Admetus Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDEFGHICJKLMN OPQQQJQJQRQSTUQQQVRQ WQXAYZA2B2LWQC2QJPD2 E2AE2QAF2E2G2H2 E2QI2E2E2E2E2JJ2QE2Q QQQE2K2LL2M2AG2QQQQI N2K2LO2AP2QQQE2E2 VAE2E2Q2QIE2AQL2E2E2 V R2S2VAE2QT2QE2VS2F2U 2QO2QQAM2E2QQAE2CAI2 QQQE2E2HQV2HQJW2JE2E 2E2AAE2VE2E2E2IE2QBE 2QI2E2LK2QB2AQD2E2QL 2BE2E2BQ2QR2X2Y2E2E2 E2QVVQE2QQQJJAAE2QCE 2Z2A3QE2BQI2B3JQQC3A 3QE2E2F2QQQE2QBBD3BE 2QE2QQQQE2JD3E2E2QE2 R2E3M2R2QE2I2AQR2E2E 2R2B V2AIF3L2QR2IE2AE2E2V E2QQBE2QQE2E2E2QE2G3 H3JI3E2E2BEJVE2QQE2P 2QE2E2K2J3E2E2QJAQE2 K2QQE2K2AE2E3K3E2D3E 2 E2E2D3QR2E2QQQE2E2E2 JN2E2QK2JE3JIE2QK2VQ E2JE2JQD3E2D3QI3AE2E 2E2R2E2AAAQAAAE2E3B2 E2F2E2AAE2R2E2N2L3VE 2JE3IJJQQE2BE2R2E3B2 EE2E2AE2E3AE2QBQS2E2 K3AAR2JS2BE2E2AE2I2G 3E2BE2QE2E2QE2E2JE2K 3QB2QJV2JE2QE2E2F2E2 QAE2QQD3E2JQQ VJG3AE2JE2BQE2QQQE3B 2AE2E2E2QQJE2M3AE3JE 2QBAQQQAQQBBS2E3JQE2 E3E2QE2AE2AM3N3O3VQE 2QQE3QBJAE2BR2E2QE2P 3B2QQ3 AE2L2QJS2E2AE2QQI3E2 E2E2AE2E2R3JE2QS3BE2 E2 QQT3E2E2QE2To my friend Ralph Waldo Emerson | A |
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He who could beard the lion in his lair | B |
To bind him for a girl and tame the boar | C |
And drive these beasts before his chariot | D |
Might wed Alcestis For her low brows' sake | E |
Her hairs' soft undulations of warm gold | F |
Her eyes clear color and pure virgin mouth | G |
Though many would draw bow or shiver spear | H |
Yet none dared meet the intolerable eye | I |
Or lipless tusk of lion or boar | C |
This heard Admetus King of Thessaly | J |
Whose broad fat pastures spread their ample fields | K |
Down to the sheer edge of Amphrysus' stream | L |
Who laughed disdainful at the father's pride | M |
That set such value on one milk faced child | N |
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One morning as he rode alone and passed | O |
Through the green twilight of Thessalian woods | P |
Between two pendulous branches interlocked | Q |
As through an open casement he descried | Q |
A goddess as he deemed in truth a maid | Q |
On a low bank she fondled tenderly | J |
A favorite hound her floral face inclined | Q |
above the glossy graceful animal | J |
That pressed his snout against her cheek and gazed | Q |
Wistfully with his keen sagacious eyes | R |
One arm with lax embrace the neck enwreathed | Q |
With polished roundness near the sleek gray skin | S |
Admetus fixed with wonder dare not pass | T |
Intrusive on her holy innocence | U |
And sacred girlhood but his fretful steed | Q |
Snuffed the air and champed and pawed the ground | Q |
And hearing this the maiden raised her head | Q |
No let or hindrance then might stop the king | V |
Once having looked upon those supreme eyes | R |
The drooping boughs disparting forth he sped | Q |
And then drew in his steed to ask the path | W |
Like a lost traveller in an alien land | Q |
Although each river cloven vale with streams | X |
Arrowy glancing to the blue Aegean | A |
Each hallowed mountain the abode of gods | Y |
Pelion and Ossa fringed with haunted groves | Z |
The height spring crowned of dedicate Olympus | A2 |
And pleasant sun fed vineyards were to him | B2 |
Familiar as his own face in the stream | L |
Nathless he paused and asked the maid what path | W |
Might lead him from the forest She replied | Q |
But still he tarried and with sportsman's praise | C2 |
Admired the hound and stooped to stroke its head | Q |
And asked her if she hunted Nay not she | J |
Her father Pelias hunted in these woods | P |
Where there was royal game He knew her now | D2 |
Alcestis and he left her with due thanks | E2 |
No goddess but a mortal to be won | A |
By such a simple feat as driving boars | E2 |
And lions to his chariot What was that | Q |
To him who saw the boar of Calydon | A |
The sacred boar of Artemis at bay | F2 |
In the broad stagnant marsh and sent his darts | E2 |
In its tough quivering flank and saw its death | G2 |
Stung by sure arrows of Arcadian nymph | H2 |
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To river pastures of his flocks and herds | E2 |
Admetus rode where sweet breathed cattle grazed | Q |
