Admetus: To My Friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHBIJKLM NOPPPIPIPQ PRSTPPPUQPVPWXYZA2B2 KVPC2PIOD2E2F2E2PF2G 2E2H2I2 E2PJ2E2E2E2E2IK2PE2P PPPE2L2KM2N2F2H2PPPP HO2L2KP2F2Q2PPPE2E2 UF2E2E2R2PHE2F2PM2E2 E2U S2T2UF2E2PU2PE2UT2G2 V2PP2PPF2N2E2PPF2E2B F2J2PPPE2E2GPW2G IX2IE2E2E2F2F2E2UE2E 2E2HE2PAE2PJ2E2K PB2F2PD2E2PM2AI

He who could beard the lion in his lairA
To bind him for a girl and tame the boarB
And drive these beasts before his chariotC
Might wed Alcestis For her low brows' sakeD
Her hairs' soft undulations of warm goldE
Her eyes' clear color and pure virgin mouthF
Though many would draw bow or shiver spearG
Yet none dared meet the intolerable eyeH
Or lipless tusk of lion or of boarB
This heard Admetus King of ThessalyI
Whose broad fat pastures spread their ample fieldsJ
Down to the sheer edge of Amphrysus' streamK
Who laughed disdainful at the father's prideL
That set such value on one milk faced childM
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One morning as he rode alone and passedN
Through the green twilight of Thessalian woodsO
Between two pendulous branches interlockedP
As through an open casement he descriedP
A goddess as he deemed in truth a maidP
On a low bank she fondled tenderlyI
A favorite hound her floral face inclinedP
Above the glossy graceful animalI
That pressed his snout against her cheek and gazedP
Wistfully with his keen sagacious eyesQ
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One arm with lax embrace the neck enwreathedP
With polished roundness near the sleek gray skinR
Admetus fixed with wonder dared not passS
Intrusive on her holy innocenceT
And sacred girlhood but his fretful steedP
Snuffed the large air and champed and pawed the groundP
And hearing this the maiden raised her headP
No let or hindrance then might stop the kingU
Once having looked upon those supreme eyesQ
The drooping boughs disparting forth he spedP
And then drew in his steed to ask the pathV
Like a lost traveller in an alien landP
Although each river cloven vale with streamsW
Arrowy glancing to the blue geanX
Each hallowed mountain the abode of godsY
Pelion and Ossa fringed with haunted grovesZ
The height spring crowned of dedicate OlympusA2
And pleasant sun fed vineyards were to himB2
Familiar as his own face in the streamK
Nathless he paused and asked the maid what pathV
Might lead him from the forest She repliedP
But still he tarried and with sportsman's praiseC2
Admired the hound and stooped to stroke its headP
And asked her if she hunted Nay not sheI
Her father Pelias hunted in these woodsO
Where there was royal game He knew her nowD2
Alcestis and her left her with due thanksE2
No goddess but a mortal to be wonF2
By such a simple feat as driving boarsE2
And lions to his chariot What was thatP
To him who saw the boar of CalydonF2
The sacred boar of Artemis at bayG2
In the broad stagnant marsh and sent his dartsE2
In its tough quivering flank and saw its deathH2
Stung by sure arrows of Arcadian nymphI2
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To river pastures of his flocks and herdsE2
Admetus rode where sweet breathed cattle grazedP
Heifers and goats and kids and foolish sheepJ2
Dotted cool spacious meadows with bent headsE2
And necks' soft wool broken in yellow flakesE2
Nibbling sharp toothed the rich thick growing bladesE2
One herdsmen kept the innumerable drovesE2
A boy yet young as immortalityI
In listless posture on a vine grown rockK2
Around him huddled kids and sheep that leftP
The mother's udder for his nighest grassE2
Which sprouted with fresh verdure where he satP
And yet dull neighboring rustics never guessedP
A god had been among them till he wentP
Although with him they acted as he willedP
Renouncing shepherds' silly pranks and quipsE2
Because his very presence made them graveL2
Amphryssius after their translucent streamK
They called him but Admetus knew his nameM2
Hyperion god of sun and song and silver speechN2
Condemned to serve a mortal for his sinF2
To Zeus in sending violent darts of deathH2
And raising hand irreverent againstP
The one eyed forgers of the thunderboltP
For shepherd's crook he held the living rodP
Of twisted serpents later Hermes' wandP
Him sought the king discovering soon hard byH
