The Game Of Ball (ii) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCBD EFEFGHIIIJHJKKCC LLMNMNCIIOIOEPEPNNQN NRRPSPSPPOOP NKITUVUPPIIKKKEEUUNN NNNNEWEWXXXWW YYEZEMYIINYNNA2B2C2Y Y D2YYD2YIYY

Clear was the sky as a silver shieldA
The bright sun blazed on the frozen fieldA
On icebound river and white robed prairieB
The diamonds gleamed in the flame of noonC
But cold and keen were the breezes airyB
Wa zi ya blew from his icy throneD
-
On the solid ice of the silent riverE
The bounds are marked and a splendid prizeF
A robe of black fox lined with beaverE
Is hung in view of the eager eyesF
And fifty merry Dakota maidensG
The fairest moulded of woman kindH
Are gathered in groups on the level iceI
They look on the robe and its beauty gladdensI
And maddens their hearts for the splendid prizeI
Lo the rounded ankles and raven hairJ
That floats at will on the wanton windH
And the round brown arms to the breezes bareJ
And breasts like the mounds where the waters meetK
And feet as fleet as the red deer's feetK
And faces that glow like the full round moonC
When she laughs in the luminous skies of JuneC
-
The leaders are chosen and swiftly divideL
The opposing parties on either sideL
Wiwaste is chief of a nimble bandM
The star eyed daughter of Little CrowN
And the leader chosen to hold commandM
Of the band adverse is a haughty foeN
The dusky impetuous HarpstinaC
The queenly cousin of WapasaI
Kapoza's chief and his tawny huntersI
Are gathered to witness the queenly gameO
The ball is thrown and a bat encountersI
And away it flies with a loud acclaimO
Swift are the maidens that follow afterE
And swiftly it flies for the farther boundP
And long and loud are the peals of laughterE
As some fair runner is flung to groundP
While backward and forward and to and froN
The maidens contend on the trampled snowN
With loud Iho Ito IhoQ
And waving the beautiful prize anonN
The dusky warriors cheer them onN
And often the limits are almost passedR
As the swift ball flies and returns At lastR
It leaps the line at a single boundP
From the fair Wiwaste's sturdy strokeS
Like a fawn that flies from the baying houndP
Wild were the shouts and they rolled and brokeS
On the beetling bluffs and the hills profoundP
An echoing jubilant sea of soundP
Wakawa the chief and the loud acclaimO
Announced the end of the well fought gameO
And the fair Wiwaste was victor crownedP
-
Dark was the visage of HarpstinaN
When the robe was laid at her rival's feetK
And merry maidens and warriors sawI
Her flashing eyes and her look of hateT
As she turned to Wakawa the chief and saidU
The game was mine were it fairly playedV
I was stunned by a blow on my bended headU
As I snatched the ball from slippery groundP
Not half a fling from Wiwaste's boundP
And the cheat behold her for there she standsI
With the prize that is mine in her treacherous handsI
The fawn may fly but the wolf is fleetK
The fox creeps sly on Maga's retreatK
And a woman's revenge it is swift and sweetK
She turned to her lodge but a roar of laughterE
And merry mockery followed afterE
Little they heeded the words she saidU
Little they cared for her haughty treadU
For maidens and warriors and chieftain knewN
That her lips were false and her charge untrueN
-
Wiwaste the fairest Dakota maidenN
The sweet faced daughter of Little CrowN
To her teepee turned with her trophy ladenN
The black robe trailing the virgin snowN
Beloved was she by her princely fatherE
Beloved was she by the young and oldW
By merry maidens and many a motherE
And many a warrior bronzed and boldW
For her face was as fair as a beautiful dreamX
And her voice like the song of the mountain streamX
And her eyes like the stars when they glow and gleamX
Through the somber pines of the nor'land woldW
When the winds of winter are keen and coldW
-
Mah pi ya Du ta the tall Red CloudY
A hunter swift and a warrior proudY
With many a scar and many a featherE
Was a suitor bold and a lover fondZ
Long had he courted Wiwaste's fatherE
Long had he sued for the maiden's handM
Aye brave and proud was the tall Red CloudY
A peerless son of a giant raceI
And the eyes of the panther were set in his faceI
He strode like a stag and he stood like a pineN
Ten feathers he wore of the great WanmdeeY
With crimsoned quills of the porcupineN
His leggins were worked to his brawny kneeN
The bow he bent was a giant's bowA2
The swift red elk could he overtakeB2
And the necklace that girdled his brawny neckC2
Was the polished claws of the great MatoY
He grappled and slew in the northern snowY
-
Wiwaste looked on the warrior tallD2
She saw he was brawny and brave and greatY
But the eyes of the panther she could but hateY
And a brave Hohe loved she better than allD2
Loved was Mahpiya by HarpstinaY
But the warrior she never could charm or drawI
And bitter indeed was her secret hateY
For the maiden she reckoned so fortunateY

Hanford Lennox Gordon



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