The Child-mother Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCCB DDAEEA FFGHHG AABIIB JJKAAK LLMNNM OOLAAL AAAEEA AAAPPA QQHAAH RRBKKB AASRRT AAAKKA AAKUUK KKVAAV WWQXXQ YYNZZN KKA2AAB2 C2C2HKKH D2D2KBBK E2E2AF2F2A G2G2KH2H2K

Heavily slumbered noonday brightA
Upon the lone field glory dightA
A burnished grassy seaB
The child in gorgeous golden hoursC
Through heaven descended starry flowersC
Went walking on the leaB
-
Velvety bees make busy humD
Green flies and striped wasps go and comeD
The butterflies gleam whiteA
Blue burning vaporous to and froE
The dragon flies like arrows goE
Or hang in moveless flightA
-
Not one she followed like a rillF
She wandered on with quiet willF
Received but did not missG
Her step was neither quick nor longH
Nought but a snatch of murmured songH
Ever revealed her blissG
-
An almost solemn woman childA
Not fashioned frolicsome and wildA
She had more love than gleeB
And now though nine and nothing moreI
Another little child she boreI
Almost as big as sheB
-
No silken cloud from solar harmsJ
Had she to spread with shifting armsJ
She dodged him from the sunK
Mother and sister both in heartA
She did a gracious woman's partA
Life's task even now begunK
-
They came upon a stagnant ditchL
The slippery sloping banks of whichL
More varied blossoms lineM
Some ragged robins baby spiesN
Stretches his hands and crows and criesN
Plain saying They are mineM
-
What baby wants that baby hasO
A law unalterable asO
The poor shall serve the richL
They are beyond her reach almostA
She kneels she strains and too engrossedA
Topples into the ditchL
-
Adown the side she slanting rolledA
But her two arms convulsive holdA
The precious baby tightA
She lets herself sublimely goE
And in the ditch's muddy flowE
Stands up in evil plightA
-
'Tis nothing that her feet are wetA
But her new shoes she can't forgetA
They cost five shillings brightA
Her petticoat her tippet blueP
Her frock they're smeared with slime like glueP
But baby is all rightA
-
And baby laughs and baby crowsQ
And baby being right she knowsQ
That nothing can be wrongH
So with a troubled heart yet stoutA
She plans how ever to get outA
With meditation longH
-
The high bank's edge is far awayR
The slope is steep and made of clayR
And what to do with babyB
For even a monkey up to runK
Would need his four hands every oneK
She is perplexed as may beB
-
And all her puzzling is no goodA
Blank staring up the side she stoodA
Which settling she grew higherS
At last seized with a fresh dismayR
Lest baby's patience should give wayR
She plucked her feet from the mireT
-
And up and down the ditch not gladA
But patient very did promenadeA
Splash splash went her small feetA
And baby thought it rare good funK
Sucking his bit of pulpy bunK
And smelling meadow sweetA
-
But oh the world that she had leftA
The meads from her so lately reftA
Poor infant ProserpineK
A fabled land they lay aboveU
A paradise of sunny loveU
In breezy space divineK
-
Frequent from neighbouring village greenK
Came sounds of laughter faintly keenK
And barks of well known dogsV
While she the hot sun overheadA
Her lonely watery way must treadA
In mud and weeds and frogsV
-
Sudden the ditch about her shakesW
Her little heart responsive quakesW
With fear of uncouth woesQ
She lifts her boding eyes perforceX
To see the huge head of a horseX
Go past upon its noseQ
-
Then hark what sounds of tearing grassY
And puffing breath With knobs of brassY
On horns of frightful sizeN
A cow's head through the broken hedgeZ
Looks awful from the other edgeZ
Though mild her pondering eyesN
-
The horse the cow are passed and goneK
The sun keeps going on and onK
And still no help comes nearA2
At misery's last oh joy the soundA
Of human footsteps on the groundA
She cried aloud I'm hereB2
-
It was a man oh heavenly joyC2
He looked amazed at girl and boyC2
And reached his hand so strongH
Give me the child he said but noK
Care would not let the burden goK
Which Love had borne so longH
-
Smiling he kneels with outstretched handsD2
And them unparted safely landsD2
In the upper world againK
Her low thanks feebly murmured sheB
Drags her legs homeward painfullyB
Poor wet one chickened henK
-
Arrived at length Lo scarce a speckE2
Was on the child from heel to neckE2
Though she was sorely miredA
No tear confessed the long drawn rackF2
Till her mother took the baby backF2
And the she cried I'm tiredA
-
And intermixed with sobbing wailG2
She told her mother all the taleG2
Her wet cheeks in a glowK
But mother mother though I fellH2
I kept the baby pretty wellH2
I did not let him goK

George Macdonald



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