Heifers and goats and kids and foolish sheep | I2 |
Dotted cool spacious meadows with bent heads | E2 |
And necks' soft wool broken in yellow flakes | E2 |
Nibbling sharp toothed the rich thick growing blades | E2 |
One herdsman kept the innumerable droves | E2 |
A boy yet young as immortality | J |
In listless posture on a vine grown rock | J2 |
Around him huddled kids and sheep that left | Q |
The mother's udder for his nighest grass | E2 |
Which sprouted with fresh verdure where he sat | Q |
And yet dull neighboring rustics never guessed | Q |
A god had been among them till he went | Q |
Although with him they acted as he willed | Q |
Renouncing shepherds' silly pranks and quips | E2 |
Because his very presence made them grave | K2 |
Amphryssius after their translucent stream | L |
They called him but Admetus knew his name | L2 |
Hyperion god of sun and song and silver speech | M2 |
Condemned to serve a mortal for his sin | A |
To Zeus in sending violent darts of death | G2 |
A raising hand irreverent against | Q |
The one eyed forgers of the thunderbolt | Q |
For shepherd's crook he held the living rod | Q |
Of twisted serpents later Hermes' wand | Q |
Him sought the king discovering soon hard by | I |
Idle as one in nowise bound to time | N2 |
Watching the restless grasses blow and wave | K2 |
The sparkle of the sun upon the stream | L |
Regretting nothing living with the hour | O2 |
For him who had his light and song within | A |
Was naught that did not shine and all things sang | P2 |
Admetus prayed for his celestial aid | Q |
To win Alcestis which the god vouchsafed | Q |
Granting with smiles as grant all gods who smite | Q |
With stern hand sparing not for piteousness | E2 |
But give their gifts in gladness | E2 |
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Thus the king | V |
Led with loose rein the beasts as tame as kine | A |
And townsfolk thronged within the city streets | E2 |
As round a god and mothers showed their babes | E2 |
And maidens loved the crowned intrepid youth | Q2 |
And men aloud worship though the very god | Q |
Who wrought the wonder dwelled unnoted nigh | I |
Divinely scornful of neglect or praise | E2 |
Then Pelias seeing this would be his son | A |
As he had vowed called for his wife and child | Q |
With Anaxibia Alcestis came | L2 |
A warm flush spreading o'er her eager face | E2 |
In looking on the rider of the woods | E2 |
And knowing him her suitor and the king | V |
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Admetus won Alcestis thus to wife | R2 |
And these with mated hearts and mutual love | S2 |
Lived a life blameless beautiful the king | V |
Ordaining justice in the gates the queen | A |
With grateful offerings to the household gods | E2 |
Wise with the wisdom of the pure in heart | Q |
One child she bore Eumelus and he throve | T2 |
Yet none the less because they sacrificed | Q |
The firstlings of their flocks and fruits and flowers | E2 |
Did trouble come for sickness seized the king | V |
Alcestis watched with many handed love | S2 |
But unavailing service for he lay | F2 |
With languid limbs despite his ancient strength | U2 |
Of sinew and his skill with spear and sword | Q |
His mother came Clymene and with her | O2 |
His father Pheres his unconscious child | Q |
They brought him while forlorn Alcestis sat | Q |
Discouraged with the face of desolation | A |
The jealous gods would bind his mouth from speech | M2 |
And smite his vigorous frame with impotence | E2 |
And ruin with bitter ashes worms and dust | Q |
The beauty of his crowned exalted head | Q |
He knew her presence soon he would not know | A |
Nor feel her hand in his lie warm and close | E2 |
Nor care if she were near him any more | C |
Exhausted with long vigils thus the queen | A |
Held hard and grievous thoughts till heavy sleep | I2 |
Possessed her weary sense and she dreamed | Q |
And even in her dream her trouble lived | Q |
For she was praying in a barren field | Q |
To all the gods for help when came across | E2 |
The waste of air and land from distant skies | E2 |
A spiritual voice divinely clear | H |
