The Wild Knight Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCD EF G HGIGBJEJ K D G L M G N O G G G P Q RSTUP V W X YZX A2 L B2 C2 D2QE2BF2GG2 L YW G H2I2 L J2K2L2 G L2M2 G N2 G Z Q G O2 G RH2 P2 O Q2 G G R2 S2T2 U2 V2 G W2X2Y2 H Z2GX2 G A3 G H2W2 H X2 G B H Z G C2 H B3 G C3BBH2D3 H C2C2 G E3F3Y2 H G3H3I3J3 G Q2V2 G K2K3C3L3 M3 N3N3N3 C3 G H O3 G P3 H G G G I2 I2 C3 Q3 H R3 L3 WGBS3J3G P3 G T3 G R3 I2 U3H2 P3 V3 W3G X3 C3 U3 Y3 Z3 A4W3Y C2 G M2 H M2 B4 P3C3 G H H C4D4G D4 E3A3D4G E4 S3F4 P2 G4 H4 D G S3F4 G D4C2M2 Q G BY2S3Z2 G N3 G G C2 GI4J2 G C2Y2G C2 J4 G K4L4Y2 H Y2 G C2M4 N4 O4 H G G GZ3P4G3B2A3GQ4R4 C2 M3 S4 C4 GU3 D C2 G G H C2 O3 G O3H2H2 H2 G G T4NG3 G G G U4 C2 C2 G L4 C2 I2 G H2V4H2W4X4 C2 W3Y4H2Z4X2I2FG4 F H2 C2 N3G C2 H2 C2 H2F4 C2 H3T3E2 C2 Z C2 C2 K2C2U3TYD4 C2 ZFF G C2C2 C2 G X4C2C2H2RH2 C2 G G C2 C2 BH2A3YH2 G C2M3 Q C2 GH2GO3H2GG4GH2GY3YGC 2H2H2GGYC2B2 E4 H3L3H3H2H3GO4C2NGH2B GR4L3H2H3H2H3GH2H2H3 H2 J4C2H2C2C2C2GHC2H2GN 3C2H2H3Y4GH3L3H3J4NH 3H3C2NJ4 H3H3 H2 H3 H3 C2H3 M3 H3C2 N3 C2 I3GGH3H2H3F4 L3 H3 H3 H3C2 H2 F2GH3H2GH3A dark manor house shuttered and unlighted outlined against a pale | A |
sunset in front a large but neglected garden To the right in the | B |
foreground the porch of a chapel with coloured windows lighted Hymns | C |
within | D |
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Above the porch a grotesque carved bracket supporting a lantern | E |
Astride of it sits CAPTAIN REDFEATHER a flagon in his hand | F |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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I have drunk to all I know of | H |
To every leaf on the tree | G |
To the highest bird of the heavens | I |
To the lowest fish of the sea | G |
What toast what toast remaineth | B |
Drunk down in the same good wine | J |
By the tippler's cup in the tavern | E |
And the priest's cup at the shrine | J |
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A Priest comes out stick in hand and looks right and left | K |
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VOICES WITHIN | D |
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The brawler | G |
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PRIEST | L |
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He has vanished | M |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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To the stars | N |
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The Priest looks up | O |
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PRIEST angrily | G |
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What would you there sir | G |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Give you all a toast | P |
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Lifts his flagon More priests come out | Q |
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I see my life behind me bad enough | R |
Drink duels madness beggary and pride | S |
The life of the unfit yet ere I drop | T |
On Nature's rubbish heap I weigh it all | U |
And give you all a toast | P |
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Reels to his feet and stands | V |
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The health of God | W |
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They all recoil from him | X |
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Let's give the Devil of the Heavens His due | Y |
He that made grass so green and wine so red | Z |
Is not so black as you have painted him | X |
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Drinks | A2 |
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PRIEST | L |
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Blaspheming profligate | B2 |
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REDFEATHER hurls the flagon among them | C2 |
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Howl ye dumb dogs | D2 |
I named your King let me have one great shout | Q |
Flutter the seraphim like startled birds | E2 |
Make God recall the good days of His youth | B |
Ere saints had saddened Him when He came back | F2 |
Conqueror of Chaos in a six days' war | G |
With all the sons of God shouting for joy | G2 |
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PRIEST | L |
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And you what is your right and who are you | Y |
To praise God | W |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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A lost soul In earth or heaven | H2 |
What has a better right | I2 |
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PRIEST | L |
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Go pagan go | J2 |
Drink dice and dance take no more thought than blind | K2 |
Beasts of the field | L2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Or lilies of the field | L2 |
To quote a pagan sage I go my way | M2 |
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PRIEST solemnly | G |
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And when Death comes | N2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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He shall not find me dead | Z |
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Puts on his plumed hat The priests go out | Q |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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These frozen fools | O2 |
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The Lady Olive comes out of the chapel He sees her | G |
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Oh they were right enough | R |
Where shall I hide my carrion from the sun | H2 |
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Buries his face His hat drops to the ground | P2 |
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OLIVE looking up | O |
