The Song Of Hiawatha Xxii: Hiawatha's Departure Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABACDEEFGAHF IAJFGBKB LKBKMFFNL DOHHHPQ CRCBCB BOCSCH BFCCTBFUFCOVI LOAFTTFVAF LWHEXXEX UUAEUECY CBEFC BUBLUF LAFFEOEZC A2FEEEAE SEEA2EAUBB OUFUUEOOOAAEF CA2AEE OAFEAF EUOAUOEFFUA B2EEOOC2OFA FEEO EFOOFFAAAFU FEFE UFEOOFAOA FCUCFU O CEFUUUFOEC FCOUEFE FED2By the shore of Gitche Gumee | A |
By the shining Big Sea Water | B |
At the doorway of his wigwam | A |
In the pleasant Summer morning | C |
Hiawatha stood and waited | D |
All the air was full of freshness | E |
All the earth was bright and joyous | E |
And before him through the sunshine | F |
Westward toward the neighboring forest | G |
Passed in golden swarms the Ahmo | A |
Passed the bees the honey makers | H |
Burning singing In the sunshine | F |
- | |
Bright above him shone the heavens | I |
Level spread the lake before him | A |
From its bosom leaped the sturgeon | J |
Sparkling flashing in the sunshine | F |
On its margin the great forest | G |
Stood reflected in the water | B |
Every tree top had its shadow | K |
Motionless beneath the water | B |
- | |
From the brow of Hiawatha | L |
Gone was every trace of sorrow | K |
As the fog from off the water | B |
As the mist from off the meadow | K |
With a smile of joy and triumph | M |
With a look of exultation | F |
As of one who in a vision | F |
Sees what is to be but is not | N |
Stood and waited Hiawatha | L |
- | |
Toward the sun his hands were lifted | D |
Both the palms spread out against it | O |
And between the parted fingers | H |
Fell the sunshine on his features | H |
Flecked with light his naked shoulders | H |
As it falls and flecks an oak tree | P |
Through the rifted leaves and branches | Q |
- | |
O'er the water floating flying | C |
Something in the hazy distance | R |
Something in the mists of morning | C |
Loomed and lifted from the water | B |
Now seemed floating now seemed flying | C |
Coming nearer nearer nearer | B |
- | |
Was it Shingebis the diver | B |
Or the pelican the Shada | O |
Or the heron the Shuh shuh gah | C |
Or the white goose Waw be wawa | S |
With the water dripping flashing | C |
From its glossy neck and feathers | H |
- | |
It was neither goose nor diver | B |
Neither pelican nor heron | F |
O'er the water floating flying | C |
Through the shining mist of morning | C |
But a birch canoe with paddles | T |
Rising sinking on the water | B |
Dripping flashing in the sunshine | F |
And within it came a people | U |
From the distant land of Wabun | F |
From the farthest realms of morning | C |
Came the Black Robe chief the Prophet | O |
He the Priest of Prayer the Pale face | V |
With his guides and his companions | I |
- | |
And the noble Hiawatha | L |
With his hands aloft extended | O |
Held aloft in sign of welcome | A |
Waited full of exultation | F |
Till the birch canoe with paddles | T |
Grated on the shining pebbles | T |
Stranded on the sandy margin | F |
Till the Black Robe chief the Pale face | V |
With the cross upon his bosom | A |
Landed on the sandy margin | F |
- | |
Then the joyous Hiawatha | L |
Cried aloud and spake in this wise | W |
'Beautiful is the sun O strangers | H |
When you come so far to see us | E |
All our town in peace awaits you | X |
All our doors stand open for you | X |
You shall enter all our wigwams | E |
For the heart's right hand we give you | X |
- | |
'Never bloomed the earth so gayly | U |
Never shone the sun so brightly | U |
As to day they shine and blossom | A |
When you come so far to see us | E |
Never was our lake so tranquil | U |
Nor so free from rocks and sand bars | E |
For your birch canoe in passing | C |
Has removed both rock and sand bar | Y |
- | |
'Never before had our tobacco | C |
Such a sweet and pleasant flavor | B |
Never the broad leaves of our cornfields | E |
Were so beautiful to look on | F |
As they seem to us this morning | C |
When you come so far to see us ' | - |
- | |
And the Black Robe chief made answer | B |
Stammered In his speech a little | U |
Speaking words yet unfamiliar | B |
'Peace be with you Hiawatha | L |
Peace be with you and your people | U |
Peace of prayer and peace of pardon | F |
Peace of Christ and joy of Mary ' | - |
- | |
Then the generous Hiawatha | L |
Led the strangers to his wigwam | A |
Seated them on skins of bison | F |
Seated them on skins of ermine | F |
And the careful old Nokomis | E |
Brought them food in bowls of basswood | O |
Water brought in birchen dippers | E |
And the calumet the peace pipe | Z |
Filled and lighted for their smoking | C |
- | |
All the old men of the village | A2 |
All the warriors of the nation | F |
All the Jossakeeds the Prophets | E |
The magicians the Wabenos | E |
