The Deceived Merman (from The Old Danish) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AB CC DE FF GG HH IJ JJ KK LL MM CC CC NN OO PP CC QQ QQ CC RR SS SS TT FF| Fair Agnes alone on the sea shore stood | A |
| Then rose a Merman from out the flood | B |
| - | |
| Now Agnes hear what I say to thee | C |
| Wilt thou my leman consent to be | C |
| - | |
| O freely that will I become | D |
| If thou but take me beneath the foam | E |
| - | |
| He stopp'd her ears and he stopp'd her eyes | F |
| And into the ocean he took his prize | F |
| - | |
| The Merman's leman was Agnes there | G |
| She bore him sons and daughters fair | G |
| - | |
| One day by the cradle she sat and sang | H |
| Then heard she above how the church bells rang | H |
| - | |
| She went to the Merman and kiss'd his brow | I |
| Once more to church I would gladly go | J |
| - | |
| And thou to church once more shalt go | J |
| But come to thy babes back here below | J |
| - | |
| He flung his arm her body around | K |
| And he lifted her up unto England's ground | K |
| - | |
| Fair Agnes in at the church door stepp'd | L |
| Behind her mother who sorely wept | L |
| - | |
| O Agnes Agnes daughter dear | M |
| Where hast thou been this many a year | M |
| - | |
| O I have been deep deep under the sea | C |
| And liv'd with the Merman in love and glee | C |
| - | |
| And what for thy honour did he give thee | C |
| When he made thee his leman beneath the sea | C |
| - | |
| He gave me silver he gave me gold | N |
| And sprigs of coral my hair to hold | N |
| - | |
| The Merman up to the church door came | O |
| His eyes they shone like a yellow flame | O |
| - | |
| His face was white and his beard was green | P |
| A fairer demon was never seen | P |
| - | |
| Now Agnes Agnes list to me | C |
| Thy babes are longing so after thee | C |
| - | |
| I cannot come yet here must I stay | Q |
| Until the priest shall have said his say | Q |
| - | |
| And when the priest had said his say | Q |
| She thought with her mother at home she'd stay | Q |
| - | |
| O Agnes Agnes list to me | C |
| Thy babes are sorrowing after thee | C |
| - | |
| Let them sorrow and sorrow their fill | R |
| But back to them never return I will | R |
| - | |
| Think on them Agnes think on them all | S |
| Think on the great one think on the small | S |
| - | |
| Little O little care I for them all | S |
| Or for the great one or for the small | S |
| - | |
| O bitterly then did the Merman weep | T |
| He hied him back to the foamy deep | T |
| - | |
| But often his shrieks and mournful cries | F |
| At midnight's hour from thence arise | F |
George Borrow
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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