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Captain are you from church I saw you not | Q2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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No I am here | G |
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Lays his hand on a gargoyle | R2 |
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I too am a grotesque | S2 |
And dance with all the devils on the roof | T2 |
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OLIVE with a strange smile | U2 |
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For Satan also I have often prayed | V2 |
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REDFEATHER roughly | G |
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Satan may worry women if he will | W2 |
For he was but an angel ere he fell | X2 |
But I before I fell I was a man | Y2 |
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OLIVE | H |
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He too my Master was a man too strong | Z2 |
To fear a strong man's sins 'tis written He | G |
Descended into hell | X2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Write then that I | A3 |
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Leaps to the ground before her | G |
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Descended into heaven | H2 |
You are ill | W2 |
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OLIVE | H |
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No well | X2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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You speak the truth you are the Truth | B |
Lady say once again then 'I am well ' | - |
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OLIVE | H |
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I ah God give me grace I am nigh dead | Z |
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REDFEATHER quietly | G |
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Lord Orm | C2 |
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OLIVE | H |
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Yes yes | B3 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Is in your father's house | C3 |
Having the title deeds would drive you forth | B |
Homeless and with your father sick to death | B |
Into this winter save on a condition | H2 |
Named | D3 |
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OLIVE | H |
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And unnameable Even so Lord Orm | C2 |
Ah do you know him | C2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Ay I saw him once | E3 |
The sun shone on his face that smiled and smiled | F3 |
A sight not wholesome to the eyes of man | Y2 |
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OLIVE | H |
- | |
Captain I tell you God once fell asleep | G3 |
And in that hour the world went as it would | H3 |
Dogs brought forth cats and poison grew in grapes | I3 |
And Orm was born | J3 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Why curse him can he not | Q2 |
Be kicked or paid | V2 |
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OLIVE feverishly | G |
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Hush He is just behind | K2 |
There in the house see how the great house glares | K3 |
Glares like an ogre's mask the whole dead house | C3 |
Possessed with bestial meaning | L3 |
- | |
Screams | M3 |
- | |
Ah the face | N3 |
The whole great grinning house his face his face | N3 |
His face | N3 |
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REDFEATHER in a voice of thunder pointing away from the house | C3 |
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Look there look there | G |
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OLIVE | H |
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What is it What | O3 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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I think it was a bird | P3 |
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OLIVE | H |
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What thought you truly | G |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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I think a mighty thought is drawing near | G |
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Enter THE WILD KNIGHT | I2 |
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THE WILD KNIGHT | I2 |
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That house | C3 |
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Points | Q3 |
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OLIVE | H |
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Ah Christ Shudders I had forgotten it | R3 |
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THE WILD KNIGHT still pointing | L3 |
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That house the house at last the house of God | W |
Wherein God makes an evening feast for me | G |
The house at last I know the twisted path | B |
Under the twisted pear tree this I saw | S3 |
In the first dream I had ere I was born | J3 |
It is the house of God He welcomes me | G |
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Strides forward | P3 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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That house God's blood | T3 |
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OLIVE hysterically | G |
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Is not this hell's own wit | R3 |
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THE WILD KNIGHT | I2 |
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God grows impatient and His wine is poured | U3 |
His bread is broken | H2 |
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Rushes forward | P3 |
