The Island - Canto The Third. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDBBEFGHIIJJEE A KKLLMMNNOOPPQRSSKKKK KKTTUUKKVVWWLLNNDUFE A XYZZA2A2UUB2B2C2C2UU D2D2NNKKE2E2UUF2F2 N G2G2H2H2UI2H2H2H2H2H 2H2H2H2RRJ2J2GGK2K2K KL2L2M2M2EEUUKKKK N N2N2J2J2KKHHH2O2HHH2 H2KKH2H2 N H2H2KKNNP2P2H2H2KKH2 H2I2I2UUNNNNUUNN N NNNNH2H2NNUUI2UH2H2N NC2C2 N H2H2NNH2H2H2H2EENNH2 H2Q2Q2NN N O2O2P2P2NNUUEENN N H2H2H2H2EUH2UNNEEUUU UH2H2EEH2H2UUNNNN| I | A |
| - | |
| The fight was o'er the flashing through the gloom | B |
| Which robes the cannon as he wings a tomb | B |
| Had ceased and sulphury vapours upward driven | C |
| Had left the Earth and but polluted Heaven | C |
| The rattling roar which rung in every volley | D |
| Had left the echoes to their melancholy | D |
| No more they shrieked their horror boom for boom | B |
| The strife was done the vanquished had their doom | B |
| The mutineers were crushed dispersed or ta'en | E |
| Or lived to deem the happiest were the slain | F |
| Few few escaped and these were hunted o'er | G |
| The isle they loved beyond their native shore | H |
| No further home was theirs it seemed on earth | I |
| Once renegades to that which gave them birth | I |
| Tracked like wild beasts like them they sought the wild | J |
| As to a Mother's bosom flies the child | J |
| But vainly wolves and lions seek their den | E |
| And still more vainly men escape from men | E |
| - | |
| - | |
| II | A |
| - | |
| Beneath a rock whose jutting base protrudes | K |
| Far over Ocean in its fiercest moods | K |
| When scaling his enormous crag the wave | L |
| Is hurled down headlong like the foremost brave | L |
| And falls back on the foaming crowd behind | M |
| Which fight beneath the banners of the wind | M |
| But now at rest a little remnant drew | N |
| Together bleeding thirsty faint and few | N |
| But still their weapons in their hands and still | O |
| With something of the pride of former will | O |
| As men not all unused to meditate | P |
| And strive much more than wonder at their fate | P |
| Their present lot was what they had foreseen | Q |
| And dared as what was likely to have been | R |
| Yet still the lingering hope which deemed their lot | S |
| Not pardoned but unsought for or forgot | S |
| Or trusted that if sought their distant caves | K |
| Might still be missed amidst the world of waves | K |
| Had weaned their thoughts in part from what they saw | K |
| And felt the vengeance of their country's law | K |
| Their sea green isle their guilt won Paradise | K |
| No more could shield their Virtue or their Vice | K |
| Their better feelings if such were were thrown | T |
| Back on themselves their sins remained alone | T |
| Proscribed even in their second country they | U |
| Were lost in vain the World before them lay | U |
| All outlets seemed secured Their new allies | K |
| Had fought and bled in mutual sacrifice | K |
| But what availed the club and spear and arm | V |
| Of Hercules against the sulphury charm | V |
| The magic of the thunder which destroyed | W |
| The warrior ere his strength could be employed | W |
| Dug like a spreading pestilence the grave | L |
| No less of human bravery than the brave | L |
| Their own scant numbers acted all the few | N |
| Against the many oft will dare and do | N |
| But though the choice seems native to die free | D |
| Even Greece can boast but one Thermopyl | U |
| Till now when she has forged her broken chain | F |
| Back to a sword and dies and lives again | E |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| III | A |
| - | |
| Beside the jutting rock the few appeared | X |
| Like the last remnant of the red deer's herd | Y |
| Their eyes were feverish and their aspect worn | Z |
| But still the hunter's blood was on their horn | Z |
| A little stream came tumbling from the height | A2 |
| And straggling into ocean as it might | A2 |
| Its bounding crystal frolicked in the ray | U |
| And gushed from cliff to crag with saltless spray | U |
| Close on the wild wide ocean yet as pure | B2 |
| And fresh as Innocence and more secure | B2 |
| Its silver torrent glittered o'er the deep | C2 |
| As the shy chamois' eye o'erlooks the steep | C2 |
| While far below the vast and sullen swell | U |
| Of Ocean's alpine azure rose and fell | U |
| To this young spring they rushed all feelings first | D2 |
| Absorbed in Passion's and in Nature's thirst | D2 |
| Drank as they do who drink their last and threw | N |
| Their arms aside to revel in its dew | N |
