King Cophetua And The Beggar-maid Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBBCCBCCCB DEDFAAAFEEEG HCBCGGGCIIIC FJFJGGGKLLLL EFEFCCCFBBBF GBGBEEEBEELB ALALCCCLLLLL HCHCCCCCCLLC CCMCBBBCNNNC GBOBEEEBEAAHI read that once in Affrica | A |
A princely wight did raine | B |
Who had to name Cophetua | C |
As poets they did faine | B |
From natures lawes he did decline | B |
For sure he was not of my minde | C |
He cared not for women kind | C |
But did them all disdaine | B |
But marke what hapned on a day | C |
As he out of his window lay | C |
He saw a beggar all in gray | C |
The which did cause his paine | B |
- | |
The blinded boy that shootes so trim | D |
From heaven downe did hie | E |
He drew a dart and shot at him | D |
In place where he did lye | F |
Which soone did pierse him to the quicke | A |
And when he felt the arrow pricke | A |
Which in his tender heart did sticke | A |
He looketh as he would dye | F |
What sudden chance is this quoth he | E |
That I to love must subject be | E |
Which never thereto would agree | E |
But still did it defie | G |
- | |
Then from the window he did come | H |
And laid him on his bed | C |
A thousand heapes of care did runne | B |
Within his troubled head | C |
For now he meanes to crave her love | G |
And now he seekes which way to proove | G |
How he his fancie might remoove | G |
And not this beggar wed | C |
But Cupid had him so in snare | I |
That this poor begger must prepare | I |
A salve to cure him of his care | I |
Or els he would be dead | C |
- | |
And as he musing thus did lye | F |
He thought for to devise | J |
How he might have her companye | F |
That so did 'maze his eyes | J |
In thee quoth he doth rest my life | G |
For surely thou shalt be my wife | G |
Or else this hand with bloody knife | G |
The Gods shall sure suffice | K |
Then from his bed he soon arose | L |
And to his pallace gate he goes | L |
Full little then this begger knowes | L |
When she the king espies | L |
- | |
The gods preserve your majesty | E |
The beggers all gan cry | F |
Vouchsafe to give your charity | E |
Our childrens food to buy | F |
The king to them his purse did cast | C |
And they to part it made great haste | C |
This silly woman was the last | C |
That after them did hye | F |
The king he cal'd her back againe | B |
And unto her he gave his chaine | B |
And said With us you shal remaine | B |
Till such time as we dye | F |
- | |
For thou quoth he shalt be my wife | G |
And honoured for my queene | B |
With thee I meane to lead my life | G |
As shortly shall be seene | B |
Our wedding shall appointed be | E |
And every thing in its degree | E |
Come on quoth he and follow me | E |
Thou shalt go shift thee cleane | B |
What is thy name faire maid quoth he | E |
Penelophon O King quoth she | E |
With that she made a lowe courtsey | L |
A trim one as I weene | B |
- | |
Thus hand in hand along they walke | A |
Unto the king's pallace | L |
The king with courteous comly talke | A |
This begger doth embrace | L |
The begger blusheth scarlet red | C |
And straight againe as pale as lead | C |
But not a word at all she said | C |
She was in such amaze | L |
At last she spake with trembling voyce | L |
And said O King I doe rejoyce | L |
That you wil take me for your choyce | L |
And my degree so base | L |
- | |
And when the wedding day was come | H |
The king commanded strait | C |
The noblemen both all and some | H |
Upon the queene to wait | C |
And she behaved herself that day | C |
As if she had never walkt the way | C |
She had forgot her gowne of gray | C |
Which she did weare of late | C |
The proverbe old is come to passe | C |
The priest when he begins his masse | L |
Forgets that ever clerke he was | L |
He knowth not his estate | C |
- | |
Here you may read Cophetua | C |
Through long time fancie fed | C |
Compelled by the blinded boy | M |
The begger for to wed | C |
He that did lovers lookes disdaine | B |
To do the same was glad and faine | B |
Or else he would himselfe have slaine | B |
In storie as we read | C |
Disdaine no whit O lady deere | N |
But pitty now thy servant heere | N |
Least that it hap to thee this yeare | N |
As to that king it did | C |
- | |
And thus they led a quiet life | G |
During their princely raine | B |
And in a tombe were buried both | O |
As writers sheweth plaine | B |
The lords they tooke it grievously | E |
The ladies tooke it heavily | E |
The commons cryed pitiously | E |
Their death to them was paine | B |
Their fame did sound so passingly | E |
That it did pierce the starry sky | A |
And throughout all the world did flye | A |
To every princes realme | H |
George Wharton Edwards
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