Peruvian Tales: Alzira, Tale Ii Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABC DDEEFFGGHHIIGGGGGGJJ GGKKLMNNGGIICCOOGGGG IICCIIGGPQGGGGRRGGII GGNNSSTUVVGGVVCCIIWW XXGGGGSSVVCCIIVVGGWW YYZA2GGCCA2A2GGGGGGG GPIZARRO lands with the Forces His meeting with ATALIBA Its un | A |
happy consequences ZORAI dies ATALIBA imprisoned and strangled | B |
Despair of ALZIRA | C |
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Flush'd with impatient hope the martial band | D |
By stern PIZARRO led approach the land | D |
No terrors arm his hostile brow for guile | E |
Seeks to betray with candour's open smile | E |
Too artless for distrust the Monarch springs | F |
To meet his latent foe on friendship's wings | F |
On as he moves with dazzling splendour crown'd | G |
His feather'd chiefs the golden throne surround | G |
The waving canopy its plume displays | H |
Whose waving hues reflect the morning rays | H |
With native grace he hails the warrior train | I |
Who stood majestic on PERUVIA'S plain | I |
In all the savage pomp of armour drest | G |
The frowning helmet and the nodding crest | G |
Yet themes of joy PIZARRO'S lips impart | G |
And charm with eloquence the simple heart | G |
Unfolding to the monarch's wond'ring thought | G |
All that inventive arts the rude have taught | G |
And now he bids the musing spirit rise | J |
Above the circle of surrounding skies | J |
Presents the page that sheds Religion's light | G |
O'er the dark mist of intellectual night | G |
While thrill'd with awe the monarch trembling stands | K |
He dropp'd the hallow'd volume from his hands | K |
Sudden while frantic zeal each breast inspires | L |
And shudd'ring demons fan the rising fires | M |
The bloody signal waves the banners play | N |
The naked sabres flash their streaming ray | N |
The trumpet rolls its animating sound | G |
And the loud cannon rend the vault around | G |
While fierce in sanguine rage the sons of Spain | I |
Rush on Peru's unarm'd defenceless train | I |
The fiends of slaughter urg'd their dire career | C |
And virtue's guardian spirits dropped a tear | C |
Mild ZORAI fell deploring human strife | O |
And clos'd with prayer his consecrated life | O |
In vain PERUVIA'S chiefs undaunted stood | G |
Shield their lov'd Prince and bathe his robes in blood | G |
Touch'd with heroic ardour cling around | G |
And high of soul receive each fatal wound | G |
Dragg'd from his throne and hurried o'er the plain | I |
The wretched Monarch swells the captive train | I |
With iron grasp the frantic Prince they bear | C |
And feel their triumph in his wild despair | C |
Deep in the gloomy dungeon's lone domain | I |
Lost ATALIBA wore the galling chain | I |
The earth's cold bed refus'd oblivious rest | G |
While throbb'd the woes of thousands at his breast | G |
ALZIRA'S desolating moan he hears | P |
And with the monarch's blends the lover's tears | Q |
Soon had ALZIRA felt affliction's dart | G |
Pierce her soft soul and rend her bleeding heart | G |
Its quick pulsations paus'd and chill'd with dread | G |
A livid hue her fading cheek o'erspread | G |
No tear the mourner shed she breath'd no sigh | R |
Her lips were mute and clos'd her languid eye | R |
Fainter and slower heav'd her shiv'ring breast | G |
And her calm'd passions seem'd in death to rest | G |
At length reviv'd 'mid rising heaps of slain | I |
She prest with hurried step the crimson plain | I |
The dungeon's gloomy depth she fearless sought | G |
For love with scorn of danger arm'd her thought | G |
She reach'd the cell where ATALIBA lay | N |
Where human vultures haste to seize their prey | N |
In vain her treasur'd wealth PERUVIA gave | S |
This dearer treasure from their grasp to save | S |
ALZIRA lo the ruthless murd'rers come | T |
This moment seals thy ATALIBA'S doom | U |
Ah what avails the shriek that anguish pours | V |
The look that mercy's lenient aid implores | V |
Torn from thy clinging arms thy throbbing breast | G |
The fatal cord his agony supprest | G |
In vain the livid corpse she firmly clasps | V |
And pours her sorrows o'er the form she grasps | V |
The murd'rers soon their struggling victim tear | C |
From the lost object of her soul's despair | C |
The swelling pang unable to sustain | I |
Distraction throbb'd in every beating vein | I |
Its sudden tumults seize her yielding soul | W |
And in her eye distemper'd glances roll | W |
They come the mourner cried with panting breath | X |
To give the lost ALZIRA rest in death | X |
One moment more ye bloody forms bestow | G |
One moment more for ever cares my woe | G |
Lo where the purple evening sheds her light | G |
On blest remains O hide them pitying night | G |
Slow in the breeze I see the verdure wave | S |
That shrouds with tufted grass my lover's grave | S |
Hark on its wand'ring wing in mildness blows | V |
The murm'ring gale nor wakes his deep repose | V |
And see yon hoary form still lingers there | C |
Dishevell'd by rude winds his silver hair | C |
O'er his chill'd bosom falls the winter rain | I |
I feel the big drops on my wither'd brain | I |
Not for himself that tear his bosom steeps | V |
For his lost child it flows for me he weeps | V |
No more the dagger's point shall pierce thy breast | G |
For calm and lovely is thy silent rest | G |
Yet still in dust these eyes shall see thee roll | W |
Still the sad thought shall waste ALZIRA'S soul | W |
What bleeding phantom moves along the storm | Y |
It is my ATALIBA'S well known form | Y |
Approach ALZIRA'S breast no terrors move | Z |
Her fears are all for ever lost in love | A2 |
Safe on the hanging cliff I now can rest | G |
And press its pointed pillow to my breast | G |
He weeps in heaven he weeps I feel his tear | C |
It chills my trembling heart yet still 'tis dear | C |
To him all joyless are the realms above | A2 |
That pale look speaks of pity and of love | A2 |
Ah come descend in yonder bending cloud | G |
And wrap ALZIRA in thy misty shroud | G |
As roll'd her wand'ring glances wild around | G |
She snatch'd a reeking sabre from the ground | G |
Firmly her lifted hand the weapon prest | G |
And deep she plung'd it in her panting breast | G |
'Tis but a few short moments that divide | G |
She falt'ring said then sunk on earth and died | G |
Helen Maria Williams
(1)
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