The Moat House Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A A BBCCB DDCCD EEFGE HHIIH JJJHJ KKLMN OOPPO QQHHQ HHRRH SSTTS U HHU VVHH JJJJJ WWUU X YYYPPP HHHDDD RRRZZZ DDDA2A2A2 HHHB2C2B2 A HJHJDUDU JHJHD2HD2H E2 E2F2E2G2E2G2 H2HH2H2H2HH2H B2XB2XI2H2I2 J2H2J2H2K2H2K2H2 H2H2H2H2L2H2L2H2 M2C2N2C2I2O2I2O2 P2H2P2H2JAH2A HH2HH2Q2HQ2H H2H2H2H2H2H2H2 H2H2H2H2L2J2L2J2 JH2JH2H2R2H2R2 UHUHH2S2H2T2 J2AU

PART IA
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IA
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UNDER the shade of convent towersB
Where fast and vigil mark the hoursB
From childhood into youth there grewC
A maid as fresh as April dewC
And sweet as May's ideal flowersB
-
Brighter than dawn in wind swept skiesD
Like children's dreams most pure unwiseD
Yet with a slumbering soul fire tooC
That sometimes shone a moment throughC
Her wondrous unawakened eyesD
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The nuns who loved her coldly meantE
The twig should grow as it was bentE
That she like them should watch youth's bierF
Should watch her day dreams disappearG
And go the loveless way they wentE
-
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The convent walls were high and greyH
How could Love hope to find a wayH
Into that citadel forlornI
Where his dear name was put to scornI
Or called a sinful thing to sayH
-
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Yet Love did come what need to tellJ
Of flowers downcast that sometimes fellJ
Across her feet when dreamilyJ
She paced with unused breviaryH
Down paths made still with August's spellJ
-
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Of looks cast through the chapel grateK
Of letters helped by Love and FateK
That to cold fingers did not comeL
But lay within a warmer homeM
Upon her heart inviolateN
-
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Somehow he loved her she loved himO
Then filled her soul's cup to the brimO
And all her daily life grew brightP
With such a flood of rosy lightP
As turned the altar candles dimO
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But love that lights is love that leadsQ
And lives upon the heart it feedsQ
Soon grew she pale though not less fairH
And sighed his name instead of prayerH
And told her heart throbs not her beadsQ
-
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How could she find the sunlight fairH
A sunlight that he did not shareH
How could a rose smell sweet withinR
The cruel bars that shut her inR
And shut him out while she was thereH
-
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He vowed her fealty firm and fastS
Then to the winds her fears she castS
They found a way to cheat the barsT
And in free air beneath free starsT
Free and with him she stood at lastS
-
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'Now to some priest ' he said 'that heU
May give thee blessing us to me '-
'No priest ' she cried in doubt and fearH
'He would divide not join us dearH
I am mine I give myself to theeU
-
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'Since thou and I are mine and thineV
What need to swear it at a shrineV
Would love last longer if we sworeH
That we would love for evermoreH
God gives me thee and thou art mine '-
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'God weds us now ' he said 'yet stillJ
Some day shall we all forms fulfilJ
Eternal truth affords to smileJ
At laws wherewith man marks his guileJ
Yet law shall join us when you willJ
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'So look your last my love on theseW
Forbidding walls and wooing treesW
Farewell to grief and gloom ' said heU
'Farewell to childhood's joy ' said sheU
But neither said 'Farewell to peace '-
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SongX
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My sweet my sweetY
She is completeY
From dainty head to darling feetY
So warm and whiteP
So brown and brightP
So made for love and love's delightP
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God could but spareH
One flower so fairH
There is none like her anywhereH
Beneath wide skiesD
The whole earth liesD
But not two other such brown eyesD
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The world we're inR
If one might winR
Not worth that dimple in her chinR
A heaven to knowZ
I'll let that goZ
But once to see her lids droop lowZ
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Over her eyesD
By love made wiseD
To see her bosom fall and riseD
Is more than worthA2
The angels' mirthA2
And all the heaven joys of earthA2
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This is the hourH
Which gives me powerH
To win and wear earth's whitest flowerH
Oh Love give graceB2
Through all life's waysC2
Keep pure this heart her dwelling placeB2
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IIA
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The fields were reaped and the pastures bareH
And the nights grown windy and chillJ
When the lovers passed through the beech woods fairH
And climbed the brow of the hillJ
In the hill's spread arm the Moat House liesD
