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

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 29 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

A Simple Gift Of Clarity
by Michael Mcguire
Ring Of Fire
by N. Khanyile
A Disturbing Dream
by Marlon Pitter
Crab Lice
by Marlon Pitter
Biography Of The Anonymous
by Gilbert Sordebabari
Lost In Search Of A Saved Child
by Michael Mcguire
Dark Lens
by Gilbert Sordebabari
The Ship
by Pieter Sanders
Rose Bush
by Aubrie J Chellman
Between Condemning Bad Acts And Doing Bad Things, Which One Is Worse?
by Marlon Pitter

Popular Poets

1. Emily Dickinson(2415 poems)
2. Madison Julius Cawein(1231 poems)
3. Ella Wheeler Wilcox(1136 poems)
4. William Wordsworth(1016 poems)
5. Robert Burns(986 poems)
6. Edgar Albert Guest(945 poems)
7. Thomas Moore(849 poems)
8. Robert Service(831 poems)

He who could beard the lion in his lair	A
To bind him for a girl and tame the boar	B
And drive these beasts before his chariot	C
Might wed Alcestis For her low brows' sake	D
Her hairs' soft undulations of warm gold	E
Her eyes' clear color and pure virgin mouth	F
Though many would draw bow or shiver spear	G
Yet none dared meet the intolerable eye	H
Or lipless tusk of lion or of boar	B
This heard Admetus King of Thessaly	I
Whose broad fat pastures spread their ample fields	J
Down to the sheer edge of Amphrysus' stream	K
Who laughed disdainful at the father's pride	L
That set such value on one milk faced child	M
	-
	-
One morning as he rode alone and passed	N
Through the green twilight of Thessalian woods	O
Between two pendulous branches interlocked	P
As through an open casement he descried	P
A goddess as he deemed in truth a maid	P
On a low bank she fondled tenderly	I
A favorite hound her floral face inclined	P
Above the glossy graceful animal	I
That pressed his snout against her cheek and gazed	P
Wistfully with his keen sagacious eyes	Q
	-
	-
One arm with lax embrace the neck enwreathed	P
With polished roundness near the sleek gray skin	R
Admetus fixed with wonder dared not pass	S
Intrusive on her holy innocence	T
And sacred girlhood but his fretful steed	P
Snuffed the large air and champed and pawed the ground	P
And hearing this the maiden raised her head	P
No let or hindrance then might stop the king	U
Once having looked upon those supreme eyes	Q
The drooping boughs disparting forth he sped	P
And then drew in his steed to ask the path	V
Like a lost traveller in an alien land	P
Although each river cloven vale with streams	W
Arrowy glancing to the blue gean	X
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	K
Nathless he paused and asked the maid what path	V
Might lead him from the forest She replied	P
But still he tarried and with sportsman's praise	C2
Admired the hound and stooped to stroke its head	P
And asked her if she hunted Nay not she	I
Her father Pelias hunted in these woods	O
Where there was royal game He knew her now	D2
Alcestis and her left her with due thanks	E2
No goddess but a mortal to be won	F2
By such a simple feat as driving boars	E2
And lions to his chariot What was that	P
To him who saw the boar of Calydon	F2
The sacred boar of Artemis at bay	G2
In the broad stagnant marsh and sent his darts	E2
In its tough quivering flank and saw its death	H2
Stung by sure arrows of Arcadian nymph	I2
	-
	-
To river pastures of his flocks and herds	E2
Admetus rode where sweet breathed cattle grazed	P
Heifers and goats and kids and foolish sheep	J2
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 herdsmen kept the innumerable droves	E2
A boy yet young as immortality	I
In listless posture on a vine grown rock	K2
Around him huddled kids and sheep that left	P
The mother's udder for his nighest grass	E2
Which sprouted with fresh verdure where he sat	P
And yet dull neighboring rustics never guessed	P
A god had been among them till he went	P
Although with him they acted as he willed	P
Renouncing shepherds' silly pranks and quips	E2
Because his very presence made them grave	L2
Amphryssius after their translucent stream	K
They called him but Admetus knew his name	M2
Hyperion god of sun and song and silver speech	N2
Condemned to serve a mortal for his sin	F2
To Zeus in sending violent darts of death	H2
