The Seafarer Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHHIHHJKHALKIM MNAHAMKOPHAJAAQAHRPH HSMTUHVMWMHXUUMHYJZH HKMKAOHJPAHKMHHPLMA2 HKSB2C2AHHSJSJHJD2AJ KHHWHMay I for my own self song's truth reckon | A |
Journey's jargon how I in harsh days | B |
Hardship endured oft | C |
Bitter breast cares have I abided | D |
Known on my keel many a care's hold | E |
And dire sea surge and there I oft spent | F |
Narrow nightwatch nigh the ship's head | G |
While she tossed close to cliffs Coldly afflicted | H |
My feet were by frost benumbed | H |
Chill its chains are chafing sighs | I |
Hew my heart round and hunger begot | H |
Mere weary mood Lest man know not | H |
That he on dry land loveliest liveth | J |
List how I care wretched on ice cold sea | K |
Weathered the winter wretched outcast | H |
Deprived of my kinsmen | A |
Hung with hard ice flakes where hail scur flew | L |
There I heard naught save the harsh sea | K |
And ice cold wave at whiles the swan cries | I |
Did for my games the gannet's clamour | M |
Sea fowls loudness was for me laughter | M |
The mews' singing all my mead drink | N |
Storms on the stone cliffs beaten fell on the stern | A |
In icy feathers full oft the eagle screamed | H |
With spray on his pinion | A |
Not any protector | M |
May make merry man faring needy | K |
This he little believes who aye in winsome life | O |
Abides 'mid burghers some heavy business | P |
Wealthy and wine flushed how I weary oft | H |
Must bide above brine | A |
Neareth nightshade snoweth from north | J |
Frost froze the land hail fell on earth then | A |
Corn of the coldest Nathless there knocketh now | A |
The heart's thought that I on high streams | Q |
The salt wavy tumult traverse alone | A |
Moaneth alway my mind's lust | H |
That I fare forth that I afar hence | R |
Seek out a foreign fastness | P |
For this there's no mood lofty man over earth's midst | H |
Not though he be given his good but will have in his youth greed | H |
Nor his deed to the daring nor his king to the faithful | S |
But shall have his sorrow for sea fare | M |
Whatever his lord will | T |
He hath not heart for harping nor in ring having | U |
Nor winsomeness to wife nor world's delight | H |
Nor any whit else save the wave's slash | V |
Yet longing comes upon him to fare forth on the water | M |
Bosque taketh blossom cometh beauty of berries | W |
Fields to fairness land fares brisker | M |
All this admonisheth man eager of mood | H |
The heart turns to travel so that he then thinks | X |
On flood ways to be far departing | U |
Cuckoo calleth with gloomy crying | U |
He singeth summerward bodeth sorrow | M |
The bitter heart's blood Burgher knows not | H |
He the prosperous man what some perform | Y |
Where wandering them widest draweth | J |
So that but now my heart burst from my breast lock | Z |
My mood 'mid the mere flood | H |
Over the whale's acre would wander wide | H |
On earth's shelter cometh oft to me | K |
Eager and ready the crying lone flyer | M |
Whets for the whale path the heart irresistibly | K |
O'er tracks of ocean seeing that anyhow | A |
My lord deems to me this dead life | O |
On loan and on land I believe not | H |
That any earth weal eternal standeth | J |
Save there be somewhat calamitous | P |
That ere a man's tide go turn it to twain | A |
Disease or oldness or sword hate | H |
Beats out the breath from doom gripped body | K |
And for this every earl whatever for those speaking after | M |
Laud of the living boasteth some last word | H |
That he will work ere he pass onward | H |
Frame on the fair earth 'gainst foes his malice | P |
Daring ado | L |
So that all men shall honour him after | M |
And his laud beyond them remain 'mid the English | A2 |
Aye for ever a lasting life's blast | H |
Delight mid the doughty | K |
Days little durable | S |
And all arrogance of earthen riches | B2 |
There come now no kings nor C sars | C2 |
Nor gold giving lords like those gone | A |
Howe'er in mirth most magnified | H |
Whoe'er lived in life most lordliest | H |
Drear all this excellence delights undurable | S |
Waneth the watch but the world holdeth | J |
Tomb hideth trouble The blade is layed low | S |
Earthly glory ageth and seareth | J |
No man at all going the earth's gait | H |
But age fares against him his face paleth | J |
Grey haired he groaneth knows gone companions | D2 |
Lordly men are to earth o'ergiven | A |
Nor may he then the flesh cover whose life ceaseth | J |
Nor eat the sweet nor feel the sorry | K |
Nor stir hand nor think in mid heart | H |
And though he strew the grave with gold | H |
His born brothers their buried bodies | W |
Be an unlikely treasure hoard | H |
Ezra Pound
(1)
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