Whose unimaginable sweetness thrilled | Q |
Her aching heart with tremor of strange joy | V2 |
Arise Alcestis cast away white fear | H |
A god dwells with you seek and you shall find | Q |
Then quiet satisfaction filled her soul | J |
Almost akin to gladness and she woke | W2 |
Weak as the dead Admetus lay there still | J |
But she superb with confidence arose | E2 |
And passed beyond the mourners' curious eyes | E2 |
Seeking Amphryssius in the meadow lands | E2 |
She found him with the godlike mien of one | A |
Who roused awakens unto deeds divine | A |
I come Hyperion with incessant tears | E2 |
To crave the life of my dear lord the king | V |
Pity me for I see the future years | E2 |
Widowed and laden with disastrous days | E2 |
And ye the gods will miss him when the fires | E2 |
Upon your shrines unfed neglected die | I |
Who will pour large libations in your names | E2 |
And sacrifice with generous piety | Q |
Silence and apathy will greet you there | B |
Where once a splendid spirit offered praise | E2 |
Grant me this boon divine and I will beat | Q |
With prayer at morning's gates before they ope | I2 |
Unto thy silver hoofed and flame eyed steeds | E2 |
Answer ere yet the irremeable stream | L |
Be crossed answer O god and save | K2 |
She ceased | Q |
With full throat salt with tears and looked on him | B2 |
And with a sudden cry of awe fell prone | A |
For lo he was transmuted to a god | Q |
The supreme aureole radiant round his brow | D2 |
Divine refulgences on his face his eyes | E2 |
Awful with splendor and his august head | Q |
With blinding brilliance crowned by vivid flame | L2 |
Then in a voice that charmed the listening air | B |
Woman arise I have no influence | E2 |
On Death who is the servant of the Fates | E2 |
Howbeit for thy passion and thy prayer | B |
The grace of thy fair womanhood and youth | Q2 |
Thus godlike will I intercede for thee | Q |
And sue the insatiate sisters for this life | R2 |
Yet hope not blindly loth are these to change | X2 |
Their purpose neither will they freely give | Y2 |
But haggling lend or sell perchance the price | E2 |
Will counterveil the boon Consider this | E2 |
Now rise and look upon me And she rose | E2 |
But by her stood no godhead bathed in light | Q |
But young Amphryssius herdsman to the king | V |
Benignly smiling | V |
Fleet as thought the god | Q |
Fled from the glittering earth to blackest depths | E2 |
Of Tartarus and none might say he sped | Q |
On wings ambrosial or with feet as swift | Q |
As scouring hail or airy chariot | Q |
Borne by the flame breathing steeds ethereal | J |
But with a motion inconceivable | J |
Departed and was there Before the throne | A |
Of Ades first he hailed the long sought queen | A |
Stolen with violent hands from grassy fields | E2 |
And delicate airs of sunlit Sicily | Q |
Pensive gold haired but innocent eyed no more | C |
As when she laughing plucked the daffodils | E2 |
But grave as on fulfilling a strange doom | Z2 |
And low at Ades' feet wrapped in grim murk | A3 |
And darkness thick the three gray women sat | Q |
Loose robed and chapleted with wool and flowers | E2 |
Purple narcissi round their horrid hair | B |
Intent upon her task the first one held | Q |
The tender thread that at a touch would snap | I2 |
The second weaving it with warp and woof | B3 |
Into strange textures some stained dark and foul | J |
Some sanguine colored and some black as night | Q |
And rare ones white or with a golden thread | Q |
Running throughout the web the farthest hag | C3 |
With glistening scissors cut her sisters' work | A3 |
To these Hyperion but they never ceased | Q |
Nor raised their eyes till with soft moderate tones | E2 |
But by their powerful persuasiveness | E2 |
Commanding all to listen and obey | F2 |
He spoke and all hell heard and these three looked | Q |
And waited his request | Q |
I come a god | Q |
At pure mortal queen's request who sues | E2 |
For life renewed unto her dying lord | Q |
Admetus and I also pray this prayer | B |
Then cease for when hath Fate been moved by prayer | B |
