The Song Of Hiawatha V: Hiawatha's Fasting Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDEDFCBGHIJKCLIMC HNHNOLHCPCLMJCJJMNNC PCMGCHOGQNRCPCMNNNSG MCMMMMJOAJNCNAJNCCDN DNCJTGUNPANHMJVHGGGM MAHCNJJJANPMNNMMCHHO CGMNDANCCNJCGMHCNJJW MHCGHAHHNPMMCHJHHMHM HGHJHHJJMANCHRHMNMMG NANCACHDMNCNCNPNAHDC JMMJMJGJJNMVOCMAJSGH NNHJCNMAJX

You shall hear how HiawathaA
Prayed and fasted in the forestB
Not for greater skill in huntingC
Not for greater craft in fishingC
Not for triumphs in the battleD
And renown among the warriorsE
But for profit of the peopleD
For advantage of the nationsF
First he built a lodge for fastingC
Built a wigwam in the forestB
By the shining Big Sea WaterG
In the blithe and pleasant Spring timeH
In the Moon of Leaves he built itI
And with dreams and visions manyJ
Seven whole days and nights he fastedK
On the first day of his fastingC
Through the leafy woods he wanderedL
Saw the deer start from the thicketI
Saw the rabbit in his burrowM
Heard the pheasant Bena drummingC
Heard the squirrel AdjidaumoH
Rattling in his hoard of acornsN
Saw the pigeon the OmemeH
Building nests among the pinetreesN
And in flocks the wild goose WawaO
Flying to the fen lands northwardL
Whirring wailing far above himH
'Master of Life ' he cried despondingC
'Must our lives depend on these things 'P
On the next day of his fastingC
By the river's brink he wanderedL
Through the Muskoday the meadowM
Saw the wild rice MahnomoneeJ
Saw the blueberry MeenahgaC
And the strawberry OdahminJ
And the gooseberry ShahbominJ
And the grape vine the BemahgutM
Trailing o'er the alder branchesN
Filling all the air with fragranceN
'Master of Life ' he cried despondingC
'Must our lives depend on these things 'P
On the third day of his fastingC
By the lake he sat and ponderedM
By the still transparent waterG
Saw the sturgeon Nahma leapingC
Scattering drops like beads of wampumH
Saw the yellow perch the SahwaO
Like a sunbeam in the waterG
Saw the pike the MaskenozhaQ
And the herring OkahahwisN
And the Shawgashee the crawfishR
'Master of Life ' he cried despondingC
'Must our lives depend on these things 'P
On the fourth day of his fastingC
In his lodge he lay exhaustedM
From his couch of leaves and branchesN
Gazing with half open eyelidsN
Full of shadowy dreams and visionsN
On the dizzy swimming landscapeS
On the gleaming of the waterG
On the splendor of the sunsetM
And he saw a youth approachingC
Dressed in garments green and yellowM
Coming through the purple twilightM
Through the splendor of the sunsetM
Plumes of green bent o'er his foreheadM
And his hair was soft and goldenJ
Standing at the open doorwayO
Long he looked at HiawathaA
Looked with pity and compassionJ
On his wasted form and featuresN
And in accents like the sighingC
Of the South Wind in the tree topsN
Said he 'O my HiawathaA
All your prayers are heard in heavenJ
For you pray not like the othersN
Not for greater skill in huntingC
Not for greater craft in fishingC
Not for triumph in the battleD
Nor renown among the warriorsN
But for profit of the peopleD
For advantage of the nationsN
'From the Master of Life descendingC
I the friend of man MondaminJ
Come to warn you and instruct youT
How by struggle and by laborG
You shall gain what you have prayed forU
Rise up from your bed of branchesN
Rise O youth and wrestle with me 'P
Faint with famine HiawathaA
Started from his bed of branchesN
From the twilight of his wigwamH
Forth into the flush of sunsetM
Came and wrestled with MondaminJ
At his touch he felt new courageV
Throbbing in his brain and bosomH
Felt new life and hope and vigorG
Run through every nerve and fibreG
So they wrestled there togetherG
In the glory of the sunsetM
And the more they strove and struggledM
Stronger still grew HiawathaA
Till the darkness fell around themH
And the heron the Shuh shuh gahC
From her nest among the pine treesN
Gave a cry of lamentationJ
Gave a scream of pain and famineJ
''T Is enough ' then said MondaminJ
Smiling upon HiawathaA
'But tomorrow when the sun setsN
