Lara Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B CCDDEEFFGH ICJJKKLLIIMMNN OOEEPPQQRRSSPPMMTT Q UVWXYYZZRRRR RRA2A2RRB2B2C2C2 Q D2E2F2F2FFG2G2H2H2I2 I2J2K2RRQQMM Q F2F2L2L2M2M2JJQQ Q IIOOZZPPN2N2CCL2L2QQ O2O2KK Q QQQQJJP2P2Q2Q2QQRRR2 R2 M M2M2ZZS2S2I2I2L2L2D2 E2S2S2ZZKKT2T2MMDD M RRZZQQQQQQR2U2

LARAA
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CANTO THE FIRSTB
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I-
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The Serfs are glad through Lara's wide domainC
And slavery half forgets her feudal chainC
He their unhoped but unforgotten lordD
The long self exiled chieftain is restoredD
There be bright faces in the busy hallE
Bowls on the board and banners on the wallE
Far chequering o'er the pictured window playsF
The unwonted fagots' hospitable blazeF
And gay retainers gather round the hearthG
With tongues all loudness and with eyes all mirthH
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II-
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The chief of Lara is return'd againI
And why had Lara cross'd the bounding mainC
Left by his sire too young such loss to knowJ
Lord of himself that heritage of woeJ
That fearful empire which the human breastK
But holds to rob the heart within of restK
With none to check and few to point in timeL
The thousand paths that slope the way to crimeL
Then when he most required commandment thenI
Had Lara's daring boyhood govern'd menI
It skills not boots not step by step to traceM
His youth through all the mazes of its raceM
Short was the course his restlessness had runN
But long enough to leave him half undoneN
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III-
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And Lara left in youth his fatherlandO
But from the hour he waved his parting handO
Each trace wax'd fainter of his course till allE
Had nearly ceased his memory to recallE
His sire was dust his vassals could declareP
'Twas all they knew that Lara was not thereP
Nor sent nor came he till conjecture grewQ
Cold in the many anxious in the fewQ
His hall scarce echoes with his wonted nameR
His portrait darkens in its fading frameR
Another chief consoled his destined brideS
The young forgot him and the old had diedS
Yet doth he live exclaims the impatient heirP
And sighs for sables which he must not wearP
A hundred scutcheons deck with gloomy graceM
The Laras' last and longest dwelling placeM
But one is absent from the mouldering fileT
That now were welcome to that Gothic pileT
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IVQ
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He comes at last in sudden lonelinessU
And whence they know not why they need not guessV
They more might marvel when the greeting's o'erW
Not that he came but came not long beforeX
No train is his beyond a single pageY
Of foreign aspect and of tender ageY
Years had roll'd on and fast they speed awayZ
To those that wander as to those that stayZ
But lack of tidings from another climeR
Had lent a flagging wing to weary TimeR
They see they recognise yet almost deemR
The present dubious or the past a dreamR
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He lives nor yet is past his manhood's primeR
Though sear'd by toil and something touch'd by timeR
His faults whate'er they were if scarce forgotA2
Might be untaught him by his varied lotA2
Nor good nor ill of late were known his nameR
Might yet uphold his patrimonial fameR
His soul in youth was haughty but his sinsB2
No more than pleasure from the stripling winsB2
And such if not yet harden'd in their courseC2
Might be redeem'd nor ask a long remorseC2
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VQ
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And they indeed were changed 'tis quickly seenD2
Whate'er he be 'twas not what he had beenE2
That brow in furrow'd lines had fix'd at lastF2
And spake of passions but of passion pastF2
The pride but not the fire of early daysF
Coldness of mien and carelessness of praiseF
A high demeanour and a glance that tookG2
Their thoughts from others by a single lookG2
And that sarcastic levity of tongueH2
The stinging of a heart the world hath stungH2
That darts in seeming playfulness aroundI2
And makes those feel that will not own the woundI2
All these seem'd his and something more beneathJ2
Than glance could well reveal or accent breatheK2
Ambition glory love the common aimR