But strength and upright heart should serve with you | D3 |
I ask ye not forever to forbear | B |
But spare a while a moment unto us | E2 |
A lifetime unto men The Fates swerve not | Q |
For supplications like the pliant gods | E2 |
Have they not willed a life's thread should be cut | Q |
With them the will is changeless as the deed | Q |
O men ye have not learned in all the past | Q |
Desires are barren and tears yield no fruit | Q |
How long will ye besiege the thrones of gods | E2 |
With lamentations When lagged Death for all | J |
Your timorous shirking We work not like you | D3 |
Delaying and relenting purposeless | E2 |
With unenduring issues but our deeds | E2 |
Forever interchained and interlocked | Q |
Complete each other and explain themselves | E2 |
Ye will a life then why not any life | R2 |
What care we for the king He is not worth | E3 |
These many words indeed we love not speech | M2 |
We care not if he live or lose such life | R2 |
As men are greedy for filled full with hate | Q |
Sins beneath scorn and only lit by dreams | E2 |
Or one sane moment or a useless hope | I2 |
Lasting how long the space between the green | A |
And fading yellow of the grass they tread | Q |
But he withdrawing not Will any life | R2 |
Suffice ye for Admetus Yea the crones | E2 |
Three times repeated We know no such names | E2 |
As king or queen or slave we want but life | R2 |
Begone and vex us in our work no more | B |
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With broken blessings inarticulate joy | V2 |
And tears Alcestis thanked Hyperion | A |
And worshipped Then he gently Who will die | I |
So that the king may live And she You ask | F3 |
Nay who will live when life clasps hands with shame | L2 |
And death with honor Lo you are a god | Q |
You cannot know the highest joy of life | R2 |
To leave it when 't is worthier to die | I |
His parents kinsmen courtiers subjects slaves | E2 |
For love of him myself would die were none | A |
Found ready but what Greek would stand to see | E2 |
A woman glorified and falter Once | E2 |
And only once the gods will do this thing | V |
In all the ages such a man themselves | E2 |
Delight to honor holy temperate chaste | Q |
With reverence for his daemon and his god | Q |
Thus she triumphant to they very door | B |
Of King Admetus' chamber All there saw | E2 |
Her ill timed gladness with much wonderment | Q |
But she No longer mourn The king is saved | Q |
The Fates will spare him Lift your voice in praise | E2 |
Sing paeans to Apollo crown your brows | E2 |
With laurel offer thankful sacrifice | E2 |
O Queen what mean these foolish words misplaced | Q |
And what an hour is this to thank the Fates | E2 |
Thrice blessed be the gods for God himself | G3 |
Has sued for me they are not stern and deaf | H3 |
Cry and they answer commune with your soul | J |
And they send counsel weep with rainy grief | I3 |
And these will sweeten you your bitterest tears | E2 |
On one condition King Admetus lives | E2 |
And ye on hearing will lament no more | B |
Each emulous to save Then for she spake | E |
Assured as having heard an oracle | J |
They asked What deed of ours may serve the king | V |
The Fates accept another life for his | E2 |
And one of you may die Smiling she ceased | Q |
But silence answered her What do ye thrust | Q |
Your arrows in your hearts beneath your cloaks | E2 |
Dying like Greeks too proud to own the pang | P2 |
This ask I not In all the populous land | Q |
But one need suffer for immortal praise | E2 |
The generous Fates have sent no pestilence | E2 |
Famine nor war it is as though they gave | K2 |
Freely and only make the boon more rich | J3 |
By such slight payment Now a people mourns | E2 |
And ye may change the grief to jubilee | E2 |
Filling the cities with a pleasant sound | Q |
But as for me what faltering words can tell | J |
My joy in extreme sharpness kin to pain | A |
A monument you have within my heart | Q |
Wreathed with kind love and dear remembrances | E2 |
And I will pray for you before I crave | K2 |
Pardon and pity for myself from God | Q |
