The Franklin's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKLMMNBOPQR SB TTTUMM VVVWOM XTYYXXMTZZMMXA2TTTB2 A2 MPC2XMMTTXXJXTTXXTTJ A2D2E2TJXXMMTF2TT XXJJJJJA2G2E2H2TD2JJ JA2JXXH2XJTTH2TTJA2T TI2I2H2H2JTTJXTXJF2F 2XXTJJJX J2F2F2CCCCTTXXXXXXJJ JF2

'IN faith Squier thou hast thee well acquitA
And gentilly I praise well thy wit 'B
Quoth the Franklin 'considering thy youtheC
So feelingly thou speak'st Sir I aloue thee allow approveD
As to my doom there is none that is here so far as my judgmentE
Of eloquence that shall be thy peer goesF
If that thou live God give thee goode chanceG
And in virtue send thee continuanceH
For of thy speaking I have great dainty value esteemI
I have a son and by the TrinityJ
It were me lever than twenty pound worth land I would ratherK
Though it right now were fallen in my handL
He were a man of such discretionM
As that ye be fy on possessionM
But if a man be virtuous withal unlessN
I have my sone snibbed and yet shall rebuked 'snubbed 'B
For he to virtue listeth not t'intend does not wish toO
But for to play at dice and to dispend apply himselfP
And lose all that he hath is his usageQ
And he had lever talke with a pageR
Than to commune with any gentle wightS
There he might learen gentilless aright 'B
-
Straw for your gentillesse ' quoth our HostT
'What Frankelin pardie Sir well thou wost knowestT
That each of you must tellen at the leastT
A tale or two or breake his behest ' promiseU
'That know I well Sir ' quoth the FrankelinM
'I pray you have me not in disdainM
Though I to this man speak a word or two '-
'Tell on thy tale withoute wordes mo' '-
'Gladly Sir Host ' quoth he 'I will obeyV
Unto your will now hearken what I sayV
I will you not contrary in no wise disobeyV
As far as that my wittes may sufficeW
I pray to God that it may please youO
Then wot I well that it is good enowM
-
'These olde gentle Bretons in their daysX
Of divers aventures made lays lt gtT
Rhymeden in their firste Breton tongueY
Which layes with their instruments they sungY
Or elles reade them for their pleasanceX
And one of them have I in remembranceX
Which I shall say with good will as I canM
But Sirs because I am a borel man rude unlearnedT
At my beginning first I you beseechZ
Have me excused of my rude speechZ
I learned never rhetoric certainM
Thing that I speak it must be bare and plainM
I slept never on the mount of ParnassoX
Nor learned Marcus Tullius CiceroA2
Coloures know I none withoute dread doubtT
But such colours as growen in the meadT
Or elles such as men dye with or paintT
Colours of rhetoric be to me quaint strangeB2
My spirit feeleth not of such mattereA2
But if you list my tale shall ye hear '-
-
In Armoric' that called is BretagneM
There was a knight that lov'd and did his pain devoted himselfP
To serve a lady in his beste wise stroveC2
And many a labour many a great emprise enterpriseX
He for his lady wrought ere she were wonM
For she was one the fairest under sunM
And eke thereto come of so high kindredT
That well unnethes durst this knight for dread see note lt gtT
Tell her his woe his pain and his distressX
But at the last she for his worthinessX
And namely for his meek obeisance especiallyJ
Hath such a pity caught of his penance suffering distressX
That privily she fell of his accordT
To take him for her husband and her lordT
Of such lordship as men have o'er their wivesX
And for to lead the more in bliss their livesX
Of his free will he swore her as a knightT
That never in all his life he day nor nightT
Should take upon himself no masteryJ
Against her will nor kithe her jealousy showA2
But her obey and follow her will in allD2
As any lover to his lady shallE2
Save that the name of sovereignetyT
That would he have for shame of his degreeJ
She thanked him and with full great humblessX
She saide 'Sir since of your gentlenessX
Ye proffer me to have so large a reignM
Ne woulde God never betwixt us twainM
As in my guilt were either war or strife see note lt gtT
Sir I will be your humble true wifeF2
Have here my troth till that my hearte brest ' burstT
Thus be they both in quiet and in restT
-
For one thing Sires safely dare I sayX
That friends ever each other must obeyX
If they will longe hold in companyJ
Love will not be constrain'd by masteryJ
When mast'ry comes the god of love anonJ
Beateth lt gt his wings and farewell he is goneJ
Love is a thing as any spirit freeJ
Women of kind desire liberty by natureA2
And not to be constrained as a thrall slaveG2
And so do men if soothly I say shallE2
Look who that is most patient in loveH2
He is at his advantage all above enjoys the highestT
Patience is a high virtue certain advantages of allD2
For it vanquisheth as these clerkes saynJ
Thinges that rigour never should attainJ
For every word men may not chide or plainJ
Learne to suffer or so may I go prosperA2
Ye shall it learn whether ye will or noJ
For in this world certain no wight there isX
That he not doth or saith sometimes amissX
Ire or sickness or constellation the influence ofH2
Wine woe or changing of complexion the planetsX
Causeth full oft to do amiss or speakenJ
On every wrong a man may not be wreaken revengedT
After the time must be temperance according toT
To every wight that can of governance is capable ofH2
And therefore hath this worthy wise knightT
To live in ease sufferance her behight promisedT
And she to him full wisly gan to swear surelyJ
That never should there be default in herA2
Here may men see a humble wife accordT
Thus hath she ta'en her servant and her lordT
Servant in love and lord in marriageI2
Then was he both in lordship and servageI2
Servage nay but in lordship all aboveH2
Since he had both his lady and his loveH2
His lady certes and his wife alsoJ
The which that law of love accordeth toT
And when he was in this prosperrityT
Home with his wife he went to his countryJ
Not far from Penmark lt gt where his dwelling wasX
And there he liv'd in bliss and in solace delightT
Who coulde tell but he had wedded be unlessX
The joy the ease and the prosperityJ
That is betwixt a husband and his wifeF2
A year and more lasted this blissful lifeF2
Till that this knight of whom I spake thusX
That of Cairrud lt gt was call'd ArviragusX
Shope him to go and dwell a year or twain prepared arrangedT
In Engleland that call'd was eke BritainJ
To seek in armes worship and honourJ
For all his lust he set in such labour pleasureJ
And dwelled there two years the book saith thusX
-
Now will I stint of this Arviragus cease speakingJ2
And speak I will of Dorigen his wifeF2
That lov'd her husband as her hearte's lifeF2
For his absence weepeth she and siketh sighethC
As do these noble wives when them likethC
She mourneth waketh waileth fasteth plainethC
Desire of his presence her so distrainethC
That all this wide world she set at noughtT
Her friendes which that knew her heavy thoughtT
Comforte her in all that ever they mayX
They preache her they tell her night and dayX
That causeless she slays herself alasX
And every comfort possible in this caseX
They do to her with all their business assiduityX
And all to make her leave her heavinessX
By process as ye knowen every oneJ
Men may so longe graven in a stoneJ
Till some figure therein imprinted beJ
So long have they comfF2

Geoffrey Chaucer



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