Son Of The Evening Star, The Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABACDEBFABGDABEEAGEH EEIAEABIIEAIBBICEEDI IIEIIIJAGKIEDDHEAFEH IDBLHIBMEAIIIKGIIAAA DGIMBBNOMEBIEGIGEPQN GNHEEIGEDEEIEBBBEBPI ARADAIEIEDEEESBIIBIE LIGILEEEIBHBEBBBDEIM IEITTIEGGAAIEIIEIBRB SIKIIFIIEIFEEIEIEPEE EIDBBEIBIEABBHIBBIUB IMVEBAILEFILNEDM

Can it be the sun descendingA
O'er the level plain of waterB
Or the Red Swan floating flyingA
Wounded by the magic arrowC
Staining all the waves with crimsonD
With the crimson of its life bloodE
Filling all the air with splendorB
With the splendor of its plumageF
Yes it is the sun descendingA
Sinking down into the waterB
All the sky is stained with purpleG
All the water flushed with crimsonD
No it is the Red Swan floatingA
Diving down beneath the waterB
To the sky its wings are liftedE
With its blood the waves are reddenedE
Over it the Star of EveningA
Melts and trembles through the purpleG
Hangs suspended in the twilightE
No it is a bead of wampumH
On the robes of the Great SpiritE
As he passes through the twilightE
Walks in silence through the heavensI
This with joy beheld IagooA
And he said in haste Behold itE
See the sacred Star of EveningA
You shall hear a tale of wonderB
Hear the story of OsseoI
Son of the Evening Star OsseoI
Once in days no more rememberedE
Ages nearer the beginningA
When the heavens were closer to usI
And the Gods were more familiarB
In the North land lived a hunterB
With ten young and comely daughtersI
Tall and lithe as wands of willowC
Only Oweenee the youngestE
She the wilful and the waywardE
She the silent dreamy maidenD
Was the fairest of the sistersI
All these women married warriorsI
Married brave and haughty husbandsI
Only Oweenee the youngestE
Laughed and flouted all her loversI
All her young and handsome suitorsI
And then married old OsseoI
Old Osseo poor and uglyJ
Broken with age and weak with coughingA
Always coughing like a squirrelG
Ah but beautiful within himK
Was the spirit of OsseoI
From the Evening Star descendedE
Star of Evening Star of WomanD
Star of tenderness and passionD
All its fire was in his bosomH
All its beauty in his spiritE
All its mystery in his beingA
All its splendor in his languageF
And her lovers the rejectedE
Handsome men with belts of wampumH
Handsome men with paint and feathersI
Pointed at her in derisionD
Followed her with jest and laughterB
But she said 'I care not for youL
Care not for your belts of wampumH
Care not for your paint and feathersI
Care not for your jests and laughterB
I am happy with Osseo 'M
'Once to some great feast invitedE
Through the damp and dusk of eveningA
Walked together the ten sistersI
Walked together with their husbandsI
Slowly followed old OsseoI
With fair Oweenee beside himK
All the others chatted gaylyG
These two only walked in silenceI
At the western sky OsseoI
Gazed intent as if imploringA
Often stopped and gazed imploringA
At the trembling Star of EveningA
At the tender Star of WomanD
And they heard him murmur softlyG
'Ah showain nemeshin NosaI
Pity pity me my father 'M
'Listen ' said the eldest sisterB
'He is praying to his fatherB
What a pity that the old manN
Does not stumble in the pathwayO
Does not break his neck by falling 'M
And they laughed till all the forestE
Rang with their unseemly laughterB
On their pathway through the woodlandsI
Lay an oak by storms uprootedE
Lay the great trunk of an oak treeG
Buried half in leaves and mossesI
Mouldering crumbling huge and hollowG
And Osseo when he saw itE
Gave a shout a cry of anguishP
Leaped into its yawning cavernQ
At one end went in an old manN
Wasted wrinkled old and uglyG
From the other came a young manN
Tall and straight and strong and handsomeH
Thus Osseo was transfiguredE
Thus restored to youth and beautyE
But alas for good OsseoI
And for Oweenee the faithfulG
Strangely too was she transfiguredE
Changed into a weak old womanD
With a staff she tottered onwardE
Wasted wrinkled old and uglyE
And the sisters and their husbandsI
Laughed until the echoing forestE
Rang with their unseemly laughterB
But Osseo turned not from herB