Your name will be the highest in the land | Q |
Oftenest fondest on my grateful lips | E2 |
After the name of him you die to save | K2 |
What silent still Since when has virtue grown | A |
Less beautiful than indolence and ease | E2 |
Is death more terrible more hateworthy | E3 |
More bitter than dishonor Will ye live | K3 |
On shame Chew and find sweet its poisoned fruits | E2 |
What sons will ye bring forth mean souled like you | D3 |
Or like your parents brave to blush like girls | E2 |
And say 'Our fathers were afraid to die ' | - |
Ye will not dare to raise heroic eyes | E2 |
Unto the eyes of aliens In the streets | E2 |
Will women and young children point at you | D3 |
Scornfully and the sun will find you shamed | Q |
And night refuse to shield you What a life | R2 |
Is this ye spin and fashion for yourselves | E2 |
And what new tortures of suspense and doubt | Q |
Will death invent for such as are afraid | Q |
Acastus thou my brother in the field | Q |
Foremost who greeted me with sanguine hands | E2 |
From ruddy battle with a conqueror's face | E2 |
These honors wilt thou blot with infamy | E2 |
Nay thou hast won no honors a mere girl | J |
Would do as much as thou at such a time | N2 |
In clamorous battle 'midst tumultuous sounds | E2 |
Neighing of war steeds shouts of sharp command | Q |
Snapping of shivered spears for all are brave | K2 |
When all men look to them expectantly | J |
But he is truly brave who faces death | E3 |
Within his chamber at a sudden call | J |
At night when no man sees content to die | I |
When life can serve no longer those he loves | E2 |
Then thus Acastus Sister I fear not | Q |
Death nor the empty darkness of the grave | K2 |
And hold my life but as a little thing | V |
Subject unto my people's call and Fate | Q |
But if 't is little no greater is the king's | E2 |
And though my heart bleeds sorely I recall | J |
Astydamia who thus would mourn for me | E2 |
We are not cowards we youth of Thessaly | J |
And Thessaly yea all Greece knoweth it | Q |
Nor will we brook the name from even you | D3 |
Albeit a queen and uttering these wild words | E2 |
Through your umwonted sorrow Then she knew | D3 |
That he stood firm and turning from him cried | Q |
To the king's parents Are ye deaf with grief | I3 |
Pheres Clymene Ye can save your son | A |
Yet rather stand and weep with barren tears | E2 |
O shame to think that such gray reverend hairs | E2 |
Should cover such unvenerable heads | E2 |
What would ye lose a remnant of mere life | R2 |
A few slight raveled threads and give him years | E2 |
To fill with glory Who when he is gone | A |
Will call you gentlest names this side of heaven | A |
Father and mother Knew ye not this man | A |
Ere he was royal a poor helpless child | Q |
Crownless and kingdomless One birth alone | A |
Sufficeth not Clymene once again | A |
You must give life with travail and strong pain | A |
Has he not lived to outstrip your swift hopes | E2 |
What mother can refuse a second birth | E3 |
To such a son But ye denying him | B2 |
What after offering may appease the gods | E2 |
What joy outweigh the grief of this one day | F2 |
What clamor drown the hours' myriad tongues | E2 |
Crying 'Your son your son where is your son | A |
Unnatural mother timid foolish man | A |
Then Pheres gravely These are graceless words | E2 |
From you our daughter Life is always life | R2 |
And death comes soon enough to such as we | E2 |
We twain are old and weak have served our time | N2 |
And made our sacrifices Let the young | L3 |
Arise now in their turn and save the king | V |
O gods look on your creatures do ye see | E2 |
And seeing have ye patience Smite them all | J |
Unsparing with dishonorable death | E3 |
Vile slaves a woman teaches you to die | I |
Intrepid with exalted steadfast soul | J |
Scorn in my heart and love unutterable | J |
I yield the Fates my life and like a god | Q |
Command them to revere that sacred head | Q |
Thus kiss I thrice the dear blind holy eyes | E2 |
And bid them see and thrice I kiss this brow | B |
And thus unfasten I the pale proud lips | E2 |
