The Canon's Yeoman's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCAADEDFGAHHEEIIJJFD KDLMNOPQHDAA DRRST SUUEV HDIWHDAXYZA2DDSSDIB2 DZZDYAAC2C2 D2D2DDDHD2ADEHE2 DF2D2EG2D2DH2D2D2I2 QJ2DD DDQDDK2D DAAHL2M2QSSZDDZN2F2S SD2 AASSDDO2O2SDD2D D2 HDDD SHP2D2DDDQDMQ2THE PROLOGUE | A |
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WHEN ended was the life of Saint Cecile | B |
Ere we had ridden fully five mile | C |
At Boughton under Blee us gan o'ertake | A |
A man that clothed was in clothes black | A |
And underneath he wore a white surplice | D |
His hackenay which was all pomely gris nag dapple gray | E |
So sweated that it wonder was to see | D |
It seem'd as he had pricked miles three spurred | F |
The horse eke that his yeoman rode upon | G |
So sweated that unnethes might he gon hardly go | A |
About the peytrel stood the foam full high | H |
He was of foam as flecked as a pie spotted like a magpie | H |
A maile twyfold on his crupper lay | E |
It seemed that he carried little array | E |
All light for summer rode this worthy man | I |
And in my heart to wonder I began | I |
What that he was till that I understood | J |
How that his cloak was sewed to his hood | J |
For which when I had long advised me considered | F |
I deemed him some Canon for to be | D |
His hat hung at his back down by a lace cord | K |
For he had ridden more than trot or pace | D |
He hadde pricked like as he were wood mad | L |
A clote leaf he had laid under his hood burdock leaf | M |
For sweat and for to keep his head from heat | N |
But it was joye for to see him sweat | O |
His forehead dropped as a stillatory still | P |
Were full of plantain or of paritory wallflower | Q |
And when that he was come he gan to cry | H |
'God save ' quoth he 'this jolly company | D |
Fast have I pricked ' quoth he 'for your sake | A |
Because that I would you overtake | A |
To riden in this merry company ' | - |
His Yeoman was eke full of courtesy | D |
And saide 'Sirs now in the morning tide | R |
Out of your hostelry I saw you ride | R |
And warned here my lord and sovereign | S |
Which that to ride with you is full fain | T |
For his disport he loveth dalliance ' | - |
'Friend for thy warning God give thee good chance ' fortune | S |
Said oure Host 'certain it woulde seem | U |
Thy lord were wise and so I may well deem | U |
He is full jocund also dare I lay | E |
Can he aught tell a merry tale or tway | V |
With which he gladden may this company ' | - |
'Who Sir my lord Yea Sir withoute lie | H |
He can of mirth and eke of jollity knows | D |
Not but enough also Sir truste me not less than | I |
An ye him knew all so well as do I if | W |
Ye would wonder how well and craftily | H |
He coulde work and that in sundry wise | D |
He hath take on him many a great emprise task undertaking | A |
Which were full hard for any that is here | X |
To bring about but they of him it lear unless learn | Y |
As homely as he rides amonges you | Z |
If ye him knew it would be for your prow advantage | A2 |
Ye woulde not forego his acquaintance | D |
For muche good I dare lay in balance | D |
All that I have in my possession | S |
He is a man of high discretion | S |
I warn you well he is a passing man ' surpassing extraordinary | D |
Well ' quoth our Host 'I pray thee tell me than | I |
Is he a clerk or no Tell what he is ' scholar priest | B2 |
'Nay he is greater than a clerk y wis ' certainly | D |
Saide this Yeoman 'and in wordes few | Z |
Host of his craft somewhat I will you shew | Z |
I say my lord can such a subtlety knows | D |
But all his craft ye may not weet of me learn | Y |
And somewhat help I yet to his working | A |
That all the ground on which we be riding | A |
Till that we come to Canterbury town | C2 |
He could all cleane turnen up so down | C2 |
And pave it all of silver and of gold ' | - |
And when this Yeoman had this tale told | D2 |
Unto our Host he said 'Ben'dicite | D2 |
This thing is wonder marvellous to me | D |
Since that thy lord is of so high prudence | D |
Because of which men should him reverence | D |
That of his worship recketh he so lite honour little | H |
