The Doe: A Fragment (from Wandering Willie) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCDCEDFFGGHHAACCII FFJJKCKCCLCLLMLMNONO P FP FQQKRKRRRRRSSRTTRFUU FVVCKCKCCWXWXKKXRXRY YC CRZA2ZB2CC CCCCFFFFCCC2C2RRD2D2 E2E2KF2G2KH2I2H2I2CS CSRRRPRPFFK SJ2 J2UKK2K2KRRKRRRRKRKR KKKKK L2RL2RRRM2M2RRRRRRN2 SSC RRCO2KO2KRL2RL2CCRR

And 'Yonder look yoho yohoA
Nancy is off ' the farmer criedB
Advancing by the river sideB
Red kerchieft and brown coated 'SoC
My girl who else could leap like thatD
So neatly like a lady 'ZoundsC
Look at her how she leads the hounds 'E
And waving his dusty beaver hatD
He cheered across the chase filled waterF
And clapt his arm about his daughterF
And gave to Joan a courteous hugG
And kiss that like a stubborn plugG
From generous vats in vastness roundedH
The inner wealth and spirit soundedH
Eagerly pointing South where loA
The daintiest fleetest footed doeA
Led o'er the fields and thro' the furzeC
Beyond her lively delicate earsC
Prickt up erect and in her trackI
A dappled lengthy striding packI
-
Scarce had they cast eyes upon herF
When every heart was wagered on herF
And half in dread and half delightJ
They watched her lovely bounding flightJ
As now across the flashing greenK
And now beneath the stately treesC
And now far distant in the deneK
She headed on with graceful easeC
Hanging aloft with doubled kneesC
At times athwart some hedge or gateL
And slackening pace by slow degreesC
As for the foremost foe to waitL
Renewing her outstripping rateL
Whene'er the hot pursuers nearedM
By garden wall and paled estateL
Where clambering gazers whooped and cheeredM
Here winding under elm and oakN
And slanting up the sunny hillO
Splashing the water here like smokeN
Among the mill holms round the millO
-
And 'Let her go she shows her gameP
My Nancy girl my pet and treasure '-
The farmer sighed his eyes with pleasureF
Brimming ''Tis my daughter's nameP
My second daughter lying yonder '-
And Willie's eye in search did wanderF
And caught at once with moist regardQ
The white gleams of a grey churchyardQ
'Three weeks before my girl had goneK
And while upon her pillows proppedR
She lay at eve the weakling fawnK
For still it seems a fawn just droptR
A se'nnight to my Nancy's bedR
I brought to make my girl a giftR
The mothers of them both were deadR
And both to bless it was my driftR
By giving each a friend not thinkingS
How rapidly my girl was sinkingS
And I remember how to patR
Its neck she stretched her hand so weakT
And its cold nose against her cheekT
Pressed fondly and I fetched the matR
To make it up a couch just by herF
Where in the lone dark hours to lieU
For neither dear old nurse nor IU
Would any single wish deny herF
And there unto the last it layV
And in the pastures cared to playV
Little or nothing there its mealsC
And milk I brought and even nowK
The creature such affection feelsC
For that old room that when and howK
'Tis strange to mark it slinks and stealsC
To get there and all day concealsC
And once when nurse who since that timeW
Keeps house for me was very sickX
Waking upon the midnight chimeW
And listening to the stair clock's clickX
I heard a rustling half uncertainK
Close against the dark bed curtainK
And while I thrust my leg to kickX
And feel the phantom with my feetR
A loving tongue began to lickX
My left hand lying on the sheetR
And warm sweet breath upon me blewY
And that 'twas Nancy then I knewY
So for her love I had good causeC
To have the creature 'Nancy' christened '-
-
He paused and in the moment's pauseC
His eyes and Willie's strangely glistenedR
Nearer came Joan and Bessy hungZ
With face averted near enoughA2
To hear and sob unheard the youngZ
And careless ones had scampered offB2
Meantime and sought the loftiest placeC
To beacon the approaching chaseC
-
'Daily upon the meads to browseC
Goes Nancy with those dairy cowsC
You see behind the clematisC
And such a favourite she isC
That when fatigued and helter skelterF
Among them from her foes to shelterF
She dashes when the chase is overF
They'll close her in and give her coverF
And bend their horns against the houndsC
And low and keep them out of boundsC
From the house dogs she dreads no harmC2
And is good friends with all the farmC2
Man and bird and beast howbeitR
Their natures seem so oppositeR
And she is known for many a mileD2
And noted for her splendid styleD2
For her clear leap and quick slight hoofE2
Welcome she is in many a roofE2
And if I say I love her manK
I say but little her fine eyes fullF2
Of memories of my girl at YuleG2
And May time make her dearer thanK
Dumb brute to men has been I thinkH2
So dear I do not find her dumbI2
I know her ways her slightest winkH2
So well and to my hand she'll comeI2
Sidelong for food or a caressC
Just like a loving human thingS
Nor can I help I do confessC
Some touch of human sorrowingS
To think there may be such a doubtR
That from the next world she'll be shut outR
And parted from me And well I mindR
How when my girl's last moments cameP
Her soft eyes very soft and kindR
She joined her hands and prayed the sameP
That she 'might meet her father motherF
Sister Bess and each dear brotherF
And with them if it might be oneK
Who was her last companion '-
Meaning the fawn the doe you markS
For my bay mare was then a foalJ2
And time has passed since then but hark '-
-
For like the shrieking of a soulJ2
Shut in a tomb a darkened cryU
Of inward wailing agonyK
Surprised them and all eyes on eachK2
Fixed in the mute appealing speechK2
Of self reproachful apprehensionK
Knowing not what to think or doR
But Joan recovering first broke throughR
The instantaneous suspensionK
And knelt upon the ground and guessedR
The bitterness at a glance and pressedR
Into the comfort of her breastR
The deep throed quaking shape that droopedR
In misery's wilful aggravationK
Before the farmer as he stoopedR
Touched with accusing consternationK
Soothing her as she sobbed aloudR
'Not me not me Oh no no noK
Not me God will not take me inK
Nothing can wipe away my sinK
I shall not see her you will goK
You and all that she loves soK
Not me not me Oh no no no '-
Colourless her long black hairL2
Like seaweed in a tempest tossedR
Tangling astray to Joan's careL2
She yielded like a creature lostR
Yielded drooping toward the groundR
As doth a shape one half hour drownedR
And heaved from sea with mast and sparM2
All dark of its immortal starM2
And on that tender heart inuredR
To flatter basest grief and fightR
Despair upon the brink of nightR
She suffered herself to sink assuredR
Of refuge and her ear inclinedR
To comfort and her thoughts resignedR
To counsel her wild hair let brushN2
From off her weeping brows and shookS
With many little sobs that tookS
Deeper drawn breaths till into sighsC
Long sighs they sank and to the 'hush '-
Of Joan's gentle chide she soughtR
Childlike to check them as she oughtR
Looking up at her infantwiseC
And Willie gazing on them bothO2
Shivered with bliss through blood and brainK
To see the darling of his trothO2
Like a maternal angel strainK
The sinful and the sinless childR
At once on either breast and thereL2
In peace and promise reconciledR
Unite them nor could Nature's careL2
With subtler sweet beneficenceC
Have fed the springs of penitenceC
Still keeping true though harshly triedR
The vital prop of human prideR

George Meredith



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