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REDFEATHER leaps between | V3 |
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Stand away great fool | W3 |
There is a devil there | G |
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THE WILD KNIGHT draws his sword and waves it as he rushes | X3 |
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God's house God's house | C3 |
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REDFEATHER plucks out his own sword | U3 |
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Better my hand than his | Y3 |
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The blades clash | Z3 |
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God alone knows | A4 |
What That within might do to you poor fool | W3 |
I can but kill you | Y |
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They fight OLIVE tries to part them | C2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Olive stand away | M2 |
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OLIVE | H |
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I will not stand away | M2 |
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Steps between the swords | B4 |
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Stranger a word | P3 |
Yes you are right God is within that house | C3 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Olive | H |
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OLIVE | H |
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But He is all too beautiful | C4 |
For us who only know of stars and flowers | D4 |
The thing within is all too pure and fair | G |
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Shudders | D4 |
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Too awful in its ancient innocence | E3 |
For men to look upon it and not die | A3 |
Ourselves would fade into those still white fires | D4 |
Of peace and mercy | G |
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Struggles with her voice | E4 |
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There enough the law | S3 |
No flesh shall look upon the Lord and live | F4 |
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REDFEATHER sticking his sword in the ground | P2 |
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You are the bravest lady in the world | G4 |
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THE WILD KNIGHT dazed | H4 |
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May I not go within | D |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Keep you the law | S3 |
No flesh shall look upon the Lord and live | F4 |
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THE WILD KNIGHT sadly | G |
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Then I will go and lay me in the flowers | D4 |
For He may haply as in ancient time | C2 |
Walk in the garden in the cool of day | M2 |
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He goes out | Q |
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OLIVE reels REDFEATHER catches her | G |
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You are the strongest woman upon earth | B |
The weakest woman than the strongest man | Y2 |
Is stronger in her hour this is the law | S3 |
When the hour passes then may we be strong | Z2 |
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OLIVE wildly | G |
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The House the Face | N3 |
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REDFEATHER fiercely | G |
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I love you Look at me | G |
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OLIVE turns her face to him | C2 |
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I hear six birds sing in that little tree | G |
Say is the old earth laughing at my fears | I4 |
I think I love you also | J2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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What I am | C2 |
You know But I will never curse a man | Y2 |
Even in a mirror | G |
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OLIVE smiling at him | C2 |
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And the Devil's dance | J4 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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The Devil plotted since the world was young | K4 |
With alchemies of fire and witches' oils | L4 |
And magic But he never made a man | Y2 |
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OLIVE | H |
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No not a man | Y2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Not even my Lord Orm | C2 |
Look at the house now | M4 |
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She starts and looks | N4 |
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Honest brick and tiles | O4 |
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OLIVE | H |
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You have a strange strength in this hour | G |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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This hour | G |
I see with mortal eye as in one flash | Z3 |
The whole divine democracy of things | P4 |
And dare the stars to scorn a scavenge heap | G3 |
Olive I tell you every soul is great | B2 |
Weave we green crowns how noble and how high | A3 |
Fling we white flowers how radiant and how pure | G |
Is he whoe'er he be who next shall cross | Q4 |
This scrap of grass | R4 |
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Enter LORD ORM | C2 |
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OLIVE screams | M3 |
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Ah | S4 |
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REDFEATHER pointing to the chapel | C4 |