His overest slop it is not worth a mite upper garment | D2 |
As in effect to him so may I go | A |
It is all baudy and to tore also slovenly | D |
Why is thy lord so sluttish I thee pray | E |
And is of power better clothes to bey buy | H |
If that his deed accordeth with thy speech | E2 |
Telle me that and that I thee beseech ' | - |
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'Why ' quoth this Yeoman 'whereto ask ye me | D |
God help me so for he shall never the thrive | F2 |
But I will not avowe that I say admit | D2 |
And therefore keep it secret I you pray | E |
He is too wise in faith as I believe | G2 |
Thing that is overdone it will not preve stand the test | D2 |
Aright as clerkes say it is a vice | D |
Wherefore in that I hold him lewd and nice ' ignorant and foolish | H2 |
For when a man hath over great a wit | D2 |
Full oft him happens to misusen it | D2 |
So doth my lord and that me grieveth sore | I2 |
God it amend I can say now no more ' | - |
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'Thereof no force good Yeoman 'quoth our Host no matter | Q |
'Since of the conning of thy lord thou know'st knowledge | J2 |
Tell how he doth I pray thee heartily | D |
Since that be is so crafty and so sly wise | D |
Where dwelle ye if it to telle be ' | - |
'In the suburbes of a town ' quoth he | D |
'Lurking in hernes and in lanes blind corners | D |
Where as these robbers and these thieves by kind nature | Q |
Holde their privy fearful residence | D |
As they that dare not show their presence | D |
So fare we if I shall say the soothe ' truth | K2 |
'Yet ' quoth our Hoste 'let me talke to thee | D |
Why art thou so discolour'd of thy face ' | - |
'Peter ' quoth he 'God give it harde grace | D |
I am so us'd the hote fire to blow | A |
That it hath changed my colour I trow | A |
I am not wont in no mirror to pry | H |
But swinke sore and learn to multiply labour | L2 |
We blunder ever and poren in the fire toil peer | M2 |
And for all that we fail of our desire | Q |
For ever we lack our conclusion | S |
To muche folk we do illusion | S |
And borrow gold be it a pound or two | Z |
Or ten or twelve or many summes mo' | D |
And make them weenen at the leaste way fancy | D |
That of a pounde we can make tway | Z |
Yet is it false and aye we have good hope | N2 |
It for to do and after it we grope search strive | F2 |
But that science is so far us beforn | S |
That we may not although we had it sworn | S |
It overtake it slides away so fast | D2 |
It will us make beggars at the last ' | - |
While this Yeoman was thus in his talking | A |
This Canon drew him near and heard all thing | A |
Which this Yeoman spake for suspicion | S |
Of menne's speech ever had this Canon | S |
For Cato saith that he that guilty is | D |
Deemeth all things be spoken of him y wis surely | D |
Because of that he gan so nigh to draw | O2 |
To his Yeoman that he heard all his saw | O2 |
And thus he said unto his Yeoman tho then | S |
'Hold thou thy peace and speak no wordes mo' | D |
For if thou do thou shalt it dear abie pay dearly for it | D2 |
Thou slanderest me here in this company | D |
And eke discoverest that thou shouldest hide ' | - |
'Yea ' quoth our Host 'tell on whatso betide | D2 |
Of all his threatening reck not a mite ' | - |
'In faith ' quoth he 'no more do I but lite ' little | H |
And when this Canon saw it would not be | D |
But his Yeoman would tell his privity secrets | D |
He fled away for very sorrow and shame | D |
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'Ah ' quoth the Yeoman 'here shall rise a game some diversion | S |
All that I can anon I will you tell | H |
Since he is gone the foule fiend him quell destroy | P2 |
For ne'er hereafter will I with him meet | D2 |
For penny nor for pound I you behete promise | D |
He that me broughte first unto that game | D |
Ere that he die sorrow have he and shame | D |
For it is earnest to me by my faith a serious matter | Q |
That feel I well what so any man saith | D |
And yet for all my smart and all my grief | M |
For all my sorrow labour and mischief | Q2 |
Geoffrey Chaucer
(1)
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