The Maid And The Palmer Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B C D E F GHGIGGJFJ KL MN O O H PQ QQ RR Q QQ D QQ SS Q

The Text is from the Percy Folio MS The only other known text is a fragment from Sir Walter Scott's recollection printed in C K Sharpe's Ballad BookA
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The Story is well known in the folklore of Europe and is especially common in the Scandinavian languages As a rule however all these ballads blend the story of the woman of Samaria with the traditions concerning Mary Magdalen that were extant in medi val timesB
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From the present ballad it could hardly be gathered except perhaps from stanza that the old palmer represents Christ This point is at once obvious in the Scandinavian and other balladsC
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The extraordinary burden in the English ballad is one of the most elaborate in existence and is quite as inexplicable as anyD
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The expression 'to lead an ape in hell' occurs constantly in Elizabethan and later literature always in connection with women who die or expect to die unmarried Dyce says the expression 'never has been and never will be satisfactorily explained' but it was suggested by Steevens that women who had no mate on earth should adopt in hell an ape as a substituteE
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THE MAID AND THE PALMERF
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The maid shee went to the well to washeG
Lillumwham LillumwhamH
The mayd shee went to the well to washeG
Whatt then what thenI
The maid shee went to the well to washeG
Dew ffell of her lilly white flesheG
Grandam boy grandam boy heyeJ
Leg a derry Leg a merry mett mer whoope whirF
Drivance Larumben Grandam boy heyeJ
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White shee washed white shee rongeK
White shee hang'd o' the hazle wandL
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There came an old palmer by the wayM
Sais 'God speed thee well thou faire maidN
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'Hast either cupp or canO
To give an old palmer drinke therin '-
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Sayes 'I have neither cupp nor cannO
To give an old palmer drinke therin '-
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'But an thy lemman came from RoomeH
Cuppes cannes thou wold ffind soone '-
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Shee sware by God good St JohnP
Lemman had shee never noneQ
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Saies 'Peace ffaire mayd you are fforsworneQ
Nine children you have borneQ
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'Three were buryed under thy bed's headR
Other three under thy brewing leadeR
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'Other three on yon play greeneQ
Count maide there be nine '-
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'But I hope you are the good old manQ
That all the world beleeves uponQ
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'Old palmer I pray theeD
Pennaunce that thou wilt give to me '-
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'Penance I can give thee noneQ
But seven yeere to be a stepping stoneQ
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'Other seaven a clapper in a bellS
Other seven to lead an ape in hellS
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'When thou hast thy penance doneQ
Then thou'st come a mayden home '-

Frank Sidgwick



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