A Song Written By The Earl Of Surrey Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDBBEEFGHIBBJJ CGKKLLMMEENOPPDDQQRS BBPPTTUJPPVVWWMMCCXX CCWWMMCCYDZZWWKKEACH beast can choose his fere according to his mind | A |
And eke can show a friendly chere like to their beastly kind | A |
A lion saw I late as white as any snow | B |
Which seemed well to lead the race his port the same did show | B |
Upon the gentle beast to gaze it pleased me | C |
For still methought he seemed well of noble blood to be | C |
And as he pranced before still seeking for a make | D |
As who would say 'There is none here I trow will me forsake' | D |
I might perceive a Wolf as white as whal sbone | B |
A fairer beast of fresher hue beheld I never none | B |
Save that her looks were coy and froward eke her grace | E |
Unto the which this gentle beast gan him advance apace | E |
And with a beck full low he bowed at her feet | F |
In humble wise as who would say 'I am too far unmeet ' | G |
But such a scornful chere wherewith she him rewarded | H |
Was never seen I trow the like to such as well deserved | I |
With that she start aside well near a foot or twain | B |
And unto him thus gan she say with spite and great disdain | B |
'Lion ' she said 'if thou hadst known my mind before | J |
Thou hadst not spent thy travail thus nor all thy pain for lore | J |
Do way I let thee weet thou shalt not play with me | C |
Go range about where thou mayst find some meeter fere for thee ' | G |
With that he beat his tail his eyes began to flame | K |
I might perceive his noble heart much moved by the same | K |
Yet saw I him refrain and eke his wrath assuage | L |
And unto her thus gan he say when he was past his rage | L |
' Cruel you do me wrong to set me thus so light | M |
Without desert for my good will to shew me such despite | M |
How can ye thus intreat a Lion of the race | E |
That with his paws a crowned king devoured in the place | E |
Whose nature is to prey upon no simple food | N |
As long as he may suck the flesh and drink of noble blood | O |
If you be fair and fresh am I not of your hue | P |
And for my vaunt I dare well say my blood is not untrue | P |
For you yourself have heard it is not long ago | D |
Sith that for love one of the race did end his life in woe | D |
In tower both strong and high for his assured truth | Q |
Whereas in tears he spent his breath alas the more the ruth | Q |
This gentle beast so died whom nothing could remove | R |
But willingly to lese his life for loss of his true love | S |
Other there be whose lives do linger still in pain | B |
Against their will preserved are that would have died fain | B |
But now I do perceive that nought it moveth you | P |
My good intent my gentle heart nor yet my kind so true | P |
But that your will is such to lure me to the trade | T |
As other some full many years trace by the craft ye made | T |
And thus behold my kinds how that we differ far | U |
I seek my foes and you your friends do threaten still with war | J |
I fawn where I am fled you slay that seeks to you | P |
I can devour no yielding prey you kill where you subdue | P |
My kind is to desire the honour of the field | V |
And you with blood to slake your thirst on such as to you yield | V |
Wherefore I would you wist that for your coyed looks | W |
I am no man that will be trapp'd nor tangled with such hooks | W |
And though some lust to love where blame full well they might | M |
And to such beasts of current sought that should have travail bright | M |
I will observe the law that Nature gave to me | C |
To conquer such as will resist and let the rest go free | C |
And as a falcon free that soareth in the air | X |
Which never fed on hand nor lure nor for no stale doth care | X |
While that I live and breathe such shall my custom be | C |
In wildness of the woods to seek my prey where pleaseth me | C |
Where many one shall rue that never made offence | W |
Thus your refuse against my power shall boot them no defence | W |
And for revenge thereof I vow and swear thereto | M |
A thousand spoils I shall commit I never thought to do | M |
And if to light on you my luck so good shall be | C |
I shall be glad to feed on that that would have fed on me | C |
And thus farewell Unkind to whom I bent and bow | Y |
I would you wist the ship is safe that bare his sails so low | D |
Sith that a Lion's heart is for a Wolf no prey | Z |
With bloody mouth go slake your thirst on simple sheep I say | Z |
With more despite and ire than I can now express | W |
Which to my pain though I refrain the cause you may well guess | W |
As for because myself was author of the game | K |
It boots me not that for my wrath I should disturb the same | K |
Henry Howard
(1)
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