With fruitful kissings bringing love and life | R2 |
And without fear or any pang I breathe | E3 |
My soul in him | B2 |
Alcestis I awake | E |
I hear I hear unspeak thy reckless words | E2 |
For lo thy life blood tingles in my veins | E2 |
And streameth through my body like new wine | A |
Behold thy spirit dedicate revives | E2 |
My pulse and through thy sacrifice I breathe | E3 |
Thy lips are bloodless kiss me not again | A |
Ashen thy cheeks faded thy flower like hands | E2 |
O woman perfect in thy womanhood | Q |
And in thy wifehood I adjure thee now | B |
As mother by the love thou bearest our child | Q |
In this thy hour of passion and of love | S2 |
Of sacrifice and sorrow to unsay | E2 |
Thy words sublime I die that thou mayest live | K3 |
And deemest thou that I accept the boon | A |
Craven like these my subjects Lo my queen | A |
Is life itself a lovely thing bare life | R2 |
And empty breath a thing desirable | J |
Or is it rather happiness and love | S2 |
That make it precious to its inmost core | B |
When these are lost are there not swords in Greece | E2 |
And flame and poison deadly waves and plagues | E2 |
No man has ever lacked these things and gone | A |
Unsatisfied It is not these the gods refuse | E2 |
Nay never clutch my sleeve and raise thy lip | I2 |
Not these I seek but I will stab myself | G3 |
Poison my life and burn my flesh with words | E2 |
And save or follow thee Lo hearken now | B |
I bid the gods take back their loathsome gifts | E2 |
O spurn them and I scorn them and I hate | Q |
Will they prove deaf to this as to my prayers | E2 |
With tongue reviling blasphemous I curse | E2 |
With mouth polluted from deliberate heart | Q |
Dishonored be their names scorned be their priests | E2 |
Ruined their altars mocked their oracles | E2 |
It is Admetus King of Thessaly | J |
Defaming thus annihilate him gods | E2 |
So that his queen who worships you may live | K3 |
He paused as one expectant but no bolt | Q |
From the insulted heavens answered him | B2 |
But awful silence followed Then a hand | Q |
A boyish hand upon his shoulder fell | J |
And turning he beheld his shepherd boy | V2 |
Not wrathful but divinely pitiful | J |
Who spake in tender thrilling tones The gods | E2 |
Cannot recall their gifts Blaspheme them not | Q |
Bow down and worship rather Shall he curse | E2 |
Who sees not and who hears not neither knows | E2 |
Nor understands Nay thou shalt bless and pray | F2 |
Pray for the pure heart purged by prayer divines | E2 |
And seeth when the bolder eyes are blind | Q |
Worship and wonder these befit a man | A |
At every hour and mayhap will the gods | E2 |
Yet work a miracle for knees that bend | Q |
And hands that supplicate | Q |
Then all they knew | D3 |
A sudden sense of awe and bowed their heads | E2 |
Beneath the stripling's gaze Admetus fell | J |
Crushed by that gentle touch and cried aloud | Q |
Pardon and pity I am hard beset | Q |
- | |
- | |
There waited at the doorway of the king | V |
One grim and ghastly shadowy horrible | J |
Bearing the likeness of a king himself | G3 |
Erect as one who serveth not upon | A |
His head a crown within his fleshless hands | E2 |
A sceptre monstrous winged intolerable | J |
To him a stranger coming 'neath the trees | E2 |
Which slid down flakes of light now on his hair | B |
Close curled now on his bared and brawny chest | Q |
Now on his flexile vine like veined limbs | E2 |
With iron network of strong muscle thewed | Q |
And godlike brows and proud mouth unrelaxed | Q |
Firm was his step no superfluity | Q |
Of indolent flesh impeded this man's strength | E3 |
Slender and supple every perfect limb | B2 |
Beautiful with the glory of a man | A |
No weapons bare he neither shield his hands | E2 |
Folded upon his breast his movements free | E2 |
Of all incumbrance When his mighty strides | E2 |
Had brought him nigh the waiting one he paused | Q |
Whose palace this and who art thou grim shade | Q |
The palace of the King of Thessaly | J |
And my name is not strange unto thine ears | E2 |
For who hath told men that I wait for them | M3 |
The one sure thing on earth Yet all they know | A |
