Blessing The Cornfields Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDECFGCECCHIIEDCIJ HECKLDEEMENODPICNEQC RSCECTTCKOCKUDCNTQDK KEIECCCCCEIIEEEOMCCE CIKOOCDCKCCEIDKIOCCC CCEEVOCOCOEDICCCEEWC CKCCCICECEEHXNOOEKNO INCCCCCCICNDYZA2ZKCB 2C2TDIA2EZICEDCD2IIO IE2JA2IEKA2OKOECE2IZ ONCCIOCCE2CIEA2A2CCC EA2CIOOOCEA2A2EICCDI CIE

Sing O Song of HiawathaA
Of the happy days that followedB
In the land of the OjibwaysC
In the pleasant land and peacefulD
Sing the mysteries of MondaminE
Sing the Blessing of the CornfieldsC
Buried was the bloody hatchetF
Buried was the dreadful war clubG
Buried were all warlike weaponsC
And the war cry was forgottenE
There was peace among the nationsC
Unmolested roved the huntersC
Built the birch canoe for sailingH
Caught the fish in lake and riverI
Shot the deer and trapped the beaverI
Unmolested worked the womenE
Made their sugar from the mapleD
Gathered wild rice in the meadowsC
Dressed the skins of deer and beaverI
All around the happy villageJ
Stood the maize fields green and shiningH
Waved the green plumes of MondaminE
Waved his soft and sunny tressesC
Filling all the land with plentyK
T was the women who in Spring timeL
Planted the broad fields and fruitfulD
Buried in the earth MondaminE
T was the women who in AutumnE
Stripped the yellow husks of harvestM
Stripped the garments from MondaminE
Even as Hiawatha taught themN
Once when all the maize was plantedO
Hiawatha wise and thoughtfulD
Spake and said to MinnehahaP
To his wife the Laughing WaterI
You shall bless to night the cornfieldsC
Draw a magic circle round themN
To protect them from destructionE
Blast of mildew blight of insectQ
Wagemin the thief of cornfieldsC
Paimosaid who steals the maize earR
In the night when all Is silence 'S
In the night when all Is darknessC
When the Spirit of Sleep NepahwinE
Shuts the doors of all the wigwamsC
So that not an ear can hear youT
So that not an eye can see youT
Rise up from your bed in silenceC
Lay aside your garments whollyK
Walk around the fields you plantedO
Round the borders of the cornfieldsC
Covered by your tresses onlyK
Robed with darkness as a garmentU
Thus the fields shall be more fruitfulD
And the passing of your footstepsC
Draw a magic circle round themN
So that neither blight nor mildewT
Neither burrowing worm nor insectQ
Shall pass o'er the magic circleD
Not the dragon fly Kwo ne sheK
Nor the spider SubbekasheK
Nor the grasshopper Pah puk keenaE
Nor the mighty caterpillarI
Way muk kwana with the bear skinE
King of all the caterpillarsC
On the tree tops near the cornfieldsC
Sat the hungry crows and ravensC
Kahgahgee the King of RavensC
With his band of black maraudersC
And they laughed at HiawathaE
Till the tree tops shook with laughterI
With their melancholy laughterI
At the words of HiawathaE
Hear him said they hear the Wise ManE
Hear the plots of HiawathaE
When the noiseless night descendedO
Broad and dark o'er field and forestM
When the mournful WawonaissaC
Sorrowing sang among the hemlocksC
And the Spirit of Sleep NepahwinE
Shut the doors of all the wigwamsC
From her bed rose Laughing WaterI
Laid aside her garments whollyK
And with darkness clothed and guardedO
Unashamed and unaffrightedO
Walked securely round the cornfieldsC
Drew the sacred magic circleD
Of her footprints round the cornfieldsC
No one but the Midnight onlyK
Saw her beauty in the darknessC
No one but the WawonaissaC
Heard the panting of her bosomE
Guskewau the darkness wrapped herI
Closely in his sacred mantleD
So that none might see her beautyK
So that none might boast I saw herI
On the morrow as the day dawnedO
Kahgahgee the King of RavensC
Gathered all his black maraudersC
Crows and blackbirds jays and ravensC
Clamorous on the dusky tree topsC
And descended fast and fearlessC
On the fields of HiawathaE
On the grave of the MondaminE
We will drag Mondamin said theyV
From the grave where he is buriedO
Spite of all the magic circlesC
Laughing Water draws around itO
Spite of all the sacred footprintsC
Minnehaha stamps upon itO
But the wary HiawathaE
