Prothalamion Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBAABCBCCDDDDDDEE FGHFFFGFGHAADADDEE AGGAAGAGAAAAFAFFEE GFFGGAIAIIFFDFAFEE AFFAAIAIAAFFFFFFEE FAAFFJGKGGFFFFFFE FEEFFEGEGGGGFGFFEE IDDIIDFDFFDDGDGGEE AAAAAAIAIIDDEDEEEE EAAEECACAAFFFFFFEECalme was the day and through the trembling ayre | A |
Sweete breathing Zephyrus did softly play | B |
A gentle spirit that lightly did delay | B |
Hot Titans beames which then did glyster fayre | A |
When I whom sullein care | A |
Through discontent of my long fruitlesse stay | B |
In Princes Court and expectation vayne | C |
Of idle hopes which still doe fly away | B |
Like empty shaddowes did afflict my brayne | C |
Walkt forth to ease my payne | C |
Along the shoare of silver streaming Themmes | D |
Whose rutty Bancke the which his River hemmes | D |
Was paynted all with variable flowers | D |
And all the meades adornd with daintie gemmes | D |
Fit to decke maydens bowres | D |
And crowne their Paramours | D |
Against the Brydale day which is not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softly till I end my Song | E |
- | |
There in a Meadow by the Rivers side | F |
A Flocke of Nymphes I chaunc egrave d to espy | G |
All lovely Daughters of the Flood thereby | H |
With goodly greenish locks all loose untyde | F |
As each had bene a Bryde | F |
And each one had a little wicker basket | F |
Made of fine twigs entrayl grave d curiously | G |
In which they gathered flowers to fill their flasket | F |
And with fine Fingers cropt full feateously | G |
The tender stalkes on hye | H |
Of every sort which in that Meadow grew | A |
They gathered some the Violet pallid blew | A |
The little Dazie that at evening closes | D |
The virgin Lillie and the Primrose trew | A |
With store of vermeil Roses | D |
To decke their Bridegromes posies | D |
Against the Brydale day which was not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softly till I end my Song | E |
- | |
With that I saw two Swannes of goodly hewe | A |
Come softly swimming downe along the Lee | G |
Two fairer Birds I yet did never see | G |
The snow which doth the top of Pindus strew | A |
Did never whiter shew | A |
Nor Jove himselfe when he a Swan would be | G |
For love of Leda whiter did appeare | A |
Yet Leda was they say as white as he | G |
Yet not so white as these nor nothing neare | A |
So purely white they were | A |
That even the gentle streame the which them bare | A |
Seem'd foule to them and bad his billowes spare | A |
To wet their silken feathers least they might | F |
Soyle their fayre plumes with water not so fayre | A |
And marre their beauties bright | F |
That shone as heavens light | F |
Against their Brydale day which was not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softly till I end my Song | E |
- | |
Eftsoones the Nymphes which now had Flowers their fill | G |
Ran all in haste to see that silver brood | F |
As they came floating on the Christal Flood | F |
Whom when they sawe they stood amaz egrave d still | G |
Their wondring eyes to fill | G |
Them seem'd they never saw a sight so fayre | A |
Of Fowles so lovely that they sure did deeme | I |
Them heavenly borne or to be that same payre | A |
Which through the Skie draw Venus silver Teeme | I |
For sure they did not seeme | I |
To be begot of any earthly Seede | F |
But rather Angels or of Angels breede | F |
Yet were they bred of Somers heat they say | D |
In sweetest Season when each Flower and weede | F |
The earth did fresh aray | A |
So fresh they seem'd as day | F |
Even as their Brydale day which was not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softly till I end my Song | E |
- | |
Then forth they all out of their baskets drew | A |
Great store of Flowers the honour of the field | F |
That to the sense did fragrant odours yield | F |
All which upon those goodly Birds they threw | A |
And all the Waves did strew | A |
That like old Peneus Waters they did seeme | I |
When downe along by pleasant Tempes shore | A |
Scattred with Flowres through Thessaly they streeme | I |
That they appeare through Lillies plenteous store | A |
Like a Brydes Chamber flore | A |
Two of those Nymphes meane while two Garlands bound | F |
Of freshest Flowres which in that Mead they found | F |
The which presenting all in trim Array | F |
Their snowie Foreheads therewithall they crownd | F |
Whil'st one did sing this Lay | F |
Prepar'd against that Day | F |
