Edith: A Tale Of The Woods Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AB CDEDFAFA AAAAAAGAGAHIJKJKALAL AAMNMNFFOOPPQRSRAATT UVUVAWWAAXYXYZZA2A2A AAAB2B2AC2AC2FFD2D2Q QAB2AAAE2E2FFF2F2HGH GPPG2G2 H2VGGI2J2K2K2L2L2AAP PWWM2AAN2N2QSO2JI2I2 P2P2AAAAAAGB2Q2Q2I2I 2TTAAR2R2QQI2I2I2I2S 2T2AAU2U2T2T2V2V2TTE 2E2XX GAE2SDu Heilige rufe dein Kind zur ch habe genossen das irdische Gl ch habe gelebt und geliebet | A |
Wallenstein | B |
- | |
The woods oh solemn are the boundless woods | C |
Of the great Western World when day declines | D |
And louder sounds the roll of distant floods | E |
More deep the rustling of the ancient pines | D |
When dimness gathers on the stilly air | F |
And mystery seems o'er every leaf to brood | A |
Awful it is for human heart to bear | F |
The might and burden of the solitude | A |
- | |
Yet in that hour midst those green wastes there sate | A |
One young and fair and oh how desolate | A |
But undismay'd while sank the crimson light | A |
And the high cedars darken'd with the night | A |
Alone she sate tho' many lay around | A |
They pale and silent on the bloody ground | A |
Were sever'd from her need and from her wo | G |
Far as Death severs Life O'er that wild spot | A |
Combat had rag'd and brought the valiant low | G |
And left them with the history of their lot | A |
Unto the forest oaks A fearful scene | H |
For her whose home of other days had been | I |
Midst the fair halls of England but the love | J |
Which fill'd her soul was strong to cast out fear | K |
And by its might upborne all else above | J |
She shrank not mark'd not that the dead were near | K |
Of him alone she thought whose languid head | A |
Faintly upon her wedded bosom fell | L |
Memory of aught but him on earth was fled | A |
While heavily she felt his life blood well | L |
Fast o'er her garments forth and vainly bound | A |
With her torn robe and hair the streaming wound | A |
Yet hoped still hoped Oh from such hope how long | M |
Affection wooes the whispers that deceive | N |
Ev'n when the pressure of dismay grows strong | M |
And we that weep watch tremble ne'er believe | N |
The blow indeed can fall So bow'd she there | F |
Over the dying while unconscious prayer | F |
Fill'd all her soul Now pour'd the moonlight down | O |
Veining the pine stems thro' the foliage brown | O |
And fire flies kindling up the leafy place | P |
Cast fitful radiance o'er the warrior's face | P |
Whereby she caught its changes to her eye | Q |
The eye that faded look'd through gathering haze | R |
Whence love o'ermastering mortal agony | S |
Lifted a long deep melancholy gaze | R |
When voice was not that fond sad meaning pass'd | A |
She knew the fulness of her wo at last | A |
One shriek the forests heard and mute she lay | T |
And cold yet clasping still the precious clay | T |
To her scarce heaving breast O Love and Death | U |
Ye have sad meetings on this changeful earth | V |
Many and sad but airs of heavenly breath | U |
Shall melt the links which bind you for your birth | V |
Is far apart | A |
Now light of richer hue | W |
Than the moon sheds came flushing mist and dew | W |
The pines grew red with morning fresh winds play'd | A |
Bright colour'd birds with splendour cross'd the shade | A |
Flitting on flower like wings glad murmurs broke | X |
From reed and spray and leaf the living strings | Y |
Of Earth's Eolian lyre whose music woke | X |
Into young life and joy all happy things | Y |
And she too woke from that long dreamless trance | Z |
The widow'd Edith fearfully her glance | Z |
Fell as in doubt on faces dark and strange | A2 |
And dusky forms A sudden sense of change | A2 |
Flash'd o'er her spirit ev'n ere memory swept | A |
The tide of anguish back with thoughts that slept | A |
Yet half instinctively she rose and spread | A |
Her arms as 'twere for something lost or fled | A |
Then faintly sank again The forest bough | B2 |
With all its whispers wav'd not o'er her now | B2 |
Where was she Midst the people of the wild | A |
By the red hunter's fire an aged chief | C2 |
Whose home look'd sad for therein play'd no child | A |
Had borne her in the stillness of her grief | C2 |
To that lone cabin of the woods and there | F |
Won by a form so desolately fair | F |
Or touch'd with thoughts from some past sorrow sprung | D2 |
O'er her low couch an Indian matron hung | D2 |
While in grave silence yet with earnest eye | Q |
The ancient warrior of the waste stood by | Q |
Bending in watchfulness his proud grey head | A |
And leaning on his bow | B2 |
And life return'd | A |
