Parisina Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDEEFFGGHH IJJKKLLMMNNOOPP IQQRRHSHTUHUHVVLLWWX X YYWYWZLZLA2A2ZZB2B2C 2C2 YD2QD2QE2E2F2HF2HE2E 2E2E2G2G2 YB2BB2BH2H2XXE2E2I2I 2J2J2XK2XK2E2E2L2L2M 2M2QQ YSN2TN2N2O2E2E2O2P2P 2QQ YQQJ2J2Q2LLQ2R2R2DC E2HQHQN2N2N2QQE2LS2E 2T2T2 E2YH2YH2QQU2QU2QQV2V 2HHW2W2N2N2N2E2E2N2N 2QQX2X2Y2Y2QQJ2J2C2C 2 N2QQQQQQN2N2QQQJ2N2Q Q N2HL2HL2V2L2L2N2QN2QIt is the hour when from the boughs | A |
The nightingale's high note is heard | B |
It is the hour when lovers' vows | A |
Seem sweet in every whisper'd word | B |
And gentle winds and waters near | C |
Make music to the lonely ear | D |
Each flower the dews have lightly wet | E |
And in the sky the stars are met | E |
And on the wave is deeper blue | F |
And on the leaf a browner hue | F |
And in the heaven that clear obscure | G |
So softly dark and darkly pure | G |
Which follows the decline of day | H |
As twilight melts beneath the moon away | H |
- | |
II | I |
But it is not to list to the waterfall | J |
That Parisina leaves her hall | J |
And it is not to gaze on the heavenly light | K |
That the lady walks in the shadow of night | K |
And if she sits in Este's bower | L |
'Tis not for the sake of its full blown flower | L |
She listens but not for the nightingale | M |
Though her ear expects as soft a tale | M |
There glides a step through the foliage thick | N |
And her cheek grows pale and her heart beats quick | N |
There whispers a voice through the rustling leaves | O |
And her blush returns and her bosom heaves | O |
A moment more and they shall meet | P |
'Tis past her lover's at her feet | P |
- | |
III | I |
And what unto them is the world beside | Q |
With all its change of time and tide | Q |
Its living things its earth and sky | R |
Are nothing to their mind and eye | R |
And heedless as the dead are they | H |
Of aught around above beneath | S |
As if all else had pass'd away | H |
They only for each other breathe | T |
Their very sighs are full of joy | U |
So deep that did it not decay | H |
That happy madness would destroy | U |
The hearts which feel its fiery sway | H |
Of guilt of peril do they deem | V |
In that tumultuous tender dream | V |
Who that have felt that passion's power | L |
Or paused or fear'd in such an hour | L |
Or thought how brief such moments last | W |
But yet they are already past | W |
Alas we must awake before | X |
We know such vision comes no more | X |
- | |
IV | Y |
With many a lingering look they leave | Y |
The spot of guilty gladness past | W |
And though they hope and vow they grieve | Y |
As if that parting were the last | W |
The frequent sigh the long embrace | Z |
The lip that there would cling for ever | L |
While gleams on Parisina's face | Z |
The Heaven she fears will not forgive her | L |
As if each calmly conscious star | A2 |
Beheld her frailty from afar | A2 |
The frequent sigh the long embrace | Z |
Yet binds them to their trysting place | Z |
But it must come and they must part | B2 |
In fearful heaviness of heart | B2 |
With all the deep and shuddering chill | C2 |
Which follows fast the deeds of ill | C2 |
- | |
V | Y |
And Hugo is gone to his lone bed | D2 |
To covet there another's bride | Q |
But she must lay her conscious head | D2 |
A husband's trusting heart beside | Q |
But fever'd in her sleep she seems | E2 |
And red her cheek with troubled dreams | E2 |
And mutters she in her unrest | F2 |
A name she dare not breathe by day | H |
And clasps her lord unto the breast | F2 |
Which pants for one away | H |
And he to that embrace awakes | E2 |
And happy in the thought mistakes | E2 |
That dreaming sigh and warm caress | E2 |
For such as he was wont to bless | E2 |
And could in very fondness weep | G2 |
O'er her who loves him even in sleep | G2 |
- | |
VI | Y |
He clasp'd her sleeping to his heart | B2 |
And listen'd to each broken word | B |
He hears Why doth Prince Azo start | B2 |
As if the Archangel's voice he heard | B |
And well he may a deeper doom | H2 |
Could scarcely thunder o'er his tomb | H2 |
When he shall wake to sleep no more | X |
And stand the eternal throne before | X |
And well he may his earthly peace | E2 |
Upon that sound is doom'd to cease | E2 |
That sleeping whisper of a name | I2 |
Bespeaks her guilt and Azo's shame | I2 |
And whose that name that o'er his pillow | J2 |
Sounds fearful as the breaking billow | J2 |
Which rolls the plank upon the shore | X |
And dashes on the pointed rock | K2 |
The wretch who sinks to rise no more | X |
So came upon his soul the shock | K2 |
And whose that name 'tis Hugo's his | E2 |
