The Complaint Unto Pity Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBBDD EAEAAFF EFEFFDD FGFGGBB CDCGGFF GHGFFEE FGFGGGG FBHBBCC F EGEGGII FDFDDE FFFFFBB EJEKKEE ECECCEE BLBLLBB LFLAALL BABAABB LALAABBPite that I have sought so yore agoo | A |
With herte soore and ful of besy peyne | B |
That in this world was never wight so woo | C |
Withoute deth and yf I shal not feyne | B |
My purpos was to Pite to compleyne | B |
Upon the crueltee and tirannye | D |
Of Love that for my trouthe doth me dye | D |
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And when that I be lengthe of certeyne yeres | E |
Had evere in oon a tyme sought to speke | A |
To Pitee ran I al bespreynt with teres | E |
To prayen hir on Cruelte me awreke | A |
But er I myghte with any word outbreke | A |
Or tellen any of my peynes smerte | F |
I fond hir ded and buried in an herte | F |
- | |
Adoun I fel when that I saugh the herse | E |
Ded as a ston while that the swogh me laste | F |
But up I roos with colour ful dyverse | E |
And pitously on hir myn eyen I caste | F |
And ner the corps I gan to presen faste | F |
And for the soule I shop me for to preye | D |
I was but lorn ther was no more to seye | D |
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Thus am I slayn sith that Pite is ded | F |
Allas that day that ever hyt shulde falle | G |
What maner man dar now hold up his hed | F |
To whom shal any sorwful herte calle | G |
Now Cruelte hath cast to slee us alle | G |
In ydel hope folk redeless of peyne | B |
Syth she is ded to whom shul we compleyne | B |
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But yet encreseth me this wonder newe | C |
That no wight woot that she is ded but I | D |
So many men as in her tyme hir knewe | C |
And yet she dyed not so sodeynly | G |
For I have sought hir ever ful besely | G |
Sith first I hadde wit or mannes mynde | F |
But she was ded er that I koude hir fynde | F |
- | |
Aboute hir herse there stoden lustely | G |
Withouten any woo as thoughte me | H |
Bounte parfyt wel armed and richely | G |
And fresshe Beaute Lust and Jolyte | F |
Assured Maner Youthe and Honeste | F |
Wisdom Estaat Drede and Governaunce | E |
Confedred both by honde and alliaunce | E |
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A compleynt had I writen in myn hond | F |
For to have put to Pite as a bille | G |
But when I al this companye ther fond | F |
That rather wolden al my cause spille | G |
Then do me help I held my pleynte stille | G |
For to that folk withouten any fayle | G |
Withoute Pitee ther may no bille availe | G |
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Then leve I al these vertues sauf Pite | F |
Kepynge the corps as ye have herd me seyn | B |
Confedered alle by bond of Cruelte Riv p | H |
And ben assented when I shal be sleyn | B |
And I have put my complaynt up ageyn | B |
For to my foes my bille I dar not shewe | C |
Th'effect of which seith thus in wordes fewe | C |
- | |
The Bill of Complaint | F |
- | |
Humblest of herte highest of reverence | E |
Benygne flour coroune of vertues alle | G |
Sheweth unto youre rial excellence | E |
Youre servaunt yf I durste me so calle | G |
Hys mortal harm in which he is yfalle | G |
And noght al oonly for his evel fare | I |
But for your renoun as he shal declare | I |
- | |
Hit stondeth thus your contraire Crueltee | F |
Allyed is ayenst your regalye | D |
Under colour of womanly Beaute | F |
For men shulde not lo knowe hir tirannye | D |
With Bounte Gentilesse and Curtesye | D |
And hath depryved yow now of your place | E |
That hyghte 'Beaute apertenant to Grace ' | - |
- | |
For kyndely by youre herytage ryght | F |
Ye ben annexed ever unto Bounte | F |
And verrayly ye oughte do youre myght | F |
To helpe Trouthe in his adversyte | F |
Ye be also the corowne of Beaute | F |
And certes yf ye wanten in these tweyne | B |
The world is lore ther is no more to seyne | B |
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Eke what availeth Maner and Gentilesse | E |
Withoute yow benygne creature | J |
Shal Cruelte be your governeresse | E |
Allas what herte may hyt longe endure | K |
Wherfore but ye the rather take cure | K |
To breke that perilouse alliaunce | E |
Ye sleen hem that ben in your obeisaunce | E |
- | |
And further over yf ye suffre this | E |
Youre renoun ys fordoo than in a throwe | C |
Ther shal no man wite well what Pite is | E |
Allas that your renoun is falle so lowe | C |
Ye be than fro youre heritage ythrowe | C |
By Cruelte that occupieth youre place | E |
And we despeyred that seken to your grace | E |
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Have mercy on me thow Herenus quene | B |
That yow have sought so tendirly and yore | L |
Let som strem of youre lyght on me be sene | B |
That love and drede yow ever lenger the more | L |
For sothly for to seyne I bere the soore | L |
And though I be not konnynge for to pleyne | B |
For Goddis love have mercy on my peyne | B |
- | |
My peyne is this that what so I desire | L |
That have I not ne nothing lyk therto | F |
And ever setteth Desir myn hert on fire | L |
Eke on that other syde where so I goo | A |
What maner thing that may encrese my woo | A |
That have I redy unsoght everywhere | L |
Me lakketh but my deth and than my here | L |
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What nedeth to shewe parcel of my peyne | B |
Syth every woo that herte may bethynke | A |
I suffre and yet I dar not to yow pleyne | B |
For wel I wot although I wake or wynke | A |
Ye rekke not whether I flete or synke | A |
But natheles yet my trouthe I shal sustene | B |
Unto my deth and that shal wel be sene | B |
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This is to seyne I wol be youres evere | L |
Though ye me slee by Crueltee your foo | A |
Algate my spirit shal never dissevere | L |
Fro youre servise for any peyne or woo | A |
Sith ye be ded allas that hyt is soo | A |
Thus for your deth I may wel wepe and pleyne | B |
With herte sore and ful of besy peyne | B |
Geoffrey Chaucer
(1)
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