With elm and willow treeU
'And is that your home at last ' she sighsD
'Our home at last ' laughs heU
-
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Across the bridge and into the hallJ
Where the waiting housefolk wereH
'This is my lady ' he said to them allJ
And she looked so sweet and fairH
That every maid and serving boyD2
God blessed them then and thereH
And wished them luck and gave them joyD2
For a happy handsome pairH
-
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And only the old nurse shook her headE2
'Too young ' she said 'too young '-
She noted that no prayers were readE2
No marriage bells were rungF2
No guests were called no feast was spreadE2
As was meet for a marriage tideG2
The young lord in the banquet hall broke breadE2
Alone with his little brideG2
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Yet her old heart warmed to the two and blessedH2
They were both so glad and gayH
By to morrow and yesterday unoppressedH2
Fulfilled of the joy of to dayH2
Like two young birds in that dull old nestH2
So careless of coming careH
So rapt in the other that each possessedH2
The two young lovers wereH
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He was heir to a stern hard natured raceB2
That had held the Moat House longX
But the gloom of his formal dwelling placeB2
Dissolved at her voice and songX
So bright so sweet to the house she cameI2
So winning of way and wordH2
The household knew her by one pet nameI2
'My Lady Ladybird '-
-
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First love so rarely gets leave to bringJ2
In our world where money is mightH2
Its tender buds to blossomingJ2
With the sun of its own delightH2
We love at rose or at vintage primeK2
In the glare and heat of the dayH2
Forgetting the dawn and the violet timeK2
And the wild sweet scent of the mayH2
-
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These loved like children like children playedH2
The old house laughed with delightH2
At her song of a voice at the radiance madeH2
By her dress's flashing flightH2
Up the dark oak stair through the gallery's gloomL2
She ran like a fairy fleetH2
And ever her lover from room to roomL2
Fast followed her flying feetH2
-
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They gathered the buds of the late lived roseM2
In the ordered garden waysC2
They walked through the sombre yew walled closeN2
And threaded the pine woods mazeC2
They rode through woods where their horses cameI2
Knee deep through the rustling leavesO2
Through fields forlorn of the poppies' flameI2
And bereft of their golden sheavesO2
-
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In the mellow hush of October noonP2
They rowed in the flat broad boatH2
Through the lily leaves so thickly strewnP2
On the sunny side of the moatH2
They were glad of the fire of the beech crowned hillJ
And glad of the pale deep skyA
And the shifting shade that the willows madeH2
On the boat as she glided byA
-
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They roamed each room of the Moat House throughH
And questioned the wraiths of the pastH2
What legends rare the old dresses knewH
And the swords what had wet them lastH2
What faces had looked through the lozenge panesQ2
What shadows darkened the doorH
What feet had walked in the jewelled stainsQ2
That the rich glass cast on the floorH
-
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She dressed her beauty in old brocadeH2
That breathed of loss and regretH2
In laces that broken hearts had swayedH2
In the days when the swords were wetH2
And the rubies and pearls laughed out and saidH2
'Though the lovers for whom we were setH2
And the women who loved us have long been deadH2
Yet beauty and we live yet '-
-
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When the wild white winter's spectral handH2
Effaced the green and the redH2
And crushed the fingers brown of the landH2
Till they grew death white insteadH2
The two found cheer in their dark oak roomL2
And their dreams of a coming springJ2
For a brighter sun shone through winter's gloomL2
Than ever a summer could bringJ2
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They sat where the great fires blazed in the hallJ
Where the wolf skins lay outspreadH2
The pictured faces looked down from the wallJ
To hear his praise of the deadH2
He told her ghostly tales of the pastH2
And legends rare of his houseR2
Till she held her breath at the shade fire castH2
And the scamper rush of the mouseR2
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Till she dared not turn her head to seeU
What shape might stand by her chairH
Till she cried his name and fled to his kneeU
And safely nestled thereH
Then they talked of their journey the city's crowdH2
Of the convent's faint joy and painS2
Till the ghosts of the past were laid in the shroudH2
Of commonplace things againT2
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So the winter died and the baby springJ2
With hardly voice for a cryA
And hands too weak the signs to bU

Edith Nesbit



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