Aquileia Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFAGC HHII CJCBJ BKKLL MMNNO PBPQR SBSRTQC QKKTUVUVWWXX BB| On the election of the Roman Emperor Maximus by the | A |
| Senate A D a powerful army headed by the Thracian | B |
| giant Maximus laid siege to Aquileia Though poorly | C |
| prepared for war the constancy of her citizens rendered her | D |
| impregnable The women of Aquileia cut off their hair to | E |
| make ropes for the military engines The small body of | F |
| troops was directed by Chrispinus a Lieutenant of the | A |
| Senate Apollo was the deity supposed to protect | G |
| them Gibbon's Roman History | C |
| - | |
| - | |
| The ropes the ropes Apollo send us ropes | H |
| Chrispinus cried or death attends our hopes | H |
| Then panic reigned and many a mournful sound | I |
| Hurt the cleft air for where could ropes be found | I |
| - | |
| Up rose a Roman mother tall was she | C |
| As her own son a youth of noble height | J |
| A little child was clinging to her knee | C |
| She loosed his twining arms and put him down | B |
| And her dark eyes flashed with a sudden light | J |
| - | |
| How like a queen she stood her royal crown | B |
| The rich dark masses of her splendid hair | K |
| Just flecked with spots of sunshine here and there | K |
| Twined round her brow 'twas like a coronet | L |
| Where gems of gold lie bedded deep in jet | L |
| - | |
| She loosed the comb that held the shining strands | M |
| And threaded out the meshes with her hands | M |
| The purple mass fell to her garment's hem | N |
| A queen new clothed without her diadem | N |
| She stood before her subjects | O |
| - | |
| Now she cried | P |
| Give me thy sword Julianus And her son | B |
| Unsheathed the blade that had not left his side | P |
| Save when it sought a foeman's blood to shed | Q |
| Awed by her regal bearing and obeyed | R |
| - | |
| With the white beauty of her firm fair hand | S |
| She clasped the hilt then severed one by one | B |
| Her gold flecked purple tresses Strand on strand | S |
| Free e'en as foes had fallen by that blade | R |
| Robbed of its massive wealth of curl and coil | T |
| Yet like some antique model rose her head | Q |
| In all its classic beauty | C |
| - | |
| See she said | Q |
| And pointed to the shining mound of hair | K |
| Apollo makes swift answer to thy prayer | K |
| Chrispinus Quick now soldiers to thy toil | T |
| Forth from a thousand throats what seemed one voice | U |
| Rose shrilly filling all the air with cheer | V |
| Lo quoth the foe our enemies rejoice | U |
| Well might the Thracian giant quake with fear | V |
| For while skilled hands caught up the gleaming threads | W |
| And bound them into cords a hundred heads | W |
| Yielded their beauteous tresses to the sword | X |
| And cast them down to swell the precious hoard | X |
| - | |
| Nor was the noble sacrifice in vain | B |
| Another day beheld the giant slain | B |
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
(1)
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