The Fight With The Dragon Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDEFGFH BBIIJJCCKLMN OOPPQQRRBSBT OUDDBBVWXYXY ZZUUDDA2A2UUUU B2B2C2C2D2D2UUE2F2E2 F2 G2G2UUH2UUUUD2U A2A2F2F2I2I2U DUDD2 J2 UUUUD2D2UUUU A2A2UUUUUUUG2UG2 D2D2J2J2UUXXUUUU K2K2D2D2UUL2M2UUUU N2N2A2D2UUUUUG2UG2 UUD2D2A2A2UUD2UD2U A2A2A2A2O2O2QDUUUU P2P2D2D2D2D2UUUD2UD2 UUUUUUQK2Q2D2Q2D2 N2N2D2D2A2A2UUUUUU A2Why run the crowd What means the throng | A |
That rushes fast the streets along | A |
Can Rhodes a prey to flames then be | B |
In crowds they gather hastily | B |
And on his steed a noble knight | C |
Amid the rabble meets my sight | C |
Behind him prodigy unknown | D |
A monster fierce they're drawing on | E |
A dragon stems it by its shape | F |
With wide and crocodile like jaw | G |
And on the knight and dragon gape | F |
In turns the people filled with awe | H |
- | |
And thousand voices shout with glee | B |
The fiery dragon come and see | B |
Who hind and flock tore limb from limb | I |
The hero see who vanquished him | I |
Full many a one before him went | J |
To dare the fearful combat bent | J |
But none returned home from the fight | C |
Honor ye then the noble knight | C |
And toward the convent move they all | K |
While met in hasty council there | L |
The brave knights of the Hospital | M |
St John the Baptist's Order were | N |
- | |
Up to the noble master sped | O |
The youth with firm but modest tread | O |
The people followed with wild shout | P |
And stood the landing place about | P |
While thus outspoke that daring one | Q |
My knightly duty I have done | Q |
The dragon that laid waste the land | R |
Has fallen beneath my conquering hand | R |
The way is to the wanderer free | B |
The shepherd o'er the plains may rove | S |
Across the mountains joyfully | B |
The pilgrim to the shrine may move | T |
- | |
But sternly looked the prince and said | O |
The hero's part thou well hast played | U |
By courage is the true knight known | D |
A dauntless spirit thou hast shown | D |
Yet speak What duty first should he | B |
Regard who would Christ's champion be | B |
Who wears the emblem of the Cross | V |
And all turned pale at his discourse | W |
Yet he replied with noble grace | X |
While blushingly he bent him low | Y |
That he deserves so proud a place | X |
Obedience best of all can show | Y |
- | |
My son the master answering spoke | Z |
Thy daring act this duty broke | Z |
The conflict that the law forbade | U |
Thou hast with impious mind essayed | U |
Lord judge when all to thee is known | D |
The other spake in steadfast tone | D |
For I the law's commands and will | A2 |
Purposed with honor to fulfil | A2 |
I went not out with heedless thought | U |
Hoping the monster dread to find | U |
To conquer in the fight I sought | U |
By cunning and a prudent mind | U |
- | |
Five of our noble Order then | B2 |
Our faith could boast no better men | B2 |
Had by their daring lost their life | C2 |
When thou forbadest us the strife | C2 |
And yet my heart I felt a prey | D2 |
To gloom and panted for the fray | D2 |
Ay even in the stilly night | U |
In vision gasped I in the fight | U |
And when the glimmering morning came | E2 |
And of fresh troubles knowledge gave | F2 |
A raging grief consumed my frame | E2 |
And I resolved the thing to brave | F2 |
- | |
And to myself I thus began | G2 |
'What is't adorns the youth the man | G2 |
What actions of the heroes bold | U |
Of whom in ancient song we're told | U |
Blind heathendom raised up on high | H2 |
To godlike fame and dignity | U |
The world by deeds known far and wide | U |
From monsters fierce they purified | U |
The lion in the fight they met | U |
And wrestled with the minotaur | D2 |
Unhappy victims free to set | U |
And were not sparing of their gore ' | - |
- | |
'Are none but Saracens to feel | A2 |
The prowess of the Christian steel | A2 |
False idols only shall be brave | F2 |
His mission is the world to save | F2 |
To free it by his sturdy arm | I2 |
From every hurt from every harm | I2 |
Yet wisdom must his courage bend | U |
And cunning must with strength contend ' | - |
Thus spake I oft and went alone | D |
The monster's traces to espy | U |
When on my mind a bright light shone | D |
'I have it ' was my joyful cry | D2 |
- | |
To thee I went and thus I spake | J2 |
'My homeward journey I would take ' | - |
Thou lord didst grant my prayer to me | U |
Then safely traversed I the sea | U |
And when I reached my native strand | U |
I caused a skilful artist's hand | U |
To make a dragon's image true | D2 |
To his that now so well I knew | D2 |
On feet of measure short was placed | U |
Its lengthy body's heavy load | U |
