Lycabas Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABC BADBD AAEFBBFGEGHHIBBIII ABBIIBBJIAAJI AAAIIIKGGGAALML IIAKMAII DDDNDDDGDDG BBIOOGOIOOIGPPO DDDDDBBIIPPDDDDD NDDGGDDDNOODDDGGGDDD QQDDGGDDIINBA name of the Year Some say the word means a march of wolves | A |
which wolves running in single file are the Months of the Year | B |
Others say the word means the path of the light | C |
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O ye months of the year | B |
Are ye a march of wolves | A |
Lycabas Lycabas twelve to growl and slay | D |
Men hearken at night and lie in fear | B |
Some men hearken all day | D |
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Lycabas verily thou art a gallop of wolves | A |
Gaunt gray wolves gray months of the year hunting in twelves | A |
Running and howling head to tail | E |
In a single file over the snow | F |
A long low gliding of silent horror and fear | B |
On and on ghastly and drear | B |
Not a head turning not a foot swerving ye go | F |
Twelve making only a one wolf track | G |
Onward ye howl and behind we wail | E |
Wail behind your narrow and slack | G |
Wallowing line and moan and weep | H |
As ye draw it on straight and deep | H |
Thorough the night so swart | I |
Behind you a desert and eyes a weary | B |
A long bare highway stony and dreary | B |
A hungry soul and a wolf cub wrapt | I |
A live wolf cub sharp toothed steel chapt | I |
In the garment next the heart | I |
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Lycabas | A |
One of them hurt me sore | B |
Two of them hurt and tore | B |
Three of them made me bleed | I |
The fourth did a terrible deed | I |
Rent me the worst of the four | B |
Rent me and shook me and tore | B |
And ran away with a growl | J |
Lycabas if I feared you a jot | I |
You and your devils running in twelves | A |
Black mouthed hell throated straight going wolves | A |
I would run like a wolf I too and howl | J |
I live and I fear you not | I |
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But shall I not hate you low galloping wolves | A |
Hunting in ceaseless twelves | A |
Ye have hunted away my lambs | A |
Ye ran at them open mouthed | I |
And your mouths were gleamy toothed | I |
And their whiteness with red foam frothed | I |
And your throats were a purple black gulf | K |
My lambs they fled and they came not back | G |
Lovely white lambs they were alack | G |
They fled afar and they left a track | G |
Which at night when the lone sky clears | A |
Glistens with Nature's tears | A |
Many a shepherd scarce thinks of a lamb | L |
But he hears behind it the growl of a wolf | M |
And behind that the wail of its dam | L |
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They ran nor cried but fled | I |
From day's sweet pasture from night's soft bed | I |
Ah me the look in their eyes | A |
For behind them rushed the swallowing gulf | K |
The maw of the growl throated wolf | M |
And they fled as the thing that speeds or dies | A |
They looked not behind | I |
But fled as over the grass the wind | I |
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Oh my lambs I would drop away | D |
Into a night that never saw day | D |
That so in your dear hearts you might say | D |
All is well for ever and aye | N |
Yet it was well to hurry away | D |
To hurry from me your shepherd gray | D |
I had no sword to bite and slay | D |
And the wolfy Months were on your track | G |
It was well to start from work and play | D |
It was well to hurry from me away | D |
But why not once look back | G |
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The wolves came panting down the lea | B |
What was left you but somewhere flee | B |
Ye saw the Shepherd that never grows old | I |
Ye saw the great Shepherd and him ye knew | O |
And the wolves never once came near to you | O |
For he saw you coming threw down his crook | G |
Ran and his arms about you threw | O |
He gathered you into his garment's fold | I |
He kneeled he gathered he lifted you | O |
And his bosom and arms were full of you | O |
He has taken you home to his stronghold | I |
Out of the castle of Love ye look | G |
The castle of Love is now your home | P |
From the garden of Love you will never roam | P |
And the wolves no more shall flutter you | O |
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Lycabas Lycabas | D |
For all your hunting and howling and cries | D |
Your yelling of woe and alas | D |
For all your thin tongues and your fiery eyes | D |
Your questing thorough the windy grass | D |
Your gurgling gnar and your horrent hair | B |
And your white teeth that will not spare | B |
Wolves I fear you never a jot | I |
Though you come at me with your mouths red hot | I |
Eyes of fury and teeth that foam | P |
Ye can do nothing but drive me home | P |
Wolves wolves you will lie one day | D |
Ye are lying even now this very day | D |
Wolves in twelves gaunt and gray | D |
At the feet of the Shepherd that leads the dams | D |
At the feet of the Shepherd that carries the lambs | D |
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And now that I see you with my mind's eye | N |
What are you indeed my mind revolves | D |
Are you are you verily wolves | D |
I saw you only through twilight dark | G |
Through rain and wind and ill could mark | G |
Now I come near are you verily wolves | D |
Ye have torn but I never saw you slay | D |
Me ye have torn but I live to day | D |
Live and hope to live ever and aye | N |
Closer still let me look at you | O |
Black are your mouths but your eyes are true | O |
Now now I know you the Shepherd's sheep dogs | D |
Friends of us sheep on the moors and bogs | D |
Lost so often in swamps and fogs | D |
Dear creatures forgive me I did you wrong | G |
You to the castle of Love belong | G |
Forgive the sore heart that made sharp the tongue | G |
Your swift flying feet the Shepherd sends | D |
To gather the lambs his little friends | D |
And draw the sheep after for rich amends | D |
Sharp are your teeth my wolves divine | Q |
But loves and no hates in your deep eyes shine | Q |
No more will I call you evil names | D |
No more assail you with untrue blames | D |
Wake me with howling check me with biting | G |
Rouse up my strength for the holy fighting | G |
Hunt me still back nor let me stray | D |
Out of the infinite narrow way | D |
The radiant march of the Lord of Light | I |
Home to the Father of Love and Might | I |
Where each puts Thou in the place of I | N |
And Love is the Law of Liberty | B |
George Macdonald
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