The Song Of Hiawatha Viii: Hiawatha's Fishing Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBBACDEBDAFBGAAEBDC HADCAACBIJBAKLDMBNAN EDBEAABOBBBBBOABEBPD QQROESRRBATEUQABVQHO ASAGSBODGEWBRRBRRRAB WSVGWODGAERWBABBBWWX WEYEBRRBDRBARBAWBEBA SGAREWARAEVBAOABWRES RRSDDSDAARDDBOARRABS SBRRORBBASSBEABRRARA AQARRRSWDWRROWSBRBWR REBWRRRRWWRZForth upon the Gitche Gumee | A |
On the shining Big Sea Water | B |
With his fishing line of cedar | B |
Of the twisted bark of cedar | B |
Forth to catch the sturgeon Nahma | A |
Mishe Nahma King of Fishes | C |
In his birch canoe exulting | D |
All alone went Hiawatha | E |
Through the clear transparent water | B |
He could see the fishes swimming | D |
Far down in the depths below him | A |
See the yellow perch the Sahwa | F |
Like a sunbeam in the water | B |
See the Shawgashee the craw fish | G |
Like a spider on the bottom | A |
On the white and sandy bottom | A |
At the stern sat Hiawatha | E |
With his fishing line of cedar | B |
In his plumes the breeze of morning | D |
Played as in the hemlock branches | C |
On the bows with tail erected | H |
Sat the squirrel Adjidaumo | A |
In his fur the breeze of morning | D |
Played as in the prairie grasses | C |
On the white sand of the bottom | A |
Lay the monster Mishe Nahma | A |
Lay the sturgeon King of Fishes | C |
Through his gills he breathed the water | B |
With his fins he fanned and winnowed | I |
With his tail he swept the sand floor | J |
There he lay in all his armor | B |
On each side a shield to guard him | A |
Plates of bone upon his forehead | K |
Down his sides and back and shoulders | L |
Plates of bone with spines projecting | D |
Painted was he with his war paints | M |
Stripes of yellow red and azure | B |
Spots of brown and spots of sable | N |
And he lay there on the bottom | A |
Fanning with his fins of purple | N |
As above him Hiawatha | E |
In his birch canoe came sailing | D |
With his fishing line of cedar | B |
'Take my bait ' cried Hiawatha | E |
Dawn into the depths beneath him | A |
'Take my bait O Sturgeon Nahma | A |
Come up from below the water | B |
Let us see which is the stronger ' | O |
And he dropped his line of cedar | B |
Through the clear transparent water | B |
Waited vainly for an answer | B |
Long sat waiting for an answer | B |
And repeating loud and louder | B |
'Take my bait O King of Fishes ' | O |
Quiet lay the sturgeon Nahma | A |
Fanning slowly in the water | B |
Looking up at Hiawatha | E |
Listening to his call and clamor | B |
His unnecessary tumult | P |
Till he wearied of the shouting | D |
And he said to the Kenozha | Q |
To the pike the Maskenozha | Q |
'Take the bait of this rude fellow | R |
Break the line of Hiawatha ' | O |
In his fingers Hiawatha | E |
Felt the loose line jerk and tighten | S |
As he drew it in it tugged so | R |
That the birch canoe stood endwise | R |
Like a birch log in the water | B |
With the squirrel Adjidaumo | A |
Perched and frisking on the summit | T |
Full of scorn was Hiawatha | E |
When he saw the fish rise upward | U |
Saw the pike the Maskenozha | Q |
Coming nearer nearer to him | A |
And he shouted through the water | B |
'Esa esa shame upon you | V |
You are but the pike Kenozha | Q |
You are not the fish I wanted | H |
You are not the King of Fishes ' | O |
Reeling downward to the bottom | A |
Sank the pike in great confusion | S |
And the mighty sturgeon Nahma | A |
Said to Ugudwash the sun fish | G |
To the bream with scales of crimson | S |
'Take the bait of this great boaster | B |
Break the line of Hiawatha ' | O |
Slowly upward wavering gleaming | D |
Rose the Ugudwash the sun fish | G |
Seized the line of Hiawatha | E |
Swung with all his weight upon it | W |
Made a whirlpool in the water | B |
Whirled the birch canoe in circles | R |
Round and round in gurgling eddies | R |
Till the circles in the water | B |
Reached the far off sandy beaches | R |
Till the water flags and rushes | R |
Nodded on the distant margins | R |
But when Hiawatha saw him | A |
Slowly rising through the water | B |
Lifting up his disk refulgent | W |
Loud he shouted in derision | S |
'Esa esa shame upon you | V |
You are Ugudwash the sun fish | G |
You are not the fish I wanted | W |
You are not the King of Fishes ' | O |
Slowly downward wavering gleaming | D |
Sank the Ugudwash the sun fish | G |
And again the sturgeon Nahma | A |
Heard the shout of Hiawatha | E |
Heard his challenge of defiance | R |
The unnecessary tumult | W |
Ringing far across the water | B |
From the white sand of the bottom | A |
Up he rose with angry gesture | B |
