The Twa Gordons Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBC DEDE CDCF GCHC CICI IICI JDCD KCIC CLML NIII A COCP CIQI CCIC DCDC CIRI CCCC IRMR ACIC IDCD CCDC SCSC DICI ICIC ICMC CICI ICIC CCCC CCIC A CCCD ICIC ICIC CDMD CICI CICI CDCD DIDI DITI UDDD ICIO DIDI MDMD DDDI DIDI CDCD

IA
-
There was John Gordon an' ArchiboldB
An' a yerl's twin sons war theyC
Quhan they war are an' twenty year auldB
They fell oot on their ae birthdayC
-
Turn ye John Gordon nae brither to meD
Turn ye fause an' fellE
Or doon ye s' gang as black as a leeD
To the muckle deevil o' hellE
-
An' quhat for that Archie Gordon I prayC
Quhat ill hae I dune to theeD
Twa faced loon ye sail rue this dayC
The answer I'm gauin to gieF
-
For it'll be roucher nor lady Janet'sG
An' loud i' the braid daylichtC
An' the wa' to speil is my iron mailH
No her castle wa' by nichtC
-
I speilt the wa' o' her castle brawC
I' the roarin win' yestreenI
An' I sat in her bower till the gloamin sta'C
Licht fittit ahint the muneI
-
Turn ye John Gordon the twasum we s' twinI
Turn ye an' haud yer ainI
For ane sall lie on a cauld weet bedC
An' I downa curse againI
-
O Archie Janet is my true loveJ
notna speir leave o' theeD
Gien that be true the deevil's a sanctC
An' ye are no tellin a leeD
-
Their suerds they drew an' the fire flauchts flewK
An' they shiftit wi' fendin feetC
An' the blude ran doon till the grun a' rounI
Like a verra bog was weetC
-
O Archie I hae gotten a cauld supperC
O' steel but shortest graceL
Ae grip o' yer han' afore ye gangM
An' turn me upo' my faceL
-
But he's turnit himsel upon his heelN
An' wordless awa he's ganeI
An' the corbie craw i' the aik abuneI
Is roupin for his ainI
-
IIA
-
Lady Margaret her hert richt gretC
Luiks ower the castle wa'O
Lord Archibold rides oot at the yettC
Ahint him his merry men a'P
-
Wi' a' his band to the Holy LandC
He's boune wi' merry dinI
His shouther's doss a Christ's crossQ
In his breist an ugsome sinI
-
But the cross it brunt him like the fireC
Its burnin never ceastC
It brunt in an' in to win at the sinI
Lay cowerin in his breistC
-
A mile frae the shore o' the Deid SeaD
The army haltit ae nichtC
Lord Archie was waukrife an' oot gaed heD
A walkin i' the munelichtC
-
Dour like he gaed wi' doon hingin heidC
Quhill he cam by the licht o' the muneI
Quhaur michty stanes lay scattert like sheepR
An' ance they worshipt MahounI
-
The scruff an' scum o' the deid shore gleamtC
An' glintit a sauty grayC
The banes o' the deid stack oot o' its bedC
The sea lickit them as they layC
-
He sat him doon on a sunken staneI
An' he sighit sae dreary an' deepR
I can thole ohn grutten lyin awaukM
But he comes whan I'm asleepR
-
I wud gie my soul for ever an' ayeA
Intil en'less dule an' smertC
To sleep a' nicht like a bairn againI
An' cule my burnin hertC
-
Oot frae ahint a muckle staneI
Cam a voice like a huddy craw'sD
Behaud there Archibold Gordon it saidC
Behaud ye hae ower gude causeD
-
I'll say quhat I like quod ArchiboldC
Be ye ghaist or deevil or quhatC
Tak tent lord Archie gien ye be wiseD
The tit winna even the tatC
-
Lord Archibold leuch wi' a loud ha haS
Eerisome grousum to hearC
A bonny bargain auld Cloots wad haeS
It has ilka faut but fearC
-
Dune lord Archibold craikit the voiceD
Dune Belzie cried he againI