Unasking and yet answered I am Death | E3 |
The only secret that the gods reveal | J |
But who are thou who darest question me | E2 |
Alcides and that thing I dare not do | Q |
Hath found no name Whom here awaitest thou | B |
Alcestis Queen of Thessaly a queen | A |
Who wooed me as the bridegroom woos the bride | Q |
For her life sacrificed will save her lord | Q |
Admetus as the Fates decreed I wait | Q |
Impatient eager and I enter soon | A |
With darkening wing invisible a god | Q |
And kiss her lips and kiss her throbbing heart | Q |
And then the tenderest hands can do no more | B |
Than close her eyes and wipe her cold white brow | B |
Inurn her ashes and strew flowers above | S2 |
This woman is a god a hero Death | E3 |
In this her sacrifice I see a soul | J |
Luminous starry earth can spare her not | Q |
It is not rich enough in purity | E2 |
To lose this paragon Save her O Death | E3 |
Thou surely art more gentle than the Fates | E2 |
Yet these have spared her lord and never meant | Q |
That she should suffer and that this their grace | E2 |
Beautiful royal on one side should turn | A |
Sudden and show a fearful fatal face | E2 |
Nay have they not O fond and foolish man | A |
Naught comes unlooked for unforeseen by them | M3 |
Doubt when they favor thee though thou mayest laugh | N3 |
When they have scourged thee with an iron scourge | O3 |
Behold their smile is deadlier than their sting | V |
And every boon of theirs is double faced | Q |
Yea I am gentler unto ye than these | E2 |
I slay relentless but when have I mocked | Q |
With poisoned gifts and generous hands that smite | Q |
Under the flowers for my name is Truth | E3 |
Were this fair queen more fair more pure more chaste | Q |
I would not spare her for your wildest prayer | B |
Nor her best virtue Is the earth's mouth full | J |
Is the grave satisfied Discrown me then | A |
For life is lord and men may mock the gods | E2 |
With immortality I sue no more | B |
But I command thee spare this woman's life | R2 |
Or wrestle with Alcides Wrestle with thee | E2 |
Thou puny boy And Death laughed loud and swelled | Q |
To monstrous bulk fierce eyed with outstretched wings | E2 |
And lightnings round his brow but grave and firm | P3 |
Strong as a tower Alcides waited him | B2 |
And these began to wrestle and a cloud | Q |
Impenetrable fell and all was dark | Q3 |
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Farewell Admetus and my little son | A |
Eumelus O these clinging baby hands | E2 |
Thy loss is bitter for no chance no fame | L2 |
No wealth of love can ever compensate | Q |
for a dead mother Thou O king fulfill | J |
The double duty love him with my love | S2 |
And make him bold to wrestle shiver spears | E2 |
Noble and manly Grecian to the bone | A |
And tell him that his mother spake with gods | E2 |
Farewell farewell Mine eyes are growing blind | Q |
The darkness gathers O my heart my heart | Q |
No sound made answer save the cries of grief | I3 |
From all the mourners and the suppliance | E2 |
Of strick'n Admetus O have mercy gods | E2 |
O gods have mercy mercy upon us | E2 |
Then from the dying woman's couch again | A |
Her voice was heard but with strange sudden tones | E2 |
Lo I awake the light comes back to me | E2 |
What miracle is this And thunders shook | R3 |
The air and clouds of mighty darkness fell | J |
And the earth trembled and weird horrid sounds | E2 |
Were heard of rushing wings and fleeing feet | Q |
And groans and all were silent dumb with awe | S3 |
Saving the king who paused not in his prayer | B |
Have mercy gods and then again O gods | E2 |
Have mercy | E2 |
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Through the open casement poured | Q |
Bright floods of sunny light the air was soft | Q |
Clear delicate as though a summer storm | T3 |
Had passed away and those there standing saw | E2 |
Afar upon the plain Death fleeing thence | E2 |
And at the doorway weary well nigh spent | Q |
Alcides flushed with victory | E2 |
Emma Lazarus
(1)
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