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 REBWRRRRWWRZ| Forth 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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About The Song Of Hiawatha Viii: Hiawatha's Fishing
The Song Of Hiawatha Viii: Hiawatha's Fishing is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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