Book Of The Duchesse Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Geoffrey Chaucer

Book Of The Duchesse Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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THE PROEM	A
	-
I have gret wonder be this lighte	B
How that I live for day ne nighte	B
I may nat slepe wel nigh noght	B
I have so many an ydel thoght	B
Purely for defaute of slepe	C
That by my trouthe I take no kepe	C
Of no thing how hit cometh or goth	D
Ne me nis no thing leef nor loth	D
Al is y liche good to me	A
Ioye or sorowe wherso hyt be	A
For I have feling in no thinge	E
But as it were a mased thing	F
Alway in point to falle a doun	G
For sorwful imaginacioun	G
Is alway hoolly in my minde	B
And wel ye wite agaynes kynde	B
Hit were to liven in this wyse	H
For nature wolde nat suffyse	H
To noon erthely creature	I
Not longe tyme to endure	J
Withoute slepe and been in sorwe	K
And I ne may ne night ne morwe	K
Slepe and thus melancolye	L
And dreed I have for to dye	L
Defaute of slepe and hevinesse	H
Hath sleyn my spirit of quiknesse	H
That I have lost al lustihede	B
Suche fantasies ben in myn hede	B
So I not what is best to do	B
But men myght axe me why soo	B
I may not slepe and what me is	H
But natheles who aske this	H
Leseth his asking trewely	M
My selven can not telle why	L
The sooth but trewely as I gesse	H
I holde hit be a siknesse	H
That I have suffred this eight yere	J
And yet my bote is never the nere	J
For ther is phisicien but oon	G
That may me hele but that is doon	G
Passe we over until eft	B
That wil not be moot nede be left	B
Our first matere is good to kepe	C
So whan I saw I might not slepe	C
Til now late this other night	B
Upon my bedde I sat upright	B
And bad oon reche me a book	N
A romaunce and he hit me took	N
To rede and dryve the night away	K
For me thoghte it better play	K
Then playen either at chesse or tables	H
And in this boke were writen fables	H
That clerkes hadde in olde tyme	A
And other poets put in ryme	A
To rede and for to be in minde	B
Whyl men loved the lawe of kinde	B
This book ne spak but of such thinges	H
Of quenes lyves and of kinges	H
And many othere thinges smale	M
Amonge al this I fond a tale	M
That me thoughte a wonder thing	F
This was the tale There was a king	F
That hight Seys and hadde a wyf	O
The beste that mighte bere lyf	O
And this quene hight Alcyone	G
So hit befel therafter sone	G
This king wolde wenden over see	H
To tellen shortly whan that he	H
Was in the see thus in this wyse	H
Soche a tempest gan to ryse	H
That brak hir mast and made it falle	M
And clefte her ship and dreinte hem alle	M
That never was founden as it telles	H
Bord ne man ne nothing elles	H
Right thus this king Seys loste his lyf	O
Now for to speken of his wife	O
This lady that was left at home	A
Hath wonder that the king ne come	A
Hoom for hit was a longe terme	A
Anon her herte gan to erme	A
And for that hir thoughte evermo	A
Hit was not wel he dwelte so	H
She longed so after the king	F
That certes hit were a pitous thing	F
To telle hir hertely sorwful lyf	O
That hadde alas this noble wyfe	O
For him she loved alderbest	B
Anon she sente bothe eest and west	B
To seke him but they founde nought	B
Alas ' quoth she that I was wrought	B
And wher my lord my love be deed	B
Certes I nil never ete breed	B
I make a vowe to my god here	J
But I mowe of my lord here '	-
Such sorwe this lady to her took	N
That trewely I which made this book	N
Had swich pite and swich rowthe	D
To rede hir sorwe that by my trowthe	D
I ferde the worse al the morwe	K
After to thenken on her sorwe	K
So whan she coude here no word	B
