gardenersE3
With buckets saved the house while Elenor MurrayZ
And Irma Leese dipped water from the barrelsF3
That stood along the ellQ
-
A week from thatG3
A carpenter was working at the eavesD3
Along the ell and in the garret kneltH3
To pry up boards and patch When as he priedI3
A board up he beheld between the raftersE3
A package of old letters stained and frayedJ3
Tied with a little ribbon almost dustK3
And when he went down stairs delivered itZ2
To Irma Leese and said Here are some lettersE3
I found up in the garret under the floorZ
I pried up in my workL3
-
Then Irma LeeseD
Looked at the letters saw her sister's handM3
Corinne's upon the letters opened readK
And saw the story which she knew beforeZ
Brought back in this uncanny way the handM3
Which wrote the letters six and twenty yearsN2
Turned back to dust And when her niece came inN3
She showed the letters said I'll let you readK
I'll tell you all about themE2
-
When CorinneY2
Was nineteen very beautiful and vitalQ
Red cheeked a dancer bubbling like new wineO3
A catch as you may know you see this houseT
Was full of laughter then so many childrenP3
We had our parties too and young men thoughtP
Each one of us would have a dowry splendidQ3
A young man from Chicago came alongR3
A lawyer there but lately come from PittsburghZ
To practice win his way I knew this manS3
He was a handsome dog with curly hairZ
Blue eyes and sturdy figure Well CorinneY2
Quite lost her heart He came here to a danceH2
And so the game commenced And father thoughtP
The fellow was not right but all of usR2
Your mother and myself said yes he isT3
And we conspired to help Corinne and smoothU3
The path of confidence But later onV3
Corinne was not so buoyant would not talkW3
With me your mother freely Then at lastL2
Her eyes were sometimes red we knew she weptX3
And then Corinne was sent away Well hereZ
You'll guess the rest Her health was breaking downY3
That's true enough the world could think its thoughtsZ3
And say his love grew cold or she found outA4
The black leg that he was and he was thatG3
But Elenor the truth was more than thatG3
Corinne had been betrayed she went awayB4
To right herself these letters prove the caseC4
Which all the gossips busy as they wereZ
Could not make out The paper at LeRoyZ
Had printed that she went to pay a visitA3
To relatives in the east Three months or soL
She came back well and rosy But meanwhileQ
Your grandfather had paid this shabby scoundrelQ
A sum of money I forget the sumE2
To get these letters of your Aunt CorinneY2
These letters here This matter leaked of courseD4
And then we let the story take this formE2
And moulded it a little to this formE2
The fellow was a scoundrel this was provedE4
When he took money to return her lettersE3
They were love letters they had been engagedF4
She thought him worthy found herself deceivedG4
Proved too by taking money when at firstH4
He looked with honorable eyes to young CorinneY2
And won her trust And so Corinne lived hereZ
Ten years or more at thirty married the judgeI4
Her senior thirty years and went awayB4
She bore a child and died look ElenorZ
Here are the letters which she took and nailedJ4
Beneath the garret floor We'll read them throughZ
And then I'll burn themE2
-
Irma Leese rose upK4
And put the letters in her desk and saidK
Let's ride along the river So they rodeL4
But as they rode the day being clear and mildM4
The fancy took them to Chicago whereZ
They lunched and spent the afternoon returningN4
At ten o'clock that nightO4
-
And the next morningN4
When Irma Leese expected ElenorZ
To rise and join her asked for her a maidJ3
Told Irma Leese that Elenor had goneX
To walk somewhere And all that day she waitedQ3
But as night came she fancied ElenorZ
Had gone to see her mother once rose upK4
To telephone then stopped because she feltH3
Elenor might have plans she would not wishP4
Her mother to get wind of let it goL
But when night came she wondered fell asleepQ4
With wondering and worryZ
-
But next morningN4
As she was waiting for the car to comeE2
To motor to LeRoy and see her sisterZ
Elenor's mother in a casual wayB4
Learn if her niece was there and waiting readK
The letters of Corinne the telephoneE
Rang in an ominous way and Irma LeeseD
Sprang up to answer got the tragic wordR4
Of Elenor Murray found beside the riverZ
Left all the letters spilled upon her deskS4
And motored to the river to LeRoyZ
Where Coroner Merival took the bodyZ
-
JustK3
As Irma Leese departed in the roomE2
A sullen maid revengeful for the factD2
She was discharged was leaving in a dayB4
Entered and saw the letters read a littleQ
And gathered them went to her room and packedD2
Her telescope and left went to LeRoyZ
And gave a letter to this one and thatG3
Until the servant maids and carpentersE3
And some lubricous fellows at LeRoyZ
Who made companions of these serving maidsJ2
Had each a letter of the dead CorinneY2
Which showed at last after some twenty yearsN2
Of silence and oblivion to LeRoyZ
With memory to refresh that poor CorinneY2
Had given her love herself had been betrayedJ3
Abandoned by a scoundrelQ
-
MerivalQ
The Coroner when told about the lettersE3
For soon the tongues were wagging in LeRoyZ
Went here and there to find them till he learnedT4
What quality of love the dead CorinneY2
Had given to this man Then shook his headK
Resolved to see if he could not unearthU4
In Elenor Murray's life some faithless loverZ
Who sought her deathV4
-
The letters' riffle crawledW4
Through shadows of the waters of LeRoyZ
Until it looked a snake was seen as suchX4
In Tokio by Franklin HollisterZ
The son of dead Corinne it seemed a snakeY4
He heard the coroner through neglect or maliceR2
Had let the letters scatter not the truthZ4
The coroner had gathered up the lettersE3
Befriending Irma Leese she got them back
Through Merival The riffle's just the sameE2
And hence this man in Tokio is crazed
For shame and fear for fear the girl he loves
Will hear his mother's story and break off
Her marriage promiseR2
-
So in reckless rage
He posts a letter off to Lawyer HoodA2
Chicago Illinois the coronerZ
Gets all the story through this Lawyer HoodA2
Long after Elenor's inquest is at end
Meantime he cools is wiser thinks it bad
To stir the scandal with a suit at lawQ
And then when cooled he hears from Lawyer HoodA2
Who tells him what the truth is So it ends
-
-
-
These letters and the greenish wave that coiled
At Tokio is beyond the coroner's eye
Fixed on the water where the pebble fellQ
This death of Elenor circles close at handM3
Engage his interest Now he seeks to learn
About her training and religious life
And hears of Miriam Fay a friend he thinks
And confidant of her religious life
Head woman of the school where ElenorZ
Learned chemistry materia medica
Anatomy to fit her for the work
Of nursing And he writes this Miriam FayB4
And Miriam Fay responds The letter comes
Before the jury Here is what she wrote

Edgar Lee Masters



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