The Diver Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBDAA EFGFGG HBHBII JKJKLM ENENAA HAHAOP QRQRII SKTKOO UVUVII IUIUWW XYXYAA HAHAAA IRIRAA ZKZKUU A2B2A2B2II BRBRYY IUIUII IC2IC2LL FYFYII LA2LA2D2D2 E2F2E2G2LL H2UH2UA2A2 UI2UI2A2A2 YLYLAJ2 K2L2K2OAA UAUAUU SM2TM2AA

From SchillerA
-
-
Which of you knight or squire will dareB
Plunge into yonder gulfC
A golden beaker I fling in it thereB
The black mouth swallows it like a wolfD
Who brings me the cup again whoeverA
It is his own he may keep it for everA
-
'Tis the king who speaks He flings from the browE
Of the cliff that rugged and steepF
Hangs out o'er the endless sea belowG
The cup in the whirlpool's howling heapF
Again I ask what hero will followG
What hero plunge into yon dark hollowG
-
The knights and the squires the king aboutH
Hear and dumbly stareB
Into the wild sea's tumbling routH
To win the beaker they hardly careB
The king for the third time round him glaringI
Not one soul of you has the daringI
-
Speechless all as before they standJ
Then a squire young gentle gayK
Steps from his comrades' shrinking bandJ
Flinging his girdle and cloak awayK
And all the women and men that surroundedL
Gazed on the noble youth astoundedM
-
And when he stepped to the rock's rough browE
And looked down on the gulf so blackN
The waters which it had swallowed nowE
Charybdis bellowing rendered backN
And with a roar as of distant thunderA
Foaming they burst from the dark lap underA
-
It wallows seethes hisses in raging routH
As when water wrestles with fireA
Till to heaven the yeasty tongues they spoutH
And flood upon flood keeps mounting higherA
It will never its endless coil unravelO
As the sea with another sea were in travailP
-
But at last slow sinks the writhing spasmQ
And black through the foaming whiteR
Downward gapes a yawning chasmQ
Bottomless cloven to hell's wide nightR
And sucked up see the billows roaringI
Down through the whirling funnel pouringI
-
Then in haste ere the out rage return againS
The youth to his God doth prayK
And ascends a cry of horror and painT
Already the vortex hath swept him awayK
And o'er the bold swimmer in darkness eternalO
Close the great jaws of the gulf infernalO
-
Then the water above grows smooth as glassU
While below dull roarings plyV
And trembling they hear the murmur passU
High hearted youth farewell good byeV
And hollower still comes the howl affrayingI
Till their hearts are sick with the frightful delayingI
-
If the crown itself thou in should flingI
And say Who back with it hiesU
Himself shall wear it and shall be kingI
I would not covet the precious prizeU
What Ocean hides in that howling hell of itW
Live soul will never come back to tell of itW
-
Ships many caught in that whirling surgeX
Shot sheer to their dismal doomY
Keel and mast only did ever emergeX
Shattered from out the all gulping tombY
Like the bluster of tempest clearer and clearerA
Comes its roaring nearer and ever nearerA
-
It wallows seethes hisses in raging routH
As when water wrestles with fireA
Till to heaven the yeasty tongues they spoutH
Wave upon wave's back mounting higherA
And as with the grumble of distant thunderA
Bellowing it bursts from the dark lap underA
-
And see from its bosom flowing darkI
Something heave up swan whiteR
An arm and a shining neck they markI
And it rows with never relaxing mightR
It is he and high his golden captureA
His left hand waves in success's raptureA
-
With long deep breaths his path he ploughedZ
And he hailed the heavenly dayK
Jubilant shouted the gazing crowdZ
He lives he is there he broke awayK
Out of the grave the whirlpool uproariousU
The hero hath rescued his life victoriousU
-
He comes they surround him with shouts of gleeA2
At the king's feet he sinks on the sodB2
And hands him the beaker upon his kneeA2
To his lovely daughter the king gives a nodB2
She fills it brim full of wine sparkling and playingI
And then to the king the youth turned him sayingI
-
Long live the king Well doth he fareB
Who breathes in this rosy lightR
But ah it is horrible down thereB
And man must not tempt the heavenly MightR
Or ever seek with prying unwholesomeY
What he graciously covers with darkness dolesomeY
-
It tore me down with a headlong swingI
Then a shaft in a rock outpoursU
Wild rushing against me a torrent springI
It seized me the double stream's raging forceU
And like a top with giddy twistingI
It spun me round there was no resistingI
-
Then God did show me sore beseechingI
In deepest frightfullest needC2
Up from the bottom a rock ledge reachingI
At it I caught and from death was freedC2
And behold on spiked corals the beaker suspendedL
Which had else to the very abyss descendedL
-
For below me it lay yet mountain deepF
The purply darksome mawY
And though to the ear it was dead asleepF
The ghasted eye down staring sawY
How with dragons lizards salamanders crawlingI
The hell jaws horrible were sprawlingI
-
Black swarming in medley miscreateL
In masses lumped hideouslyA2
Wallowed the conger the thorny skateL
The lobster's grisly deformityA2
And bared its teeth with cruel sheen aD2
Terrible shark the sea's hyenaD2
-
And there I hung and shuddering knewE2
That human help was noneF2
One thinking soul mid the horrid crewE2
In the ghastly solitude I was aloneG2
Deeper than man's speech ever soundedL
By the waste sea's dismal monsters surroundedL
-
I thought and shivered Then something crept nearH2
Moved at once a hundred jointsU
Now it will have me Frantic with fearH2
I lost my grasp of the coral pointsU
Away the whirl in its raging tore meA2
But it was my salvation and upward bore meA2
-
The king at the tale is filled with amazeU
The beaker well won is thineI2
And this ring I will give thee too he saysU
Precious with gems that are more than fineI2
If thou dive yet once and bring me the storyA2
What thou sawst in the sea's lowest repertoryA2
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His daughter she hears with a tender dismayY
And her words sweet suasive pleadL
Father enough of this cruel playY
For you he has done an unheard of deedL
And can you not master your soul's desireA
'Tis the knights' turn now to disgrace the squireJ2
-
The king he snatches and hurls the cupK2
Into the swirling poolL2
If thou bring me once more that beaker upK2
My best knight I hold thee most worshipfulO
And this very day to thy home thou shall lead herA
Who there for thee stands such a pitying pleaderA
-
A heavenly passion his being invadesU
His eyes dart a lightning rayA
He sees on her beauty the flushing shadesU
He sees her grow pallid and sink awayA
Determination thorough him flashesU
And downward for life or for death he dashesU
-
They hear the dull roar it is turning againS
Its herald the thunderous brawlM2
Downward they bend with loving strainT
They come they are coming the waters allM2
They rush up they rush down up down for everA
The youth again bring they neverA

George Macdonald



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