The Nuptials Of Attila Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A ABCDCEAFGHGIJIKJAKAB A LLMNOMOPPB A QBJQORRB O SOTUVVWWXYOYXOOOJOJB O ZZA2VA2VOB2B2OBC2C2O B O D2E2D2E2F2BOF2BG2G2H 2I2H2I2B O J2J2VVJ2OUJ2JJ2VVJK2 J2J2K2 O J2J2L2J2L2J2J2BM2CM2 CVJVJVJ2VJ2J2VJ2VN2B N2BJ2VJ2VOJ2OQO2OP2O 2B V JJJJOJ2J2OB V Q2J2J2Q2J2R2J2S2DJ2J 2DB O T2BT2BOJ2OJ2 O J2J2J2J2U2J2U2J2 O OOOBBOV2V2B O J2W2J2JDDW2JDDUW2UJO JW2ODODOB O DDJ2UR2R2UJ2J2J2J2BJ 2OOOBOOOJ2OOBJ2

IA
-
Flat as to an eagle's eyeA
Earth hung under AttilaB
Sign for carnage gave he noneC
In the peace of his disdainD
Sun and rain and rain and sunC
Cherished men to wax againE
Crawl and in their manner dieA
On his people stood a frostF
Like the charger cut in stoneG
Rearing stiff the warrior hostH
Which had life from him aloneG
Craved the trumpet's eager noteI
As the bridled earth the SpringJ
Rusty was the trumpet's throatI
He let chief and prophet raveK
Venturous earth around him stringJ
Threads of grass and slender ryeA
Wave them and untrampled waveK
O for the time when God did cryA
Eye and have my AttilaB
-
IIA
-
Scorn of conquest filled like sleepL
Him that drank of havoc deepL
When the Green Cat pawed the globeM
When the horsemen from his bowN
Shot in sheaves and made the foeO
Crimson fringes of a robeM
Trailed o'er towns and fields in woeO
When they streaked the rivers redP
When the saddle was the bedP
Attila my AttilaB
-
IIIA
-
He breathed peace and pulled a flowerQ
Eye and have my AttilaB
This was the damsel IldicoJ
Rich in bloom until that hourQ
Shyer than the forest doeO
Twinkling slim through branches greenR
Yet the shyest shall be seenR
Make the bed for AttilaB
-
IVO
-
Seen of Attila desiredS
She was led to him straightwayO
Radiantly was she attiredT
Rifled lands were her arrayU
Jewels bled from weeping crownsV
Gold of woeful fields and townsV
She stood pallid in the lightW
How she walked how withered whiteW
From the blessing to the boardX
She who would have proudly blushedY
Women whispered asking whyO
Hinting of a youth and hushedY
Was it terror of her lordX
Was she childish was she slyO
Was it the bright mantle's dyeO
Drained her blood to hues of griefO
Like the ash that shoots the sparkJ
See the green tree all in leafO
See the green tree stripped of barkJ
Make the bed for AttilaB
-
VO
-
Round the banquet table's loadZ
Scores of iron horsemen rodeZ
Chosen warriors keen and hardA2
Grain of threshing battle dintsV
Attila's fierce body guardA2
Smelling war like fire in flintsV
Grant them peace be fugitiveO
Iron capped and iron heeledB2
Each against his fellow's shieldB2
Smote the spear head shouting LiveO
Attila my AttilaB
Eagle eagle of our breedC2
Eagle beak the lamb and feedC2
Have her and unleash us liveO
Attila my AttilaB
-
VIO
-
He was of the blood to shineD2
Bronze in joy like skies that scorchE2
Beaming with the goblet wineD2
In the wavering of the torchE2
Looked he backward on his brideF2
Eye and have my AttilaB
Fair in her wide robe was sheO
Where the robe and vest divideF2
Fair she seemed surpassinglyB
Soft yet vivid as the streamG2
Danube rolls in the moonbeamG2
Through rock barriers but she smiledH2
Never she sat cold as saltI2
Open mouthed as a young childH2
Wondering with a mind at faultI2
Make the bed for AttilaB
-
VIIO
-
Under the thin hoop of goldJ2
Whence in waves her hair outrolledJ2
'Twixt her brows the women sawV
Shadows of a vulture's clawV
Gript in flight strange knots that spedJ2
Closing and dissolving ayeO
Such as wicked dreams betrayU
When pale dawn creeps o'er the bedJ2
They might show the common pangJ
Known to virgins in whom dreadJ2
Hunts their bliss like famished houndsV
While the chiefs with roaring roundsV
Tossed her to her lord and sangJ
Praise of him whose hand was largeK2
Cheers for beauty brought to yieldJ2
Chirrups of the trot afieldJ2
Hurrahs of the battle chargeK2
-
VIIIO
-
Those rock faces hung with weedJ2
Reddened their great days of speedJ2
Slaughter triumph flood and flameL2
Like a jealous frenzy wroughtJ2
Scoffed at them and did them shameL2
Quaffing idle conquering noughtJ2
O for the time when God decreedJ2
Earth the prey of AttilaB
God called on thee in his wrathM2
Trample it to mire 'Twas doneC