A scaly coat of mail embraced | U |
The back on which it fiercely showed | U |
- | |
Its stretching neck appeared to swell | A2 |
And ghastly as a gate of hell | A2 |
Its fearful jaws were open wide | U |
As if to seize the prey it tried | U |
And in its black mouth ranged about | U |
Its teeth in prickly rows stood out | U |
Its tongue was like a sharp edged sword | U |
And lightning from its small eyes poured | U |
A serpent's tail of many a fold | U |
Ended its body's monstrous span | G2 |
And round itself with fierceness rolled | U |
So as to clasp both steed and man | G2 |
- | |
I formed the whole to nature true | D2 |
In skin of gray and hideous hue | D2 |
Part dragon it appeared part snake | J2 |
Engendered in the poisonous lake | J2 |
And when the figure was complete | U |
A pair of dogs I chose me fleet | U |
Of mighty strength of nimble pace | X |
Inured the savage boar to chase | X |
The dragon then I made them bait | U |
Inflaming them to fury dread | U |
With their sharp teeth to seize it straight | U |
And with my voice their motions led | U |
- | |
And where the belly's tender skin | K2 |
Allowed the tooth to enter in | K2 |
I taught them how to seize it there | D2 |
And with their fangs the part to tear | D2 |
I mounted then my Arab steed | U |
The offspring of a noble breed | U |
My hand a dart on high held forth | L2 |
And when I had inflamed his wrath | M2 |
I stuck my sharp spurs in his side | U |
And urged him on as quick as thought | U |
And hurled my dart in circles wide | U |
As if to pierce the beast I sought | U |
- | |
And though my steed reared high in pain | N2 |
And champed and foamed beneath the rein | N2 |
And though the dogs howled fearfully | A2 |
Till they were calmed ne'er rested I | D2 |
This plan I ceaselessly pursued | U |
Till thrice the moon had been renewed | U |
And when they had been duly taught | U |
In swift ships here I had them brought | U |
And since my foot these shores has pressed | U |
Flown has three mornings' narrow span | G2 |
I scarce allowed my limbs to rest | U |
Ere I the mighty task began | G2 |
- | |
For hotly was my bosom stirred | U |
When of the land's fresh grief I heard | U |
Shepherds of late had been his prey | D2 |
When in the marsh they went astray | D2 |
I formed my plans then hastily | A2 |
My heart was all that counselled me | A2 |
My squires instructing to proceed | U |
I sprang upon my well trained steed | U |
And followed by my noble pair | D2 |
Of dogs by secret pathways rode | U |
Where not an eye could witness bear | D2 |
To find the monster's fell abode | U |
- | |
Thou lord must know the chapel well | A2 |
Pitched on a rocky pinnacle | A2 |
That overlooks the distant isle | A2 |
A daring mind 'twas raised the pile | A2 |
Though humble mean and small it shows | O2 |
Its walls a miracle enclose | O2 |
The Virgin and her infant Son | Q |
Vowed by the three kings of Cologne | D |
By three times thirty steps is led | U |
The pilgrim to the giddy height | U |
Yet when he gains it with bold tread | U |
He's quickened by his Saviour's sight | U |
- | |
Deep in the rock to which it clings | P2 |
A cavern dark its arms outflings | P2 |
Moist with the neighboring moorland's dew | D2 |
Where heaven's bright rays can ne'er pierce through | D2 |
There dwelt the monster there he lay | D2 |
His spoil awaiting night and day | D2 |
Like the hell dragon thus he kept | U |
Watch near the shrine and never slept | U |
And if a hapless pilgrim chanced | U |
To enter on that fatal way | D2 |
From out his ambush quick advanced | U |
The foe and seized him as his prey | D2 |
- | |
I mounted now the rocky height | U |
Ere I commenced the fearful fight | U |
There knelt I to the infant Lord | U |
And pardon for my sins implored | U |
Then in the holy fane I placed | U |
My shining armor round my waist | U |
My right hand grasped my javelin | Q |
The fight then went I to begin | K2 |
Instructions gave my squires among | Q2 |
Commanding them to tarry there | D2 |
Then on my steed I nimbly sprung | Q2 |
And gave my spirit to God's care | D2 |
- | |
Soon as I reached the level plain | N2 |
My dogs found out the scent amain | N2 |
My frightened horse soon reared on high | D2 |
His fear I could not pacify | D2 |
For coiled up in a circle lo | A2 |
There lay the fierce and hideous foe | A2 |
Sunning himself upon the ground | U |
Straight at him rushed each nimble hound | U |
Yet thence they turned dismayed and fast | U |
When he his gaping jaws op'd wide | U |
Vomited forth his poisonous blast | U |
And like the howling jackal cried | U |
- | |
But soon their courage I resto | A2 |
Friedrich Schiller
(1)
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