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Olive go and pray | G |
for a man soon to die Good day my Lord | U3 |
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She goes in | D |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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Good day | G |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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I am a friend to Lady Olive | H |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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Sir you are fortunate | O3 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Most fortunate | O3 |
In finding sword on thigh and ready one | H2 |
Who is a villain and a gentleman | H2 |
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LORD ORM picks up the flagon | H2 |
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Empty I see | G |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Oh sir you never drink | T4 |
You dread to lose yourself before the stars | N |
Do you not dread to sleep | G3 |
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LORD ORM violently | G |
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What would you here | G |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Receive from you the title deeds you hold | U4 |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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You entertain me | C2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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With a bout at foils | L4 |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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I will not fight | I2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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I know you better then | H2 |
I have seen men grow mangier than the beasts | V4 |
Eat bread with blood upon their fingers grin | H2 |
While women burned but one last law they served | W4 |
When I say 'Coward ' is the law awake | X4 |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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Hear me then too I have seen robbers rule | W3 |
And thieves go clad in gold age after age | Y4 |
Because though sordid ragged rude and mean | H2 |
They saw like gods no law above their heads | Z4 |
But when they fell then for this cause they fell | X2 |
This last mean cobweb of the fairy tales | |
Of good and ill that they must stand and fight | I2 |
When a man bade though they had chose to stand | F |
And fight not I am stronger than the world | G4 |
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Folds his arms | |
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REDFEATHER lifts his hand | F |
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If in your body be the blood of man | H2 |
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Strikes him | C2 |
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Now let it rush to the face | N3 |
God Have you sunk | |
Lower than anger | G |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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How I triumph now | H2 |
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REDFEATHER stamps wildly | C2 |
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Damned whimpering dog vile snivelling sick poltroon | H2 |
Are you alive | F4 |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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Evil be thou my good | H3 |
Let the sun blacken and the moon be blood | T3 |
I have said the words | E2 |
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REDFEATHER studying him | C2 |
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And if I struck you dead | Z |
You would turn to daisies | |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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And you do not strike | |
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REDFEATHER dreamily | C2 |
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Indeed poor soul such magic would be kind | K2 |
And full of pity as a fairy tale | C2 |
One touch of this bright wand Lifts his sword | U3 |
and down would drop | T |
The dark abortive blunder that is you | Y |
And you would change forgiven into flowers | D4 |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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And yet and yet you do not strike me dead | Z |
I do not draw the sword is in your hand | F |
Drive the blade through me where I stand | F |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Lord Orm | C2 |
You asked the Lady Olive I can speak | |
As to a toad to you my lord you asked | |
Olive to be your paramour and she | C2 |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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Refused | |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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And yet her father was at stake | X4 |
And she is soft and kind Now look at me | C2 |
Ragged and ruined soaked in bestial sins | |
My lord I too have my virginity | C2 |
Turn the thing round my lord and topside down | H2 |
You cannot spell it Be the fact enough | R |
I use no sword upon a swordless man | H2 |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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For her | G |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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I too have my virginity | C2 |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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Now look on me I am the lord of earth | B |
For I have broken the last bond of man | H2 |
I stand erect crowned with the stars and why | A3 |
Because I stand a coward because you | Y |
Have mercy on a coward Do I win | H2 |