And the Medicine men the Medas | E |
Came to bid the strangers welcome | A |
'It is well' they said 'O brothers | E |
That you come so far to see us ' | - |
- | |
In a circle round the doorway | S |
With their pipes they sat In silence | E |
Waiting to behold the strangers | E |
Waiting to receive their message | A2 |
Till the Black Robe chief the Pale face | E |
From the wigwam came to greet them | A |
Stammering in his speech a little | U |
Speaking words yet unfamiliar | B |
'It Is well ' they said 'O brother | B |
That you come so far to see us ' | - |
- | |
Then the Black Robe chief the Prophet | O |
Told his message to the people | U |
Told the purport of his mission | F |
Told them of the Virgin Mary | U |
And her blessed Son the Saviour | U |
How in distant lands and ages | E |
He had lived on earth as we do | O |
How he fasted prayed and labored | O |
How the Jews the tribe accursed | O |
Mocked him scourged him crucified him | A |
How he rose from where they laid him | A |
Walked again with his disciples | E |
And ascended into heaven | F |
- | |
And the chiefs made answer saying | C |
'We have listened to your message | A2 |
We have heard your words of wisdom | A |
We will think on what you tell us | E |
It is well for us O brothers | E |
That you come so far to see us ' | - |
- | |
Then they rose up and departed | O |
Each one homeward to his wigwam | A |
To the young men and the women | F |
Told the story of the strangers | E |
Whom the Master of Life had sent them | A |
From the shining land of Wabun | F |
- | |
Heavy with the heat and silence | E |
Grew the afternoon of Summer | U |
With a drowsy sound the forest | O |
Whispered round the sultry wigwam | A |
With a sound of sleep the water | U |
Rippled on the beach below it | O |
From the cornfields shrill and ceaseless | E |
Sang the grasshopper Pah puk keena | F |
And the guests of Hiawatha | F |
Weary with the heat of Summer | U |
Slumbered in the sultry wigwam | A |
- | |
Slowly o'er the simmering landscape | B2 |
Fell the evening's dusk and coolness | E |
And the long and level sunbeams | E |
Shot their spears into the forest | O |
Breaking through its shields of shadow | O |
Rushed into each secret ambush | C2 |
Searched each thicket dingle hollow | O |
Still the guests of Hiawatha | F |
Slumbered In the silent wigwam | A |
- | |
From his place rose Hiawatha | F |
Bade farewell to old Nokomis | E |
Spake in whispers spake in this wise | E |
Did not wake the guests that slumbered | O |
- | |
'I am going O Nokomis | E |
On a long and distant journey | F |
To the portals of the Sunset | O |
To the regions of the home wind | O |
Of the Northwest Wind Keewaydin | F |
But these guests I leave behind me | F |
In your watch and ward I leave them | A |
See that never harm comes near them | A |
See that never fear molests them | A |
Never danger nor suspicion | F |
Never want of food or shelter | U |
In the lodge of Hiawatha ' | - |
- | |
Forth into the village went he | F |
Bade farewell to all the warriors | E |
Bade farewell to all the young men | F |
Spake persuading spake in this wise | E |
- | |
I am going O my people | U |
On a long and distant journey | F |
Many moons and many winters | E |
Will have come and will have vanished | O |
Ere I come again to see you | O |
But my guests I leave behind me | F |
Listen to their words of wisdom | A |
Listen to the truth they tell you | O |
For the Master of Life has sent them | A |
From the land of light and morning ' | - |
- | |
On the shore stood Hiawatha | F |
Turned and waved his hand at parting | C |
On the clear and luminous water | U |
Launched his birch canoe for sailing | C |
From the pebbles of the margin | F |
Shoved it forth into the water | U |
Whispered to it 'Westward westward ' | - |
And with speed it darted forward | O |
- | |
And the evening sun descending | C |
Set the clouds on fire with redness | E |
Burned the broad sky like a prairie | F |
Left upon the level water | U |
One long track and trail of splendor | U |
Down whose stream as down a river | U |
Westward westward Hiawatha | F |
Sailed into the fiery sunset | O |
Sailed into the purple vapors | E |
Sailed into the dusk of evening | C |
- | |
And the people from the margin | F |
Watched him floating rising sinking | C |
Till the birch canoe seemed lifted | O |
High into that sea of splendor | U |
Till it sank into the vapors | E |
Like the new moon slowly slowly | F |
Sinking in the purple distance | E |
- | |
And they said 'Farewell forever ' | - |
Said 'Farewell O Hiawatha ' | - |
And the forests dark and lonely | F |
Moved through all their depths of darkness | E |
Sigh | D2 |
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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