Quivering in each nerve and fibre | B |
Clashing all his plates of armor | B |
Gleaming bright with all his war paint | W |
In his wrath he darted upward | W |
Flashing leaped into the sunshine | X |
Opened his great jaws and swallowed | W |
Both canoe and Hiawatha | E |
Down into that darksome cavern | Y |
Plunged the headlong Hiawatha | E |
As a log on some black river | B |
Shoots and plunges down the rapids | R |
Found himself in utter darkness | R |
Groped about in helpless wonder | B |
Till he felt a great heart beating | D |
Throbbing in that utter darkness | R |
And he smote it in his anger | B |
With his fist the heart of Nahma | A |
Felt the mighty King of Fishes | R |
Shudder through each nerve and fibre | B |
Heard the water gurgle round him | A |
As he leaped and staggered through it | W |
Sick at heart and faint and weary | B |
Crosswise then did Hiawatha | E |
Drag his birch canoe for safety | B |
Lest from out the jaws of Nahma | A |
In the turmoil and confusion | S |
Forth he might be hurled and perish | G |
And the squirrel Adjidaumo | A |
Frisked and chatted very gayly | R |
Toiled and tugged with Hiawatha | E |
Till the labor was completed | W |
Then said Hiawatha to him | A |
'O my little friend the squirrel | R |
Bravely have you toiled to help me | A |
Take the thanks of Hiawatha | E |
And the name which now he gives you | V |
For hereafter and forever | B |
Boys shall call you Adjidaumo | A |
Tail in air the boys shall call you ' | O |
And again the sturgeon Nahma | A |
Gasped and quivered in the water | B |
Then was still and drifted landward | W |
Till he grated on the pebbles | R |
Till the listening Hiawatha | E |
Heard him grate upon the margin | S |
Felt him strand upon the pebbles | R |
Knew that Nahma King of Fishes | R |
Lay there dead upon the margin | S |
Then he heard a clang and flapping | D |
As of many wings assembling | D |
Heard a screaming and confusion | S |
As of birds of prey contending | D |
Saw a gleam of light above him | A |
Shining through the ribs of Nahma | A |
Saw the glittering eyes of sea gulls | R |
Of Kayoshk the sea gulls peering | D |
Gazing at him through the opening | D |
Heard them saying to each other | B |
''T is our brother Hiawatha ' | O |
And he shouted from below them | A |
Cried exulting from the caverns | R |
'O ye sea gulls O my brothers | R |
I have slain the sturgeon Nahma | A |
Make the rifts a little larger | B |
With your claws the openings widen | S |
Set me free from this dark prison | S |
And henceforward and forever | B |
Men shall speak of your achievements | R |
Calling you Kayoshk the sea gulls | R |
Yes Kayoshk the Noble Scratchers ' | O |
And the wild and clamorous sea gulls | R |
Toiled with beak and claws together | B |
Made the rifts and openings wider | B |
In the mighty ribs of Nahma | A |
And from peril and from prison | S |
From the body of the sturgeon | S |
From the peril of the water | B |
They released my Hiawatha | E |
He was standing near his wigwam | A |
On the margin of the water | B |
And he called to old Nokomis | R |
Called and beckoned to Nokomis | R |
Pointed to the sturgeon Nahma | A |
Lying lifeless on the pebbles | R |
With the sea gulls feeding on him | A |
'I have slain the Mishe Nahma | A |
Slain the King of Fishes ' said he' | Q |
'Look the sea gulls feed upon him | A |
Yes my friends Kayoshk the sea gulls | R |
Drive them not away Nokomis | R |
They have saved me from great peril | R |
In the body of the sturgeon | S |
Wait until their meal is ended | W |
Till their craws are full with feasting | D |
Till they homeward fly at sunset | W |
To their nests among the marshes | R |
Then bring all your pots and kettles | R |
And make oil for us in Winter ' | O |
And she waited till the sun set | W |
Till the pallid moon the Night sun | S |
Rose above the tranquil water | B |
Till Kayoshk the sated sea gulls | R |
From their banquet rose with clamor | B |
And across the fiery sunset | W |
Winged their way to far off islands | R |
To their nests among the rushes | R |
To his sleep went Hiawatha | E |
And Nokomis to her labor | B |
Toiling patient in the moonlight | W |
Till the sun and moon changed places | R |
Till the sky was red with sunrise | R |
And Kayoshk the hungry sea gulls | R |
Came back from the reedy islands | R |
Clamorous for their morning banquet | W |
Three whole days and nights alternate | W |
Old Nokomis and the sea gulls | R |
Stripped the oily flesh of Na | Z |
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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