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REDFEATHER | G |
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Though there you stand with moving mouth and eyes | |
I think my lord you are not possible | C2 |
God keep you from my dreams | M3 |
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Goes out | Q |
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LORD ORM | C2 |
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Alone and free | G |
Since first in flowery meads a child I ran | H2 |
My one long thirst to be alone and free | G |
Free of all laws creeds codes and common tests | |
Shameless anarchic infinite | O3 |
Why then | H2 |
I might have done in that dark liberty | G |
If I should say 'a good deed ' men would laugh | |
But here are none to laugh | |
The godless world | G4 |
Be thanked there is no God to spy on me | G |
Catch me and crown me with a vulgar crown | H2 |
For what I do if I should once believe | |
The horror of that ancient Eavesdropper | G |
Behind the starry arras of the skies | |
I should well well enough of menaces | Y3 |
should not do the thing I come to do | Y |
What do I come to do Let me but try | G |
To spell it to my soul | C2 |
Suppose a man | H2 |
Perfectly free and utterly alone | H2 |
Free of all love of law equally free | G |
Of all the love of mutiny it breeds | |
Free of the love of heaven and also free | G |
Of all the love of hell it drives us to | Y |
Not merely void of rules unconscious of them | C2 |
So strong that naught alive could do him hurt | |
So wise that he knew all things and so great | B2 |
That none knew what he was or what he did | |
A lawless giant | |
- | |
A pause then in a low voice | E4 |
- | |
Would he not be good | H3 |
Hate is the weakness of a thwarted thing | L3 |
Pride is the weakness of a thing unpraised | H3 |
But he this man | H2 |
He would be like a child | H3 |
Girt with the tomes of some vast library | G |
Who reads romance after romance and smiles | O4 |
When every tale ends well impersonal | C2 |
As God he grows melted in suns and stars | N |
So would this boundless man whom none could spy | G |
Taunt him with virtue censure him with vice | |
Rejoice in all men's joys with golden pen | H2 |
Write all the live romances of the earth | B |
To a triumphant close | |
Alone and free | G |
In this grey cool clean garden washed with winds | |
What do I come to do among the grass | R4 |
The daisies and the dews An awful thing | L3 |
To prove I am that man | H2 |
That while these saints | |
Taunt me with trembling dare me to revenge | |
I breathe an upper air of ancient good | H3 |
And strong eternal laughter send my sun | H2 |
And rain upon the evil and the just | H3 |
Turn my left cheek unto the smiter He | G |
That told me sword in hand that I had fallen | H2 |
Lower than anger knew not I had risen | H2 |
Higher than pride | H3 |
Enough the deeds are mine | H2 |
- | |
Takes out the title deeds | |
- | |
I come to write the end of a romance | J4 |
A good romance the characters Lord Orm | C2 |
Type of the starved heart and stored brain | H2 |
Who strives to hate and cannot fronting him | C2 |
Redfeather rake in process of reform | C2 |
At root a poet I have hopes of him | C2 |
He can love virtue for he still loves vice | |
He is not all burnt out He beats me there | G |
How I beat him in owning it in love | H |
He is still young and has the joy of shame | C2 |
And for the Lady Olive who shall speak | |
A man may weigh the courage of a man | H2 |
But if there be a bottomless abyss | |
It is a woman's valour such as I | G |
Can only bow the knee and hide the face | N3 |
Thank God there is no God to spy on me | C2 |
And bring his cursed crowns | |
No there is none | H2 |
The old incurable hunger of the world | H3 |
Surges in wolfish wars age after age | Y4 |
There was no God before me none sees where | G |
Between the brute womb and the deaf dead grave | |
Unhoping unrecorded unrepaid | H3 |
I make with smoke fire and burnt offering | L3 |
This sacrifice to Chaos Lights the papers None behold | H3 |
Me write in fire the end of the romance | J4 |
Burn I am God and crown myself with stars | N |
Upon creation day before was night | H3 |
And chaos of a blind and cruel world | H3 |
I am the first God I will trample hell | C2 |
Fight conquer make the story of the stars | N |
Like this poor story end like a romance | J4 |
- | |
The paper burns | |
- | |
Before was brainless night but I am God | H3 |
In this black world I rend Let there be light | H3 |
- | |
The paper blazes up illuminating the garden | H2 |
- | |
I God | H3 |
- | |
THE WILD KNIGHT rushes forward | H3 |
- | |
God's Light God's Voice yes it is He | C2 |
Walking in Eden in the cool of the day | H3 |
- | |
LORD ORM screams | M3 |
- | |
Tricked Caught | H3 |
Damned screeching rat in a hole | C2 |
- | |
Stabs him again and again with his sword stamps on his face | N3 |
- | |
THE WILD KNIGHT faintly | C2 |
- | |
Earth grows too beautiful around me shapes | I3 |
And colours fearfully wax fair and clear | G |
For I have heard as thro' a door ajar | G |
Scraps of the huge soliloquy of God | H3 |
That moveth as a mask the lips of man | H2 |
If man be very silent they were right | H3 |
No flesh shall look upon the Lord and live | F4 |
- | |
Dies | |
- | |
LORD ORM staggers back laughing | L3 |
- | |
Saved saved my secret | H3 |
- | |
REDFEATHER rushing in sword in hand | H3 |
- | |
The drawn sword at last | H3 |
Guard son of hell | C2 |
- | |
They fight ORM falls OLIVE comes in | H2 |
- | |
He too can die Keep back | F2 |
Olive keep back from him I did not fear | G |
Him living and he fell before my sword | H3 |
But dead I fear him All is ended now | H2 |
A man's whole life tied in a bundle there | G |
And no good deed I fear him Come away | H3 |
G. K. Chesterton
(1)
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