And raising hand irreverent against	P
The one eyed forgers of the thunderbolt	P
For shepherd's crook he held the living rod	P
Of twisted serpents later Hermes' wand	P
Him sought the king discovering soon hard by	H
Idle as one in nowise bound to time	O2
Watching the restless grasses blow and wave	L2
The sparkle of the sun upon the stream	K
Regretting nothing living with the hour	P2
For him who had his light and song within	F2
Was naught that did not shine and all things sang	Q2
Admetus prayed for his celestial aid	P
To win Alcestis which the god vouchsafed	P
Granting with smiles as grant all gods who smite	P
With stern hand sparing not for piteousness	E2
But give their gifts in gladness	E2
	-
	-
Thus the king	U
Led with loose rein the beasts as tame as kine	F2
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	R2
And men would worship though the very god	P
Who wrought the wonder dwelled unnoted nigh	H
Divinely scornful of neglect or praise	E2
Then Pelias seeing this would be his son	F2
As he had vowed called for his wife and child	P
With Anaxibia Alcestis came	M2
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	U
	-
	-
Admetus won Alcestis thus to wife	S2
And these with mated hearts and mutual love	T2
Lived a life blameless beautiful the king	U
Ordaining justice in the gates the queen	F2
With grateful offerings to the household gods	E2
Wise with the wisdom of the pure in heart	P
One child she bore Eumelus and he throve	U2
Yet none the less because they sacrificed	P
The firstlings of their flocks and fruits and flowers	E2
Did trouble come for sickness seized the king	U
Alcestis watched with many handed love	T2
But unavailing service for he lay	G2
With languid limbs despite his ancient strength	V2
Of sinew and his skill with spear and sword	P
His mother came Clymene and with her	P2
His father Pheres his unconscious child	P
They brought him while forlorn Alcestis sat	P
Discouraged with the face of desolation	F2
The jealous gods would bind his mouth from speech	N2
And smite his vigorous frame with impotence	E2
And ruin with bitter ashes worms and dust	P
The beauty of his crowned exalted head	P
He knew her presence soon he would not know	F2
Nor feel her hand in his lie warm and close	E2
Nor care if she were near him any more	B
Exhausted with long vigils thus the queen	F2
Held hard and grievous thoughts till heavy sleep	J2
Possessed her weary senses and she dreamed	P
And even in her dream her trouble lived	P
For she was praying in a barren field	P
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	G
Whose unimaginable sweetness thrilled	P
Her aching heart with tremor of strange joy	W2
'Arise Alcestis cast away white fear	G
A god dwells with you seek and you shall find '	-
Then quiet satisfaction filled her soul	I
Almost akin to gladness and she woke	X2
Weak as the dead Admetus lay there still	I
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	F2
Who roused awakens unto deeds divine	F2
'I come Hyperion with incessant tears	E2
To crave the life of my dear lord the king	U
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	H
Who will pour large libations in your names	E2
And sacrifice with generous piety	P
Silence and apathy will greet you there	A
Where once a splendid spirit offered praise	E2
Grant me this boon divine and I will beat	P
With prayer at morning's gates before they ope	J2
Unto thy silver hoofed and flame eyed steeds	E2
Answer ere yet the irremeable stream	K
Be crossed answer O god and save '	-
She ceased	P
With full throat salt with tears and looked on him	B2
And with a sudden cry of awe fell prone	F2
For lo he was transmuted to a god	P
The supreme aureole radiant round his brow	D2
Divine refulgence on his face his eyes	E2
Awful with splendor and his august head	P
With blinding brilliance crowned by vivid flame	M2
Then in a voice that charmed the listening air	A
'Woman arise I have no influ	I

Emma Lazarus

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

About Admetus: To My Friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write your comment about Admetus: To My Friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson poem by Emma Lazarus

Recent Interactions*

New Poems

Popular Poets