Walked with slower step beside herB
Took her hand as brown and witheredE
As an oak leaf is in WinterB
Called her sweetheart NenemooshaP
Soothed her with soft words of kindnessI
Till they reached the lodge of feastingA
Till they sat down in the wigwamR
Sacred to the Star of EveningA
To the tender Star of WomanD
Wrapt in visions lost in dreamingA
At the banquet sat OsseoI
All were merry all were happyE
All were joyous but OsseoI
Neither food nor drink he tastedE
Neither did he speak nor listenD
But as one bewildered sat heE
Looking dreamily and sadlyE
First at Oweenee then upwardE
At the gleaming sky above themS
Then a voice was heard a whisperB
Coming from the starry distanceI
Coming from the empty vastnessI
Low and musical and tenderB
And the voice said 'O OsseoI
O my son my best belovedE
Broken are the spells that bound youL
All the charms of the magiciansI
All the magic powers of evilG
Come to me ascend OsseoI
'Taste the food that stands before youL
It is blessed and enchantedE
It has magic virtues in itE
It will change you to a spiritE
All your bowls and all your kettlesI
Shall be wood and clay no longerB
But the bowls be changed to wampumH
And the kettles shall be silverB
They shall shine like shells of scarletE
Like the fire shall gleam and glimmerB
'And the women shall no longerB
Bear the dreary doom of laborB
But be changed to birds and glistenD
With the beauty of the starlightE
Painted with the dusky splendorsI
Of the skies and clouds of evening 'M
What Osseo heard as whispersI
What as words he comprehendedE
Was but music to the othersI
Music as of birds afar offT
Of the whippoorwill afar offT
Of the lonely WawonaissaI
Singing in the darksome forestE
Then the lodge began to trembleG
Straight began to shake and trembleG
And they felt it rising risingA
Slowly through the air ascendingA
From the darkness of the tree topsI
Forth into the dewy starlightE
Till it passed the topmost branchesI
And behold the wooden dishesI
All were changed to shells of scarletE
And behold the earthen kettlesI
All were changed to bowls of silverB
And the roof poles of the wigwamR
Were as glittering rods of silverB
And the roof of bark upon themS
As the shining shards of beetlesI
Then Osseo gazed around himK
And he saw the nine fair sistersI
All the sisters and their husbandsI
Changed to birds of various plumageF
Some were jays and some were magpiesI
Others thrushes others blackbirdsI
And they hopped and sang and twitteredE
Perked and fluttered all their feathersI
Strutted in their shining plumageF
And their tails like fans unfoldedE
Only Oweenee the youngestE
Was not changed but sat in silenceI
Wasted wrinkled old and uglyE
Looking sadly at the othersI
Till Osseo gazing upwardE
Gave another cry of anguishP
Such a cry as he had utteredE
By the oak tree in the forestE
Then returned her youth and beautyE
And her soiled and tattered garmentsI
Were transformed to robes of ermineD
And her staff became a featherB
Yes a shining silver featherB
And again the wigwam trembledE
Swayed and rushed through airy currentsI
Through transparent cloud and vaporB
And amid celestial splendorsI
On the Evening Star alightedE
As a snow flake falls on snow flakeA
As a leaf drops on a riverB
As the thistledown on waterB
Forth with cheerful words of welcomeH
Came the father of OsseoI
He with radiant locks of silverB
He with eyes serene and tenderB
And he said My son OsseoI
Hang the cage of birds you bring thereU
Hang the cage with rods of silverB
And the birds with glistening feathersI
At the doorway of my wigwam 'M
At the door he hung the bird cageV
And they entered in and gladlyE
Listened to Osseo's fatherB
Ruler of the Star of EveningA
As he said O my OsseoI
I have had compassion on youL
Given you back your youth and beautyE
Into birds of various plumageF
Changed your sisters and their husbandsI
Changed them thus because they mocked youL
In the figure of the old manN
In that aspect sad and wrinkledE
Could not see your heart of passionD
Could not see yM

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



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