Against their Brydale day which was not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softly till I end my Song | E |
- | |
'Ye gentle Birdes the worlds faire ornament | F |
And heavens glorie whom this happie hower | A |
Doth leade unto your lovers blisfull bower | A |
Joy may you have and gentle hearts content | F |
Of your loves couplement | F |
And let faire Venus that is Queene of love | J |
With her heart quelling Sonne upon you smile | G |
Whose smile they say hath vertue to remove | K |
All Loves dislike and friendships faultie guile | G |
For ever to assoile | G |
Let endlesse Peace your steadfast hearts accord | F |
And bless egrave d Plentie wait upon your bord | F |
And let your bed with pleasures chast abound | F |
That fruitfull issue may to you afford | F |
Which may your foes confound | F |
And make your joyes redound | F |
Upon your Brydale day which is not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softlie till I end my Song ' | - |
- | |
So ended she and all the rest around | F |
To her redoubled that her undersong | E |
Which said their brydale daye should not be long | E |
And gentle Eccho from the neighbour ground | F |
Their accents did resound | F |
So forth those joyous Birdes did passe along | E |
Adowne the Lee that to them murmurde low | G |
As he would speake but that he lackt a tong | E |
Yet did by signes his glad affection show | G |
Making his streame run slow | G |
And all the foule which in his flood did dwell | G |
Gan flock about these twaine that did excell | G |
The rest so far as Cynthia doth shend | F |
The lesser starres So they enrang egrave d well | G |
Did on those two attend | F |
And their best service lend | F |
Against their wedding day which was not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softly till I end my Song | E |
- | |
At length they all to mery London came | I |
To mery London my most kyndly Nurse | D |
That to me gave this Lifes first native sourse | D |
Though from another place I take my name | I |
An house of auncient fame | I |
There when they came whereas those bricky towres | D |
The which on Themmes brode ag egrave d backe doe ryde | F |
Where now the studious Lawyers have their bowers | D |
There whylome wont the Templer Knights to byde | F |
Till they decayd through pride | F |
Next whereunto there standes a stately place | D |
Where oft I gayn egrave d giftes and goodly grace | D |
Of that great Lord which therein wont to dwell | G |
Whose want too well now feeles my freendles case | D |
But ah here fits not well | G |
Olde woes but joyes to tell | G |
Against the Brydale daye which is not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softly till I end my Song | E |
- | |
Yet therein now doth lodge a noble Peer | A |
Great Englands glory and the Worlds wide wonder | A |
Whose dreadfull name late through all Spaine did thunder | A |
And Hercules two pillors standing neere | A |
Did make to quake and feare | A |
Faire branch of Honor flower of Chevalrie | A |
That fillest England with thy triumphes fame | I |
Joy have thou of thy noble victorie | A |
And endlesse happinesse of thine owne name | I |
That promiseth the same | I |
That through thy prowesse and victorious armes | D |
Thy country may be freed from forraine harmes | D |
And great Elisaes glorious name may ring | E |
Through al the world fil'd with thy wide Alarmes | D |
Which some brave muse may sing | E |
To ages following | E |
Upon the Brydale day which is not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softly till I end my Song | E |
- | |
From those high Towers this noble Lord issuing | E |
Like Radiant Hesper when his golden hayre | A |
In th' Ocean billowes he hath bath egrave d fayre | A |
Descended to the Rivers open vewing | E |
With a great traine ensuing | E |
Above the rest were goodly to bee seene | C |
Two gentle Knights of lovely face and feature | A |
Beseeming well the bower of anie Queene | C |
With gifts of wit and ornaments of nature | A |
Fit for so goodly stature | A |
That like the twins of Jove they seem'd in sight | F |
Which decke the Bauldricke of the Heavens bright | F |
They two forth pacing to the Rivers side | F |
Received those two faire Brides their Loves delight | F |
Which at th' appointed tyde | F |
Each one did make his Bryde | F |
Against their Brydale day which is not long | E |
Sweete Themmes runne softly till I end my Song | E |
Edmund Spenser
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