Ever thoughtful careful watchfulD
Had o'erheard the scornful laughterI
When they mocked him from the tree topsC
Kaw he said my friends the ravensC
Kahgahgee my King of RavensC
I will teach you all a lessonE
That shall not be soon forgottenE
He had risen before the daybreakW
He had spread o'er all the cornfieldsC
Snares to catch the black maraudersC
And was lying now in ambushK
In the neighboring grove of pine treesC
Waiting for the crows and blackbirdsC
Waiting for the jays and ravensC
Soon they came with caw and clamorI
Rush of wings and cry of voicesC
To their work of devastationE
Settling down upon the cornfieldsC
Delving deep with beak and talonE
For the body of MondaminE
And with all their craft and cunningH
All their skill in wiles of warfareX
They perceived no danger near themN
Till their claws became entangledO
Till they found themselves imprisonedO
In the snares of HiawathaE
From his place of ambush came heK
Striding terrible among themN
And so awful was his aspectO
That the bravest quailed with terrorI
Without mercy he destroyed themN
Right and left by tens and twentiesC
And their wretched lifeless bodiesC
Hung aloft on poles for scarecrowsC
Round the consecrated cornfieldsC
As a signal of his vengeanceC
As a warning to maraudersC
Only Kahgahgee the leaderI
Kahgahgee the King of RavensC
He alone was spared among themN
As a hostage for his peopleD
With his prisoner string he bound himY
Led him captive to his wigwamZ
Tied him fast with cords of elm barkA2
To the ridge pole of his wigwamZ
Kahgahgee my raven said heK
You the leader of the robbersC
You the plotter of this mischiefB2
The contriver of this outrageC2
I will keep you I will hold youT
As a hostage for your peopleD
As a pledge of good behaviorI
And he left him grim and sulkyA2
Sitting in the morning sunshineE
On the summit of the wigwamZ
Croaking fiercely his displeasureI
Flapping his great sable pinionsC
Vainly struggling for his freedomE
Vainly calling on his peopleD
Summer passed and ShawondaseeC
Breathed his sighs o'er all the landscapeD2
From the South land sent his ardorI
Wafted kisses warm and tenderI
And the maize field grew and ripenedO
Till it stood in all the splendorI
Of its garments green and yellowE2
Of its tassels and its plumageJ
And the maize ears full and shiningA2
Gleamed from bursting sheaths of verdureI
Then Nokomis the old womanE
Spake and said to MinnehahaK
T is the Moon when leaves are fallingA2
All the wild rice has been gatheredO
And the maize is ripe and readyK
Let us gather in the harvestO
Let us wrestle with MondaminE
Strip him of his plumes and tasselsC
Of his garments green and yellowE2
And the merry Laughing WaterI
Went rejoicing from the wigwamZ
With Nokomis old and wrinkledO
And they called the women round themN
Called the young men and the maidensC
To the harvest of the cornfieldsC
To the husking of the maize earI
On the border of the forestO
Underneath the fragrant pine treesC
Sat the old men and the warriorsC
Smoking in the pleasant shadowE2
In uninterrupted silenceC
Looked they at the gamesome laborI
Of the young men and the womenE
Listened to their noisy talkingA2
To their laughter and their singingA2
Heard them chattering like the magpiesC
Heard them laughing like the blue jaysC
Heard them singing like the robinsC
And whene'er some lucky maidenE
Found a red ear in the huskingA2
Found a maize ear red as blood isC
Nushka cried they all togetherI
Nushka you shall have a sweetheartO
You shall have a handsome husbandO
Ugh the old men all respondedO
From their seats beneath the pine treesC
And whene'er a youth or maidenE
Found a crooked ear in huskingA2
Found a maize ear in the huskingA2
Blighted mildewed or misshapenE
Then they laughed and sang togetherI
Crept and limped about the cornfieldsC
Mimicked in their gait and gesturesC
Some old man bent almost doubleD
Singing singly or togetherI
Wagemin the thief of cornfieldsC
Paimosaid who steals the maize earI
Till the cornE

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



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