That no man mighte fynde hir lord	B
Ful ofte she swouned and saide Alas '	-
For sorwe ful nigh wood she was	H
Ne she coude no reed but oon	G
But doun on knees she sat anoon	G
And weep that pite was to here	J
A mercy swete lady dere '	-
Quod she to Iuno hir goddesse	H
Help me out of this distresse	H
And yeve me grace my lord to see	H
Sone or wite wher so he be	H
Or how he fareth or in what wyse	H
And I shal make you sacrifyse	H
And hoolly youres become I shal	M
With good wil body herte and al	M
And but thou wilt this lady swete	B
Send me grace to slepe and mete	B
In my slepe som certeyn sweven	G
Wher through that I may knowen even	G
Whether my lord be quik or deed '	-
With that word she heng doun the heed	B
And fil a swown as cold as ston	G
Hir women caught her up anon	G
And broghten hir in bed al naked	B
And she forweped and forwaked	B
Was wery and thus the dede sleep	C
Fil on hir or she toke keep	C
Through Iuno that had herd hir bone	G
That made hir to slepe sone	G
For as she prayde so was don	G
In dede for Iuno right anon	G
Called thus her messagere	J
To do her erande and he com nere	J
Whan he was come she bad him thus	H
Go bet ' quod Iuno to Morpheus	H
Thou knowest hym wel the god of sleep	C
Now understond wel and tak keep	C
Sey thus on my halfe that he	H
Go faste into the grete see	H
And bid him that on alle thing	F
He take up Seys body the king	F
That lyth ful pale and no thing rody	H
Bid him crepe into the body	H
Aud do it goon to Alcyone	G
The quene ther she lyth alone	G
And shewe hir shortly hit is no nay	G
How hit was dreynt this other day	G
And do the body speke so	H
Right as hit was wont to do	B
The whyles that hit was on lyve	O
Go now faste and hy thee blyve '	-
This messager took leve and wente	B
Upon his wey and never ne stente	B
Til he com to the derke valeye	L
That stant bytwene roches tweye	L
Ther never yet grew corn ne gras	H
Ne tree ne nothing that ought was	H
Beste ne man ne nothing elles	H
Save ther were a fewe welles	H
Came renning fro the cliffes adoun	G
That made a deedly sleping soun	G
And ronnen doun right by a cave	O
That was under a rokke y grave	O
Amid the valey wonder depe	C
Ther thise goddes laye and slepe	C
Morpheus and Eclympasteyre	J
That was the god of slepes heyre	J
That slepe and did non other werk	P
This cave was also as derk	P
As helle pit over al aboute	B
They had good leyser for to route	B
To envye who might slepe beste	B
Some henge hir chin upon hir breste	B
And slepe upright hir heed y hed	B
And some laye naked in hir bed	B
And slepe whyles the dayes laste	B
This messager come flying faste	B
And cryed O ho awake anon '	-
Hit was for noght ther herde him non	G
Awak ' quod he who is lyth there '	-
And blew his horn right in hir ere	J
And cryed awaketh ' wonder hye	L
This god of slepe with his oon ye	L
Cast up axed who clepeth there '	-
Hit am I ' quod this messagere	J
Iuno bad thou shuldest goon'	G
And tolde him what he shulde doon	G
As I have told yow here tofore	J
Hit is no need reherse hit more	J
And wente his wey whan he had sayd	B
Anon this god of slepe a brayd	B
Out of his slepe and gan to goon	G
And did as he had bede him doon	G
Took up the dreynte body sone	G
And bar hit forth to Alcyone	G
His wif the quene ther as she lay	G
Right even a quarter before day	G
And stood right at hir beddes fete	B
And called hir right as she hete	B
By name and sayde my swete wyf	O
Awak let be your sorwful lyf	O
For in your sorwe there lyth no reed	B
For certes swete I nam but deed	B
Ye shul me never on lyve y see	L
But good swete herte look that ye	L
Bury my body at whiche a tyde	B
Ye mowe hit finde the	D