The gray banes glimmert the white saut shimmertC
Lord Archie was him laneI
-
Back he gaed straught by the glowerin muneI
An' doun in his plaid he layC
An' soun' he sleepit A ghaist like manI
Sat by his heid quhill the dayC
-
An' quhanever he moanit or turnit him rounI
Or his broo gae token o' plychtC
The waukin man i' the sleepin man's lugM
Wud rown a murgeon o' michtC
-
An' the glint o' a smile wud quaver athortC
The sleepin cheek sae brounI
An' a tear atween the ee lids wud stertC
An' whiles rin fairly dounI
-
An' aye by his lair sat the ghaist like manI
He watchit his sleep a' nichtC
An' in mail rust broun wi' his visorne dounI
Rade at his knee i' the fechtC
-
Nor anis nor twyis the horn helmit chielC
Saved him frae deidly dadC
An' Archie said Gien this be the deilC
He's no sac black as he's ca'dC
-
But wat ye fu' weel it wasna the deilC
That tuik lord Archie's pairtC
But his twin brother John he thoucht deid an' goneI
Wi' luve like a lowe in his hertC
-
IIIA
-
Hame cam lord Archibold weary wichtC
Hame til his ain countreeC
An' he cried quhan his castle rase in sichtC
Noo Christ me sain an' seeD
-
He turnit him roun the man in rust brounI
Was gane he saw nocht quhairC
At the ha' door he lichtit him dounI
Lady Margaret met him thereC
-
Reid reid war her een but hie was her mienI
An' her words war sharp an' sairC
Welcome Archie to dule an' teneI
An' welcome ye s' get nae mairC
-
Quhaur is yer twin lord ArchiboldC
That lay i' my body wi' theeD
I miss my mark gien he liesna starkM
Quhaur the daylicht comesna to seeD
-
Lord Archibold dochtna speik a wordC
For his hert was like a staneI
He turnt him awa an' the huddy crawC
Was roupin for his ainI
-
Quhaur are ye gaein lord Archie she saidC
Wi' yer lips sae white an' thinI
Mother gude bye I'm gaein to lieC
Ance mair wi' my body twinI
-
Up she brade but awa he gaedC
Straucht for the corbie treeD
For quhaur he had slain he thoucht to slayC
An' cast him doon an' deeD
-
God guide us he cried wi' gastit rairD
Has he lien there ever sin' syneI
An' he thoucht he saw the banes pykit an' bareD
Throu the cracks o' his harness shineI
-
Oh Johnnie my brither quo' ArchiboldD
Wi' a hert upheavin maneI
I wad pit my soul i' yer wastit corpT
To see ye alive againI
-
Haud ye there quod a voice frae oot the helmU
A man suld heed quhat he saysD
An' the closin joints grippit an' tore the gerseD
As up the armour raseD
-
Soul ye hae nane to ca' yer ainI
An' its time to hand yer jawC
The sleep it was thine an' the soul it is mineI
Deil Archie come awaO
-
Auld Hornie quo' Archie twa words to thatD
My burnin hert burns onI
An' the sleep weel I wat was nae reek frae thy patD
For aye I was dreamin o' JohnI
-
But I carena a plack for a soul sae blackM
Wae's me 'at my mither bore meD
Put fire i' my breist an' fire at my backM
But ae minute set Johnnie afore meD
-
The gantlets grippit the helm sae stootD
An' liftit frae chin an' brooD
An' Johnnie himsel keekit smilin ootD
O Archie I hae ye nooI
-
O' yer wee bit brod I was little the waurD
I crap awa my laneI
An' never a deevil cam ye narD
'Cep ye coont yer Johnnie aneI
-
Quhare quhylum his brither Johnnie layC
Fell Archie upon his kneesD
The words he said I dinna sayC
But I'm sure they warna leesD

George Macdonald



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