Life but with all its memories of the dead | A |
To Edith's heart and well the sufferer learn'd | A |
Her task of meek endurance well she wore | E2 |
The chasten'd grief that humbly can adore | E2 |
Midst blinding tears But unto that old pair | F |
Ev'n as a breath of spring's awakening air | F |
Her presence was or as a sweet wild tune | F2 |
Bringing back tender thoughts which all too soon | F2 |
Depart with childhood Sadly they had seen | H |
A daughter to the land of spirits go | G |
And ever from that time her fading mien | H |
And voice like winds of summer soft and low | G |
Had haunted their dim years but Edith's face | P |
Now look'd in holy sweetness from her place | P |
And they again seem'd parents Oh the joy | G2 |
The rich deep blessedness tho' earth's alloy | G2 |
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Fear that still bodes be there of pouring forth | H2 |
The heart's whole power of love its wealth and worth | V |
Of strong affection in one healthful flow | G |
On something all its own that kindly glow | G |
Which to shut inward is consuming pain | I2 |
Gives the glad soul its flowering time again | J2 |
When like the sunshine freed And gentle cares | K2 |
Th' adopted Edith meekly gave for theirs | K2 |
Who lov'd her thus her spirit dwelt the while | L2 |
With the departed and her patient smile | L2 |
Spoke of farewells to earth yet still she pray'd | A |
Ev'n o'er her soldier's lowly grave for aid | A |
One purpose to fulfil to leave one trace | P |
Brightly recording that her dwelling place | P |
Had been among the wilds for well she knew | W |
The secret whisper of her bosom true | W |
Which warn'd her hence | M2 |
And now by many a word | A |
Link'd unto moments when the heart was stirr'd | A |
By the sweet mournfulness of many a hymn | N2 |
Sung when the woods at eve grew hush'd and dim | N2 |
By the persuasion of her fervent eye | Q |
All eloquent with child like piety | S |
By the still beauty of her life she strove | O2 |
To win for heaven and heaven born truth the love | J |
Pour'd out on her so freely Nor in vain | I2 |
Was that soft breathing influence to enchain | I2 |
The soul in gentle bonds by slow degrees | P2 |
Light follow'd on as when a summer breeze | P2 |
Parts the deep masses of the forest shade | A |
And lets the sunbeam through her voice was made | A |
Ev'n such a breeze and she a lowly guide | A |
By faith and sorrow rais'd and purified | A |
So to the Cross her Indian fosterers led | A |
Until their prayers were one When morning spread | A |
O'er the blue lake and when the sunset's glow | G |
Touch'd into golden bronze the cypress bough | B2 |
And when the quiet of the Sabbath time | Q2 |
Sank on her heart tho' no melodious chime | Q2 |
Waken'd the wilderness their prayers were one | I2 |
Now might she pass in hope her work was done | I2 |
And she was passing from the woods away | T |
The broken flower of England might not stay | T |
Amidst those alien shades her eye was bright | A |
Ev'n yet with something of a starry light | A |
But her form wasted and her fair young cheek | R2 |
Wore oft and patiently a fatal streak | R2 |
A rose whose root was death The parting sigh | Q |
Of autumn thro' the forests had gone by | Q |
And the rich maple o'er her wanderings lone | I2 |
Its crimson leaves in many a shower had strown | I2 |
Flushing the air and winter's blast had been | I2 |
Amidst the pines and now a softer green | I2 |
Fring'd their dark boughs for spring again had come | S2 |
The sunny spring but Edith to her home | T2 |
Was journeying fast Alas we think it sad | A |
To part with life when all the earth looks glad | A |
In her young lovely things when voices break | U2 |
Into sweet sounds and leaves and blossoms wake | U2 |
Is it not brighter then in that far clime | T2 |
Where graves are not nor blights of changeful time | T2 |
If here such glory dwell with passing blooms | V2 |
Such golden sunshine rest around the tombs | V2 |
So thought the dying one 'Twas early day | T |
And sounds and odours with the breezes' play | T |
Whispering of spring time thro' the cabin door | E2 |
Unto her couch life's farewell sweetness bore | E2 |
Then with a look where all her hope awoke | X |
'My father ' to the grey hair'd chief she spoke | X |
'Know'st thou that I depart ' 'I know I know ' | - |
He answer'd mournfully 'that thou must go | G |
To thy belov'd my daughter ' 'Sorrow not | A |
For me kind mother ' with meek smiles once more | E2 |
She murmur'd in low tones 'one happy | S |
Felicia Dorothea Hemans
(1)
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