Swift as Danube clove our pathM2
Down from East to Western sunC
Huns behold your pasture gazeV
Take our king said heel to flankJ
Whisper it the war horse neighsV
Forth we drove and blood we drankJ
Fresh as dawn dew earth was oursV
Men were flocks we lashed and spurnedJ2
Fast as windy flame devoursV
Flame along the wind we burnedJ2
Arrow javelin spear and swordJ2
Here the snows and there the plainsV
On our signal onward pouredJ2
Torrents of the tightened reinsV
Foaming over vine and cornN2
Hot against the city wallB
Whisper it you sound a hornN2
To the grey beast in the stallB
Yea he whinnies at a nodJ2
O for sound of the trumpet notesV
O for the time when thunder shodJ2
He that scarce can munch his oatsV
Hung on the peaks brooded aloofO
Champed the grain of the wrath of GodJ2
Pressed a cloud on the cowering roofO
Snorted out of the blackness fireQ
Scarlet broke the sky and downO2
Hammering West with print of his hoofO
He burst out of the bosom of ireP2
Sharp as eyelight under thy frownO2
Attila my AttilaB
-
IXV
-
Ravaged cities rolling smokeJ
Thick on cornfields dry and blackJ
Wave his banners bear his yokeJ
Track the lightning and you trackJ
Attila They moan 'tis heO
Bleed 'tis he Beneath his footJ2
Leagues are deserts charred and muteJ2
Where he passed there passed a seaO
Attila my AttilaB
-
XV
-
Who breathed on the king cold breathQ2
Said a voice amid the hostJ2
He is Death that weds a ghostJ2
Else a ghost that weds with DeathQ2
Ildico's chill little handJ2
Shuddering he beheld austereR2
Stared as one who would commandJ2
Sight of what has filled his earS2
Plucked his thin beard laughed disdainD
Feast ye Huns His arm be raisedJ2
Like the warrior battle dazedJ2
Joining to the fight amainD
Make the bed for AttilaB
-
XIO
-
Silent Ildico stood upT2
King and chief to pledge her wellB
Shocked sword sword and cup on cupT2
Clamouring like a brazen bellB
Silent stepped the queenly slaveO
Fair by heaven she was to meetJ2
On a midnight near a graveO
Flapping wide the winding sheetJ2
-
XIIO
-
Death and she walked through the crowdJ2
Out beyond the flush of lightJ2
Ceremonious women bowedJ2
Following her 'twas middle nightJ2
Then the warriors each on eachU2
Spied nor overloudly laughedJ2
Like the victims of the leechU2
Who have drunk of a strange draughtJ2
-
XIIIO
-
Attila remained Even soO
Frowned he when he struck the blowO
Brained his horse that stumbled twiceO
On a bloody day in GaulB
Bellowing Perish omens AllB
Marvelled at the sacrificeO
But the battle swinging dimV2
Rang off that axe blow for himV2
Attila my AttilaB
-
XIVO
-
Brightening over Danube wheeledJ2
Star by star and she most fairW2
Sweet as victory half revealedJ2
Seized to make him glad and youngJ
She O sweet as the dark signD
Given him oft in battles goneD
When the voice within said DareW2
And the trumpet notes were sprungJ
Rapturous for the charge in lineD
She lay waiting fair as dawnD
Wrapped in folds of night she layU
Secret lustrous flaglike thereW2
Waiting him to stream and rayU
With one loosening blush outflungJ
Colours of his hordes of horseO
Ranked for combat still he hungJ
Like the fever dreading airW2
Cursed of heat and as a corseO
Gathers vultures in his brainD
Images of her eyes and kissO
Plucked at the limbs that could remainD
Loitering nigh the doors of blissO
Make the bed for AttilaB
-
XVO
-
Passion on one hand on oneD
Destiny led forth the HunD
Heard ye outcries of affrightJ2
Voices that through many a frayU
In the press of flag and spearR2
Warned the king of peril nearR2
Men were dumb they gave him wayU
Eager heads to left and rightJ2
Like the bearded standard thrustJ2
As in battle for a nodJ2
From their lord of battle dustJ2
Attila my AttilaB
Slow between the lines he trodJ2
Saw ye not the sun drop slowO
On this nuptial day ere eveO
Pierced him on the couch aglowO
Attila my AttilaB
Here and there his heart would cleaveO
Clotted memory for a spaceO
Some stout chief's familiar faceO
Choicest of his fighting broodJ2
Touched him as 'twere one to knowO
Ere he met his bride's embraceO
Attila my AttilaB
Twisting fingers in a beardJ2
Scant as w-

George Meredith



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