| Cooled their scorched throats and washed the gory stains | K |
| From wounds whose only bandage might be chains | K |
| Then when their drought was quenched looked sadly round | E2 |
| As wondering how so many still were found | E2 |
| Alive and fetterless but silent all | U |
| Each sought his fellow's eyes as if to call | U |
| On him for language which his lips denied | F2 |
| As though their voices with their cause had died | F2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| IV | N |
| - | |
| Stern and aloof a little from the rest | G2 |
| Stood Christian with his arms across his chest | G2 |
| The ruddy reckless dauntless hue once spread | H2 |
| Along his cheek was livid now as lead | H2 |
| His light brown locks so graceful in their flow | U |
| Now rose like startled vipers o'er his brow | I2 |
| Still as a statue with his lips comprest | H2 |
| To stifle even the breath within his breast | H2 |
| Fast by the rock all menacing but mute | H2 |
| He stood and save a slight beat of his foot | H2 |
| Which deepened now and then the sandy dint | H2 |
| Beneath his heel his form seemed turned to flint | H2 |
| Some paces further Torquil leaned his head | H2 |
| Against a bank and spoke not but he bled | H2 |
| Not mortally his worst wound was within | R |
| His brow was pale his blue eyes sunken in | R |
| And blood drops sprinkled o'er his yellow hair | J2 |
| Showed that his faintness came not from despair | J2 |
| But Nature's ebb Beside him was another | G |
| Rough as a bear but willing as a brother | G |
| Ben Bunting who essayed to wash and wipe | K2 |
| And bind his wound then calmly lit his pipe | K2 |
| A trophy which survived a hundred fights | K |
| A beacon which had cheered ten thousand nights | K |
| The fourth and last of this deserted group | L2 |
| Walked up and down at times would stand then stoop | L2 |
| To pick a pebble up then let it drop | M2 |
| Then hurry as in haste then quickly stop | M2 |
| Then cast his eyes on his companions then | E |
| Half whistle half a tune and pause again | E |
| And then his former movements would redouble | U |
| With something between carelessness and trouble | U |
| This is a long description but applies | K |
| To scarce five minutes passed before the eyes | K |
| But yet what minutes Moments like to these | K |
| Rend men's lives into immortalities | K |
| - | |
| - | |
| V | N |
| - | |
| At length Jack Skyscrape a mercurial man | N2 |
| Who fluttered over all things like a fan | N2 |
| More brave than firm and more disposed to dare | J2 |
| And die at once than wrestle with despair | J2 |
| Exclaimed G d damn those syllables intense | K |
| Nucleus of England's native eloquence | K |
| As the Turk's Allah or the Roman's more | H |
| Pagan Proh Jupiter was wont of yore | H |
| To give their first impressions such a vent | H2 |
| By way of echo to embarrassment fq | O2 |
| Jack was embarrassed never hero more | H |
| And as he knew not what to say he swore | H |
| Nor swore in vain the long congenial sound | H2 |
| Revived Ben Bunting from his pipe profound | H2 |
| He drew it from his mouth and looked full wise | K |
| But merely added to the oath his eyes | K |
| Thus rendering the imperfect phrase complete | H2 |
| A peroration I need not repeat | H2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| VI | N |
| - | |
| But Christian of a higher order stood | H2 |
| Like an extinct volcano in his mood | H2 |
| Silent and sad and savage with the trace | K |
| Of passion reeking from his clouded face | K |
| Till lifting up again his sombre eye | N |
| It glanced on Torquil who leaned faintly by | N |
| And is it thus he cried unhappy boy | P2 |
| And thee too thee my madness must destroy | P2 |
| He said and strode to where young Torquil stood | H2 |
| Yet dabbled with his lately flowing blood | H2 |
| Seized his hand wistfully but did not press | K |
| And shrunk as fearful of his own caress | K |
| Enquired into his state and when he heard | H2 |
| The wound was slighter than he deemed or feared | H2 |
| A moment's brightness passed along his brow | I2 |
| As much as such a moment would allow | I2 |
| Yes he exclaimed we are taken in the toil | U |
| But not a coward or a common spoil | U |
| Dearly they have bought us dearly still may buy | N |
| And I must fall but have you strength to fly | N |
| 'Twould be some comfort still could you survive | N |
| Our dwindled band is now too few to strive | N |
| Oh for a sole canoe though but a shell | U |
