Legends Of The Northwest: Prelude: The Mississippi Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDDEEFFDDGGHHIID DJKJLL MMNNOOPPLLDDMM QILLDD JJRRDDFSDD AADDDDLLOOTTDDMM| Onward rolls the Royal River proudly sweeping to the sea | A |
| Dark and deep and grand forever wrapt in myth and mystery | A |
| Lo he laughs along the highlands leaping o'er the granite walls | B |
| Lo he sleeps among the islands where the loon her lover calls | B |
| Still like some huge monster winding downward | C |
| through the prairie plains | D |
| Seeking rest but never finding till the tropic gulf he gains | D |
| In his mighty arms he claspeth now an empire broad and grand | E |
| In his left hand lo he graspeth leagues of fen and forest land | E |
| In his right the mighty mountains hoary with eternal snow | F |
| Where a thousand foaming fountains singing seek the plains below | F |
| Fields of corn and feet of cities lo the mighty river laves | D |
| Where the Saxon sings his ditties o'er the swarthy warriors' graves | D |
| Aye before the birth of Moses ere the Pyramids were piled | G |
| All his banks were red with roses from the sea to nor'lands wild | G |
| And from forest fen and meadows in the deserts of the north | H |
| Elk and bison stalked like shadows and the tawny tribes came forth | H |
| Deeds of death and deeds of daring on his leafy banks were done | I |
| Women loved and men went warring ere the siege of Troy begun | I |
| Where his wayward waters thundered roaring o'er the rocky walls | D |
| Dusky hunters sat and wondered listening to the spirits' calls | D |
| Ha ha cried the warrior greeting from afar the cataract's roar | J |
| Ha ha rolled the answer | K |
| beating down the rock ribbed leagues of shore | J |
| Now alas the bow and quiver and the dusky braves have fled | L |
| And the sullen shackled river drives the droning mills instead | L |
| - | |
| Where the war whoop rose and after women wailed their warriors slain | M |
| List the Saxon's silvery laughter and his humming hives of gain | M |
| Swiftly sped the tawny runner o'er the pathless prairies then | N |
| Now the iron reindeer sooner carries weal or woe to men | N |
| On thy bosom Royal River silent sped the birch canoe | O |
| Bearing brave with bow and quiver on his way to war or woo | O |
| Now with flaunting flags and streamers mighty monsters of the deep | P |
| Lo the puffing panting steamers through thy foaming waters sweep | P |
| And behold the grain fields golden where the bison grazed of eld | L |
| See the fanes of forests olden by the ruthless Saxon felled | L |
| Plumed pines that spread their shadows ere Columbus spread his sails | D |
| Firs that fringed the mossy meadows ere the Mayflower braved the gales | D |
| Iron oaks that nourished bruin while the Vikings roamed the main | M |
| Crashing fall in broken ruin for the greedy marts of gain | M |
| - | |
| Still forever and forever rolls the restless river on | Q |
| Slumbering oft but ceasing never while the circling centuries run | I |
| In his palm the lakelet lingers in his hair the brooklets hide | L |
| Grasped within his thousand fingers lies a continent fair and wide | L |
| Yea a mighty empire swarming with its millions like the bees | D |
| Delving drudging striving storming all their lives for golden ease | D |
| - | |
| Still methinks the dusky shadows of the days that are no more | J |
| Stalk around the lakes and meadows haunting oft the wonted shore | J |
| Hunters from the land of spirits seek the bison and the deer | R |
| Where the Saxon now inherits golden field and silver mere | R |
| And beside the mound where burried lies the dark eyed maid he loves | D |
| Some tall warrior wan and wearied in the misty moonlight moves | D |
| See he stands erect and lingers stoic still but loth to go | F |
| Clutching in his tawny fingers feathered shaft and polished bow | S |
| Never wail or moan he utters and no tear is on his face | D |
| But a warrior's curse he mutters on the crafty Saxon race | D |
| - | |
| O thou dark mysterious River speak and tell thy tales to me | A |
| Seal not up thy lips forever veiled in mist and mystery | A |
| I will sit and lowly listen at the phantom haunted falls | D |
| Where thy waters foam and glisten o'er the rugged rocky walls | D |
| Till some spirit of the olden mystic weird romantic days | D |
| Shall emerge and pour her golden tales and legends through my lays | D |
| Then again the elk and bison on thy grassy banks shall feed | L |
| And along the low horizon shall the plumed hunter speed | L |
| Then again on lake and river shall the silent birch canoe | O |
| Bear the brave with bow and quiver on his way to war or woo | O |
| Then the beaver on the meadow shall rebuild his broken wall | T |
| And the wolf shall chase his shadow and his mate the panther call | T |
| From the prairies and the regions where the pine plumed forest grows | D |
| Shall arise the tawny legions with their lances and their bows | D |
| And again the shouts of battle shall resound along the plain | M |
| Bows shall twang and quivers rattle women wail their warriors slain | M |
Hanford Lennox Gordon
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
<< Isabel Poem
Lines Poem>>
Write your comment about Legends Of The Northwest: Prelude: The Mississippi poem by Hanford Lennox Gordon
Best Poems of Hanford Lennox Gordon