That some can conquer and that all would claimR
Within his breast appear'd no more to striveQ
Yet seem'd as lately they had been aliveQ
And some deep feeling it were vain to traceM
At moments lighten'd o'er his livid faceM
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VIQ
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Not much he loved long question of the pastF2
Nor told of wondrous wilds and deserts vastF2
In those far lands where he had wander'd loneL2
And as himself would have it seem unknownL2
Yet these in vain his eye could scarcely scanM2
Nor glean experience from his fellow manM2
But what he had beheld he shunn'd to showJ
As hardly worth a stranger's care to knowJ
If still more prying such inquiry grewQ
His brow fell darker and his words more fewQ
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VIIQ
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Not unrejoiced to see him once againI
Warm was his welcome to the haunts of menI
Born of high lineage link'd in high commandO
He mingled with the magnates of his landO
Join'd the carousals of the great and gayZ
And saw them smile or sigh their hours awayZ
But still he only saw and did not shareP
The common pleasure or the general careP
He did not follow what they all pursuedN2
With hope still baffled still to be renew'dN2
Nor shadowy honour nor substantial gainC
Nor beauty's preference and the rival's painC
Around him some mysterious circle thrownL2
Repell'd approach and showed him still aloneL2
Upon his eye sate something of reproofQ
That kept at least frivolity aloofQ
And things more timid that beheld him nearO2
In silence gazed or whisper'd mutual fearO2
And they the wiser friendlier few confess'dK
They deem'd him better than his air express'dK
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VIIIQ
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'Twas strange in youth all action and all lifeQ
Burning for pleasure not averse from strifeQ
Woman the field the ocean all that gaveQ
Promise of gladness peril of a graveQ
In turn he tried he ransack'd all belowJ
And found his recompence in joy or woeJ
No tame trite medium for his feelings soughtP2
In that intenseness an escape from thoughtP2
The tempest of his heart in scorn had gazedQ2
On that the feebler elements hath raisedQ2
The rapture of his heart had look'd on highQ
And ask'd if greater dwelt beyond the skyQ
Chain'd to excess the slave of each extremeR
How woke he from the wildness of that dreamR
Alas he told not but he did awakeR2
To curse the wither'd heart that would not breakR2
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IXM
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Books for his volume heretofore was ManM2
With eye more curious he appear'd to scanM2
And oft in sudden mood for many a dayZ
From all communion he would start awayZ
And then his rarely call'd attendants saidS2
Through night's long hours would sound his hurried treadS2
O'er the dark gallery where his fathers frown'dI2
In rude but antique portraiture aroundI2
They heard but whisper'd that must not be knownL2
The sound of words less earthly than his ownL2
Yes they who chose might smile but some had seenD2
They scarce knew what but more than should have beenE2
Why gazed he so upon the ghastly headS2
Which hands profane had gather'd from the deadS2
That still beside his open'd volume layZ
As if to startle all save him awayZ
Why slept he not when others were at restK
Why heard no music and received no guestK
All was not well they deem'd but where the wrongT2
Some knew perchance but 'twere a tale too longT2
And such besides were too discreetly wiseM
To more than hint their knowledge in surmiseM
But if they would they could around the boardD
Thus Lara's vassals prattled of their lordD
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XM
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It was the night and Lara's glassy streamR
The stars are studding each with imaged beamR
So calm the waters scarcely seem to strayZ
And yet they glide like happiness awayZ
Reflecting far and fairy like from highQ
The immortal lights that live along the skyQ
Its banks are fringed with many a goodly treeQ
And flowers the fairest that may feast the beeQ
Such in her chaplet infant Dian woveQ
And Innocence would offer to her loveQ
These deck the shore the waves their channel makeR2
In windings bright and mazy like thU2

George Gordon Byron



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