| To bear you hence to where a hope may dwell | U |
| For me my lot is what I sought to be | N |
| In life or death the fearless and the free | N |
| - | |
| - | |
| VII | N |
| - | |
| Even as he spoke around the promontory | N |
| Which nodded o'er the billows high and hoary | N |
| A dark speck dotted Ocean on it flew | N |
| Like to the shadow of a roused sea mew | N |
| Onward it came and lo a second followed | H2 |
| Now seen now hid where Ocean's vale was hollowed | H2 |
| And near and nearer till the dusky crew | N |
| Presented well known aspects to the view | N |
| Till on the surf their skimming paddles play | U |
| Buoyant as wings and flitting through the spray | U |
| Now perching on the wave's high curl and now | I2 |
| Dashed downward in the thundering foam below | U |
| Which flings it broad and boiling sheet on sheet | H2 |
| And slings its high flakes shivered into sleet | H2 |
| But floating still through surf and swell drew nigh | N |
| The barks like small birds through a lowering sky | N |
| Their art seemed nature such the skill to sweep | C2 |
| The wave of these born playmates of the deep | C2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| VIII | N |
| - | |
| And who the first that springing on the strand | H2 |
| Leaped like a Nereid from her shell to land | H2 |
| With dark but brilliant skin and dewy eye | N |
| Shining with love and hope and constancy | N |
| Neuha the fond the faithful the adored | H2 |
| Her heart on Torquil's like a torrent poured | H2 |
| And smiled and wept and near and nearer clasped | H2 |
| As if to be assured 'twas him she grasped | H2 |
| Shuddered to see his yet warm wound and then | E |
| To find it trivial smiled and wept again | E |
| She was a warrior's daughter and could bear | N |
| Such sights and feel and mourn but not despair | N |
| Her lover lived nor foes nor fears could blight | H2 |
| That full blown moment in its all delight | H2 |
| Joy trickled in her tears joy filled the sob | Q2 |
| That rocked her heart till almost heard to throb | Q2 |
| And Paradise was breathing in the sigh | N |
| Of Nature's child in Nature's ecstasy | N |
| - | |
| - | |
| IX | N |
| - | |
| The sterner spirits who beheld that meeting | O2 |
| Were not unmoved who are when hearts are greeting | O2 |
| Even Christian gazed upon the maid and boy | P2 |
| With tearless eye but yet a gloomy joy | P2 |
| Mixed with those bitter thoughts the soul arrays | N |
| In hopeless visions of our better days | N |
| When all's gone to the rainbow's latest ray | U |
| And but for me he said and turned away | U |
| Then gazed upon the pair as in his den | E |
| A lion looks upon his cubs again | E |
| And then relapsed into his sullen guise | N |
| As heedless of his further destinies | N |
| - | |
| - | |
| X | N |
| - | |
| But brief their time for good or evil thought | H2 |
| The billows round the promontory brought | H2 |
| The plash of hostile oars Alas who made | H2 |
| That sound a dread All around them seemed arrayed | H2 |
| Against them save the bride of Toobonai | E |
| She as she caught the first glimpse o'er the bay | U |
| Of the armed boats which hurried to complete | H2 |
| The remnant's ruin with their flying feet fr | U |
| Beckoned the natives round her to their prows | N |
| Embarked their guests and launched their light canoes | N |
| In one placed Christian and his comrades twain | E |
| But she and Torquil must not part again | E |
| She fixed him in her own Away away | U |
| They cleared the breakers dart along the bay | U |
| And towards a group of islets such as bear | U |
| The sea bird's nest and seal's surf hollowed lair | U |
| They skim the blue tops of the billows fast | H2 |
| They flew and fast their fierce pursuers chased | H2 |
| They gain upon them now they lose again | E |
| Again make way and menace o'er the main | E |
| And now the two canoes in chase divide | H2 |
| And follow different courses o'er the tide | H2 |
| To baffle the pursuit Away away | U |
| As Life is on each paddle's flight to day | U |
| And more than Life or lives to Neuha Love | N |
| Freights the frail bark and urges to the cove | N |
| And now the refuge and the foe are nigh | N |
| Yet yet a moment Fly thou light ark fly | N |
George Gordon Byron
(1)
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The Island - Canto The Third. is a poem by George Gordon Byron. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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