I will come again to try you 'P
And he vanished and was seen notM
Whether sinking as the rain sinksN
Whether rising as the mists riseN
Hiawatha saw not knew notM
Only saw that he had vanishedM
Leaving him alone and faintingC
With the misty lake below himH
And the reeling stars above himH
On the morrow and the next dayO
When the sun through heaven descendingC
Like a red and burning cinderG
From the hearth of the Great SpiritM
Fell into the western watersN
Came Mondamin for the trialD
For the strife with HiawathaA
Came as silent as the dew comesN
From the empty air appearingC
Into empty air returningC
Taking shape when earth it touchesN
But invisible to all menJ
In its coming and its goingC
Thrice they wrestled there togetherG
In the glory of the sunsetM
Till the darkness fell around themH
Till the heron the Shuh shuh gahC
From her nest among the pine treesN
Uttered her loud cry of famineJ
And Mondamin paused to listenJ
Tall and beautiful he stood thereW
In his garments green and yellowM
To and fro his plumes above himH
Waved and nodded with his breathingC
And the sweat of the encounterG
Stood like drops of dew upon himH
And he cried 'O HiawathaA
Bravely have you wrestled with meH
Thrice have wrestled stoutly with meH
And the Master of Life who sees usN
He will give to you the triumph 'P
Then he smiled and said 'To morrowM
Is the last day of your conflictM
Is the last day of your fastingC
You will conquer and o'ercome meH
Make a bed for me to lie inJ
Where the rain may fall upon meH
Where the sun may come and warm meH
Strip these garments green and yellowM
Strip this nodding plumage from meH
Lay me in the earth and make itM
Soft and loose and light above meH
'Let no hand disturb my slumberG
Let no weed nor worm molest meH
Let not Kahgahgee the ravenJ
Come to haunt me and molest meH
Only come yourself to watch meH
Till I wake and start and quickenJ
Till I leap into the sunshine'J
And thus saying he departedM
Peacefully slept HiawathaA
But he heard the WawonaissaN
Heard the whippoorwill complainingC
Perched upon his lonely wigwamH
Heard the rushing SebowishaR
Heard the rivulet rippling near himH
Talking to the darksome forestM
Heard the sighing of the branchesN
As they lifted and subsidedM
At the passing of the night windM
Heard them as one hears in slumberG
Far off murmurs dreamy whispersN
Peacefully slept HiawathaA
On the morrow came NokomisN
On the seventh day of his fastingC
Came with food for HiawathaA
Came imploring and bewailingC
Lest his hunger should o'ercome himH
Lest his fasting should be fatalD
But he tasted not and touched notM
Only said to her 'NokomisN
Wait until the sun is settingC
Till the darkness falls around usN
Till the heron the Shuh shuh gahC
Crying from the desolate marshesN
Tells us that the day is ended 'P
Homeward weeping went NokomisN
Sorrowing for her HiawathaA
Fearing lest his strength should fail himH
Lest his fasting should be fatalD
He meanwhile sat weary waitingC
For the coming of MondaminJ
Till the shadows pointing eastwardM
Lengthened over field and forestM
Till the sun dropped from the heavenJ
Floating on the waters westwardM
As a red leaf in the AutumnJ
Falls and floats upon the waterG
Falls and sinks into its bosomJ
And behold the young MondaminJ
With his soft and shining tressesN
With his garments green and yellowM
With his long and glossy plumageV
Stood and beckoned at the doorwayO
And as one in slumber walkingC
Pale and haggard but undauntedM
From the wigwam HiawathaA
Came and wrestled with MondaminJ
Round about him spun the landscapeS
Sky and forest reeled togetherG
And his strong heart leaped within himH
As the sturgeon leaps and strugglesN
In a net to break its meshesN
Like a ring of fire around himH
Blazed and flared the red horizonJ
And a hundred suns seemed lookingC
At the combat of the wrestlersN
Suddenly upon the greenswardM
All alone stood HiawathaA
Panting with his wild exertionJ
Palpitating withX

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



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