Idle as one in nowise bound to timeO2
Watching the restless grasses blow and waveL2
The sparkle of the sun upon the streamK
Regretting nothing living with the hourP2
For him who had his light and song withinF2
Was naught that did not shine and all things sangQ2
Admetus prayed for his celestial aidP
To win Alcestis which the god vouchsafedP
Granting with smiles as grant all gods who smiteP
With stern hand sparing not for piteousnessE2
But give their gifts in gladnessE2
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Thus the kingU
Led with loose rein the beasts as tame as kineF2
And townsfolk thronged within the city streetsE2
As round a god and mothers showed their babesE2
And maidens loved the crowned intrepid youthR2
And men would worship though the very godP
Who wrought the wonder dwelled unnoted nighH
Divinely scornful of neglect or praiseE2
Then Pelias seeing this would be his sonF2
As he had vowed called for his wife and childP
With Anaxibia Alcestis cameM2
A warm flush spreading o'er her eager faceE2
In looking on the rider of the woodsE2
And knowing him her suitor and the kingU
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Admetus won Alcestis thus to wifeS2
And these with mated hearts and mutual loveT2
Lived a life blameless beautiful the kingU
Ordaining justice in the gates the queenF2
With grateful offerings to the household godsE2
Wise with the wisdom of the pure in heartP
One child she bore Eumelus and he throveU2
Yet none the less because they sacrificedP
The firstlings of their flocks and fruits and flowersE2
Did trouble come for sickness seized the kingU
Alcestis watched with many handed loveT2
But unavailing service for he layG2
With languid limbs despite his ancient strengthV2
Of sinew and his skill with spear and swordP
His mother came Clymene and with herP2
His father Pheres his unconscious childP
They brought him while forlorn Alcestis satP
Discouraged with the face of desolationF2
The jealous gods would bind his mouth from speechN2
And smite his vigorous frame with impotenceE2
And ruin with bitter ashes worms and dustP
The beauty of his crowned exalted headP
He knew her presence soon he would not knowF2
Nor feel her hand in his lie warm and closeE2
Nor care if she were near him any moreB
Exhausted with long vigils thus the queenF2
Held hard and grievous thoughts till heavy sleepJ2
Possessed her weary senses and she dreamedP
And even in her dream her trouble livedP
For she was praying in a barren fieldP
To all the gods for help when came acrossE2
The waste of air and land from distant skiesE2
A spiritual voice divinely clearG
Whose unimaginable sweetness thrilledP
Her aching heart with tremor of strange joyW2
'Arise Alcestis cast away white fearG
A god dwells with you seek and you shall find '-
Then quiet satisfaction filled her soulI
Almost akin to gladness and she wokeX2
Weak as the dead Admetus lay there stillI
But she superb with confidence aroseE2
And passed beyond the mourners' curious eyesE2
Seeking Amphryssius in the meadow landsE2
She found him with the godlike mien of oneF2
Who roused awakens unto deeds divineF2
'I come Hyperion with incessant tearsE2
To crave the life of my dear lord the kingU
Pity me for I see the future yearsE2
Widowed and laden with disastrous daysE2
And ye the gods will miss him when the firesE2
Upon your shrines unfed neglected dieH
Who will pour large libations in your namesE2
And sacrifice with generous pietyP
Silence and apathy will greet you thereA
Where once a splendid spirit offered praiseE2
Grant me this boon divine and I will beatP
With prayer at morning's gates before they opeJ2
Unto thy silver hoofed and flame eyed steedsE2
Answer ere yet the irremeable streamK
Be crossed answer O god and save '-
She ceasedP
With full throat salt with tears and looked on himB2
And with a sudden cry of awe fell proneF2
For lo he was transmuted to a godP
The supreme aureole radiant round his browD2
Divine refulgence on his face his eyesE2
Awful with splendor and his august headP
With blinding brilliance crowned by vivid flameM2
Then in a voice that charmed the listening airA
'Woman arise I have no influI

Emma Lazarus



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