Lycabas Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABC BADBD AAEFBBFGEGHHIBBIII ABBIIBBJIAAJI AAAIIIKGGGAALML IIAKMAII DDDNDDDGDDG BBIOOGOIOOIGPPO DDDDDBBIIPPDDDDD NDDGGDDDNOODDDGGGDDD QQDDGGDDIINB

A name of the Year Some say the word means a march of wolvesA
which wolves running in single file are the Months of the YearB
Others say the word means the path of the lightC
-
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O ye months of the yearB
Are ye a march of wolvesA
Lycabas Lycabas twelve to growl and slayD
Men hearken at night and lie in fearB
Some men hearken all dayD
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Lycabas verily thou art a gallop of wolvesA
Gaunt gray wolves gray months of the year hunting in twelvesA
Running and howling head to tailE
In a single file over the snowF
A long low gliding of silent horror and fearB
On and on ghastly and drearB
Not a head turning not a foot swerving ye goF
Twelve making only a one wolf trackG
Onward ye howl and behind we wailE
Wail behind your narrow and slackG
Wallowing line and moan and weepH
As ye draw it on straight and deepH
Thorough the night so swartI
Behind you a desert and eyes a wearyB
A long bare highway stony and drearyB
A hungry soul and a wolf cub wraptI
A live wolf cub sharp toothed steel chaptI
In the garment next the heartI
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LycabasA
One of them hurt me soreB
Two of them hurt and toreB
Three of them made me bleedI
The fourth did a terrible deedI
Rent me the worst of the fourB
Rent me and shook me and toreB
And ran away with a growlJ
Lycabas if I feared you a jotI
You and your devils running in twelvesA
Black mouthed hell throated straight going wolvesA
I would run like a wolf I too and howlJ
I live and I fear you notI
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But shall I not hate you low galloping wolvesA
Hunting in ceaseless twelvesA
Ye have hunted away my lambsA
Ye ran at them open mouthedI
And your mouths were gleamy toothedI
And their whiteness with red foam frothedI
And your throats were a purple black gulfK
My lambs they fled and they came not backG
Lovely white lambs they were alackG
They fled afar and they left a trackG
Which at night when the lone sky clearsA
Glistens with Nature's tearsA
Many a shepherd scarce thinks of a lambL
But he hears behind it the growl of a wolfM
And behind that the wail of its damL
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They ran nor cried but fledI
From day's sweet pasture from night's soft bedI
Ah me the look in their eyesA
For behind them rushed the swallowing gulfK
The maw of the growl throated wolfM
And they fled as the thing that speeds or diesA
They looked not behindI
But fled as over the grass the windI
-
Oh my lambs I would drop awayD
Into a night that never saw dayD
That so in your dear hearts you might sayD
All is well for ever and ayeN
Yet it was well to hurry awayD
To hurry from me your shepherd grayD
I had no sword to bite and slayD
And the wolfy Months were on your trackG
It was well to start from work and playD
It was well to hurry from me awayD
But why not once look backG
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The wolves came panting down the leaB
What was left you but somewhere fleeB
Ye saw the Shepherd that never grows oldI
Ye saw the great Shepherd and him ye knewO
And the wolves never once came near to youO
For he saw you coming threw down his crookG
Ran and his arms about you threwO
He gathered you into his garment's foldI
He kneeled he gathered he lifted youO
And his bosom and arms were full of youO
He has taken you home to his strongholdI
Out of the castle of Love ye lookG
The castle of Love is now your homeP
From the garden of Love you will never roamP
And the wolves no more shall flutter youO
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Lycabas LycabasD
For all your hunting and howling and criesD
Your yelling of woe and alasD
For all your thin tongues and your fiery eyesD
Your questing thorough the windy grassD
Your gurgling gnar and your horrent hairB
And your white teeth that will not spareB
Wolves I fear you never a jotI
Though you come at me with your mouths red hotI
Eyes of fury and teeth that foamP
Ye can do nothing but drive me homeP
Wolves wolves you will lie one dayD
Ye are lying even now this very dayD
Wolves in twelves gaunt and grayD
At the feet of the Shepherd that leads the damsD
At the feet of the Shepherd that carries the lambsD
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And now that I see you with my mind's eyeN
What are you indeed my mind revolvesD
Are you are you verily wolvesD
I saw you only through twilight darkG
Through rain and wind and ill could markG
Now I come near are you verily wolvesD
Ye have torn but I never saw you slayD
Me ye have torn but I live to dayD
Live and hope to live ever and ayeN
Closer still let me look at youO
Black are your mouths but your eyes are trueO
Now now I know you the Shepherd's sheep dogsD
Friends of us sheep on the moors and bogsD
Lost so often in swamps and fogsD
Dear creatures forgive me I did you wrongG
You to the castle of Love belongG
Forgive the sore heart that made sharp the tongueG
Your swift flying feet the Shepherd sendsD
To gather the lambs his little friendsD
And draw the sheep after for rich amendsD
Sharp are your teeth my wolves divineQ
But loves and no hates in your deep eyes shineQ
No more will I call you evil namesD
No more assail you with untrue blamesD
Wake me with howling check me with bitingG
Rouse up my strength for the holy fightingG
Hunt me still back nor let me strayD
Out of the infinite narrow wayD
The radiant march of the Lord of LightI
Home to the Father of Love and MightI
Where each puts Thou in the place of IN
And Love is the Law of LibertyB

George Macdonald



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