The Canterbury Tales; The Reves Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A A BCDDE EDDDD FFGHC CCCIJ KKAAL LMMCC DDNNL LLLLL OOI M MDDPP OOL E EEEII LLMMM INIL D A A MMLLH H CJD IIMMI ILL J DDDDC CCCOO ENNI ID II D CD

PROLOGUE TO THE REVES TALEA
-
The prologe of the Reves TaleA
-
Whan folk hadde laughen at this nyce casB
Of Absolon and hende NicholasC
Diverse folk diversely they seydeD
But for the moore part they loughe and pleydeD
Ne at this tale I saugh no man hym greveE
-
But it were oonly Osewold the ReveE
Bycause he was of carpenteres craftD
A litel ire is in his herte ylaftD
He gan to grucche and blamed it a liteD
'So theek ' quod he 'ful wel koude I you quiteD
-
With bleryng of a proud milleres eyeF
If that me liste speke of ribaudyeF
But ik am oold me list no pley for ageG
Gras tyme is doon my fodder is now forageH
This white top writeth myne olde yerisC
-
Myn herte is also mowled as myne herisC
But if I fare as dooth an openersC
That ilke fruyt is ever leng the wersC
Til it be roten in mullok or in streeI
We olde men I drede so fare weJ
-
Til we be roten kan we nat be rypeK
We hoppen ay whil that the world wol pypeK
For in oure wyl ther stiketh evere a naylA
To have an hoor heed and a grene taylA
As hath a leek for thogh oure myght be goonL
-
Oure wyl desireth folie evere in oonL
For whan we may nat doon than wol we spekeM
Yet in oure asshen olde is fyr yrekeM
Foure gleedes han we whiche I shal devyseC
Avauntyng liyng anger coveitiseC
-
Thise foure sparkles longen unto eeldeD
Oure olde lemes mowe wel been unweeldeD
But wyl ne shal nat faillen that is soothN
And yet ik have alwey a coltes toothN
As many a yeer as it is passed henneL
-
Syn that my tappe of lif bigan to renneL
For sikerly whan I was bore anonL
Deeth drough the tappe of lyf and leet it gonL
And ever sithe hath so the tappe yronneL
Til that almoost al empty is the tonneL
-
The streem of lyf now droppeth on the chymbeO
The sely tonge may wel rynge and chymbeO
Of wrecchednesse that passed is ful yooreI
With olde folk save dotage is namoore '-
Whan that oure Hoost hadde herd this sermonyngM
-
He gan to speke as lordly as a kyngM
He seide 'What amounteth al this witD
What shul we speke alday of hooly writD
The devel made a reve for to precheP
And of a soutere shipman or a lecheP
-
Sey forth thy tale and tarie nat the tymeO
Lo Depeford and it is half wey prymeO
Lo Grenewych ther many a shrewe is inneL
It were al tyme thy tale to bigynne '-
'Now sires ' quod this Osewold the ReveE
-
'I pray yow alle that ye nat yow greveE
Thogh I answere and somdeel sette his howveE
For leveful is with force force of showveE
This dronke Millere hath ytoold us heerI
How that bigyled was a CarpenteerI
-
Peraventure in scorn for I am oonL
And by youre leve I shal hym quite anoonL
Right in his cherles termes wol I spekeM
I pray to God his nekke mote brekeM
He kan wel in myn eye seen a stalkeM
-
But in his owene he kan nat seen a balke '-
-
Simkin a rich thieving miller of Trumpington Mill nearI
Cambridge is well served by two Cambridge clerks of theN
north country who beguile his wife and daughter recoverI
the stolen meal which he had hid and leave him well beatenL
-
PartD
-
THE PROLOGUE TO THE COKES TALEA
-
The prologe of the Cokes TaleA
-
The Cook of London whil the Reve spakM
For joye him thoughte he clawed him on the bakM
'Ha ha ' quod he 'for Criste passiounL
This miller hadde a sharp conclusiounL
Upon his argument of herbergageH
-
Wel seyde Salomon in his langageH
Ne brynge nat every man into thyn hous '-
For herberwynge by nyghte is perilousC
Wel oghte a man avysed for to beJ
Whom that be broghte into his pryveteeD
-
I pray to God so yeve me sorwe and careI
If evere sitthe I highte Hogge of WareI
Herde I a millere bettre yset awerkM
He hadde a jape of malice in the derkM
But God forbede that we stynte heereI
-
And therfore if ye vouche sauf to heereI
A tale of me that am a povre manL
I wol yow telle as wel as evere I kanL
A litel jape that fil in oure citee '-
Oure Hoost answerde and seide 'I graunte it theeJ
-
Now telle on Roger looke that it be goodD
For many a pastee hastow laten bloodD
And many a Jakke of Dovere hastow sooldD
That hath been twies hoot and twies coldD
Of many a pilgrim hastow Cristes cursC
-
For of thy percely yet they fare the worsC
That they han eten with thy stubbel goosC
For in thy shoppe is many a flye loosC
Now telle on gentil Roger by thy nameO
But yet I pray thee be nat wroth for gameO
-
A man may seye ful sooth in game and pley '-
'Thou seist ful sooth ' quod Roger 'by my feyE
But sooth pley quaad pley ' as the Flemyng seithN
And ther fore Herry Bailly by thy feithN
Be thou nat wrooth er we departen heerI
-
Though that my tale be of an hostileerI
But nathelees I wol nat telle it yitD
But er we parte ywis thou shalt be quit '-
And ther with al he lough and made cheereI
And seyde his tale as ye shul after heereI
-
THE TALE UnfinishedD
-
Perkin a London apprentice being dismissed by hisC
master seeks his companions in dice revel and disportD

Geoffrey Chaucer



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Canterbury Tales; The Reves Tale poem by Geoffrey Chaucer


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 4 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets