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 N2HL2HL2V2L2L2N2QN2Q

It is the hour when from the boughsA
The nightingale's high note is heardB
It is the hour when lovers' vowsA
Seem sweet in every whisper'd wordB
And gentle winds and waters nearC
Make music to the lonely earD
Each flower the dews have lightly wetE
And in the sky the stars are metE
And on the wave is deeper blueF
And on the leaf a browner hueF
And in the heaven that clear obscureG
So softly dark and darkly pureG
Which follows the decline of dayH
As twilight melts beneath the moon awayH
-
III
But it is not to list to the waterfallJ
That Parisina leaves her hallJ
And it is not to gaze on the heavenly lightK
That the lady walks in the shadow of nightK
And if she sits in Este's bowerL
'Tis not for the sake of its full blown flowerL
She listens but not for the nightingaleM
Though her ear expects as soft a taleM
There glides a step through the foliage thickN
And her cheek grows pale and her heart beats quickN
There whispers a voice through the rustling leavesO
And her blush returns and her bosom heavesO
A moment more and they shall meetP
'Tis past her lover's at her feetP
-
IIII
And what unto them is the world besideQ
With all its change of time and tideQ
Its living things its earth and skyR
Are nothing to their mind and eyeR
And heedless as the dead are theyH
Of aught around above beneathS
As if all else had pass'd awayH
They only for each other breatheT
Their very sighs are full of joyU
So deep that did it not decayH
That happy madness would destroyU
The hearts which feel its fiery swayH
Of guilt of peril do they deemV
In that tumultuous tender dreamV
Who that have felt that passion's powerL
Or paused or fear'd in such an hourL
Or thought how brief such moments lastW
But yet they are already pastW
Alas we must awake beforeX
We know such vision comes no moreX
-
IVY
With many a lingering look they leaveY
The spot of guilty gladness pastW
And though they hope and vow they grieveY
As if that parting were the lastW
The frequent sigh the long embraceZ
The lip that there would cling for everL
While gleams on Parisina's faceZ
The Heaven she fears will not forgive herL
As if each calmly conscious starA2
Beheld her frailty from afarA2
The frequent sigh the long embraceZ
Yet binds them to their trysting placeZ
But it must come and they must partB2
In fearful heaviness of heartB2
With all the deep and shuddering chillC2
Which follows fast the deeds of illC2
-
VY
And Hugo is gone to his lone bedD2
To covet there another's brideQ
But she must lay her conscious headD2
A husband's trusting heart besideQ
But fever'd in her sleep she seemsE2
And red her cheek with troubled dreamsE2
And mutters she in her unrestF2
A name she dare not breathe by dayH
And clasps her lord unto the breastF2
Which pants for one awayH
And he to that embrace awakesE2
And happy in the thought mistakesE2
That dreaming sigh and warm caressE2
For such as he was wont to blessE2
And could in very fondness weepG2
O'er her who loves him even in sleepG2
-
VIY
He clasp'd her sleeping to his heartB2
And listen'd to each broken wordB
He hears Why doth Prince Azo startB2
As if the Archangel's voice he heardB
And well he may a deeper doomH2
Could scarcely thunder o'er his tombH2
When he shall wake to sleep no moreX
And stand the eternal throne beforeX
And well he may his earthly peaceE2
Upon that sound is doom'd to ceaseE2
That sleeping whisper of a nameI2
Bespeaks her guilt and Azo's shameI2
And whose that name that o'er his pillowJ2
Sounds fearful as the breaking billowJ2
Which rolls the plank upon the shoreX
And dashes on the pointed rockK2
The wretch who sinks to rise no moreX
So came upon his soul the shockK2
And whose that name 'tis Hugo's hisE2
In sooth he had not deem'd of thisE2
'Tis Hugo's he the child of oneL2
He loved his own all evil sonL2
The offspring of his wayward youthM2
When he betray'd Bianca's truthM2
The maid whose folly could confideQ
In him who made her not his brideQ
-
VIIY
He pluck'd his poniard in its sheathS
But sheathed it ere the point was bareN2
Howe'er unworthy now to breatheT
He could not slay a thing so fairN2
At least not smiling sleeping thereN2
Nay more he did not wake her thenO2
But gazed upon her with a glanceE2
Which had she roused her from her tranceE2
Had frozen her sense to sleep againO2
And o'er his brow the burning lampP2
Gleam'd on the dew drops big and dampP2
She spake no more but still she slumber'dQ
While in his thought her days are number'dQ
-
VIIIY
And with the morn he sought and foundQ
In many a tale from those aroundQ
The proof of all he fear'd to knowJ2
Their present guilt his future woeJ2
The long conniving damsels seekQ2
To save themselves and would transferL
The guilt the shame the doom to herL
Concealment is no more they speakQ2
All circumstance which may compelR2
Full credence to the tale they tellR2
And Azo's tortured heart and earD
Have nothing more to feel or fearC
-
IXE2
He was not one who brook'd delayH
Within the chamber of his stateQ
The chief of Este's ancient swayH
Upon his throne of judgment sateQ
His nobles and his guards are thereN2
Before him is the sinful pairN2
Both young and one how passing fairN2
With swordless belt and fetter'd handQ
O Christ that thus a son should standQ
Before a father's faceE2
Yet thus must Hugo meet his sireL
And hear the sentence of his ireS2
The tale of his disgraceE2
And yet he seems not overcomeT2
Although as yet his voice be dumbT2
-
XE2
And still and pale and silentlyY
Did Parisina wait her doomH2
How changed since last her speaking eyeY
Glanced gladness round the glittering roomH2
Where high born men were proud to waitQ
Where beauty watch'd to imitateQ
Her gentle voice her lovely mienU2
And gather from her air and gaitQ
The graces of its queenU2
Then had her eye in sorrow weptQ
A thousand warriors forth had leaptQ
A thousand swords had sheathless shoneV2
And made her quarrel all their ownV2
Now what is she and what are theyH
Can she command or these obeyH
All silent and unheeding nowW2
With downcast eyes and knitting browW2
And folded arms and freezing airN2
And lips that scarce their scorn forbearN2
Her knights and dames her court is thereN2
And he the chosen one whose lanceE2
Had yet been couch'd before her glanceE2
Who were his arm a moment freeN2
Had died or gain'd her libertyN2
The minion of his father's brideQ
He too is fetter'd by her sideQ
Nor sees her swoln and full eye swimX2
Less for her own despair than himX2
Those lids o'er which the violet veinY2
Wandering leaves a tender stainY2
Shining through the smoothest whiteQ
That e'er did softest kiss inviteQ
Now seem'd with hot and livid glowJ2
To press not shade the orbs belowJ2
Which glance so heavily and fillC2
As tear on tear grows gathering stillC2
-
XIN2
And he for her had also weptQ
But for the eyes that on him gazedQ
His sorrow if he felt it sleptQ
Stern and erect his brow was raisedQ
Whate'er the grief his soul avow'dQ
He would not shrink before the crowdQ
But yet he dared not look on herN2
Remembrance of the hours that wereN2
His guilt his love his present stateQ
His father's wrath all good men's hateQ
His earthly his eternal fateQ
And hers oh hers he dared not throwJ2
One look upon that deathlike browN2
Else had his rising heart betray'dQ
Remorse for all the wreck it madeQ
-
XIIN2
And Azo spake 'But yesterdayH
I gloried in a wife and sonL2
That dream this morning pass'd awayH
Ere day declines I shall have noneL2
My life must linger on aloneV2
Well let that pass there breathes not oneL2
Who would not do as I have doneL2
Those ties are broken not by meN2
Let that too pass the doom's preparedQ
Hugo the priest awaits on theeN2
AndQ

George Gordon Byron



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