In sooth he had not deem'd of this | E2 |
'Tis Hugo's he the child of one | L2 |
He loved his own all evil son | L2 |
The offspring of his wayward youth | M2 |
When he betray'd Bianca's truth | M2 |
The maid whose folly could confide | Q |
In him who made her not his bride | Q |
- | |
VII | Y |
He pluck'd his poniard in its sheath | S |
But sheathed it ere the point was bare | N2 |
Howe'er unworthy now to breathe | T |
He could not slay a thing so fair | N2 |
At least not smiling sleeping there | N2 |
Nay more he did not wake her then | O2 |
But gazed upon her with a glance | E2 |
Which had she roused her from her trance | E2 |
Had frozen her sense to sleep again | O2 |
And o'er his brow the burning lamp | P2 |
Gleam'd on the dew drops big and damp | P2 |
She spake no more but still she slumber'd | Q |
While in his thought her days are number'd | Q |
- | |
VIII | Y |
And with the morn he sought and found | Q |
In many a tale from those around | Q |
The proof of all he fear'd to know | J2 |
Their present guilt his future woe | J2 |
The long conniving damsels seek | Q2 |
To save themselves and would transfer | L |
The guilt the shame the doom to her | L |
Concealment is no more they speak | Q2 |
All circumstance which may compel | R2 |
Full credence to the tale they tell | R2 |
And Azo's tortured heart and ear | D |
Have nothing more to feel or fear | C |
- | |
IX | E2 |
He was not one who brook'd delay | H |
Within the chamber of his state | Q |
The chief of Este's ancient sway | H |
Upon his throne of judgment sate | Q |
His nobles and his guards are there | N2 |
Before him is the sinful pair | N2 |
Both young and one how passing fair | N2 |
With swordless belt and fetter'd hand | Q |
O Christ that thus a son should stand | Q |
Before a father's face | E2 |
Yet thus must Hugo meet his sire | L |
And hear the sentence of his ire | S2 |
The tale of his disgrace | E2 |
And yet he seems not overcome | T2 |
Although as yet his voice be dumb | T2 |
- | |
X | E2 |
And still and pale and silently | Y |
Did Parisina wait her doom | H2 |
How changed since last her speaking eye | Y |
Glanced gladness round the glittering room | H2 |
Where high born men were proud to wait | Q |
Where beauty watch'd to imitate | Q |
Her gentle voice her lovely mien | U2 |
And gather from her air and gait | Q |
The graces of its queen | U2 |
Then had her eye in sorrow wept | Q |
A thousand warriors forth had leapt | Q |
A thousand swords had sheathless shone | V2 |
And made her quarrel all their own | V2 |
Now what is she and what are they | H |
Can she command or these obey | H |
All silent and unheeding now | W2 |
With downcast eyes and knitting brow | W2 |
And folded arms and freezing air | N2 |
And lips that scarce their scorn forbear | N2 |
Her knights and dames her court is there | N2 |
And he the chosen one whose lance | E2 |
Had yet been couch'd before her glance | E2 |
Who were his arm a moment free | N2 |
Had died or gain'd her liberty | N2 |
The minion of his father's bride | Q |
He too is fetter'd by her side | Q |
Nor sees her swoln and full eye swim | X2 |
Less for her own despair than him | X2 |
Those lids o'er which the violet vein | Y2 |
Wandering leaves a tender stain | Y2 |
Shining through the smoothest white | Q |
That e'er did softest kiss invite | Q |
Now seem'd with hot and livid glow | J2 |
To press not shade the orbs below | J2 |
Which glance so heavily and fill | C2 |
As tear on tear grows gathering still | C2 |
- | |
XI | N2 |
And he for her had also wept | Q |
But for the eyes that on him gazed | Q |
His sorrow if he felt it slept | Q |
Stern and erect his brow was raised | Q |
Whate'er the grief his soul avow'd | Q |
He would not shrink before the crowd | Q |
But yet he dared not look on her | N2 |
Remembrance of the hours that were | N2 |
His guilt his love his present state | Q |
His father's wrath all good men's hate | Q |
His earthly his eternal fate | Q |
And hers oh hers he dared not throw | J2 |
One look upon that deathlike brow | N2 |
Else had his rising heart betray'd | Q |
Remorse for all the wreck it made | Q |
- | |
XII | N2 |
And Azo spake 'But yesterday | H |
I gloried in a wife and son | L2 |
That dream this morning pass'd away | H |
Ere day declines I shall have none | L2 |
My life must linger on alone | V2 |
Well let that pass there breathes not one | L2 |
Who would not do as I have done | L2 |
Those ties are broken not by me | N2 |
Let that too pass the doom's prepared | Q |
Hugo the priest awaits on thee | N2 |
And | Q |
George Gordon Byron
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