The White Man's Foot Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCDEFAGGHIJDBKALJJ BFMNFOBPAPENAQRSPTUA VBWPADBWXPYDKJAZJFA2 ZAGB2FB2DC2DB2FTFAB2 D2E2IFAIBBB2F2BFAB2G 2AH2I2ADB2EIIJ2I2K2J 2LLC2J2B2AAB2B2J2B2F B2B2DAL2DB2DB2B2B2B2 M2B2C2N2TC2L2FB2J2DF DTB2B2O2C2B2B2DB2TTC 2J2B2TTTTTDTTFTJ2C2D DFDTP2TTTJ2FFTTTC2J2 J2DTFTTJ2P2DFJ2TJ2O2 C2C2TC2TC2TTQ2TJ2FFT J2TTP2DDTTTTTFDJ2TT

In his lodge beside a riverA
Close beside a frozen riverA
Sat an old man sad and lonelyB
White his hair was as a snow driftC
Dull and low his fire was burningD
And the old man shook and trembledE
Folded in his WaubewyonF
In his tattered white skin wrapperA
Hearing nothing but the tempestG
As it roared along the forestG
Seeing nothing but the snow stormH
As it whirled and hissed and driftedI
All the coals were white with ashesJ
And the fire was slowly dyingD
As a young man walking lightlyB
At the open doorway enteredK
Red with blood of youth his cheeks wereA
Soft his eyes as stars In Spring timeL
Bound his forehead was with grassesJ
Bound and plumed with scented grassesJ
On his lips a smile of beautyB
Filling all the lodge with sunshineF
In his hand a bunch of blossomsM
Filling all the lodge with sweetnessN
Ah my son exclaimed the old manF
Happy are my eyes to see youO
Sit here on the mat beside meB
Sit here by the dying embersP
Let us pass the night togetherA
Tell me of your strange adventuresP
Of the lands where you have travelledE
I will tell you of my prowessN
Of my many deeds of wonderA
From his pouch he drew his peace pipeQ
Very old and strangely fashionedR
Made of red stone was the pipe headS
And the stem a reed with feathersP
Filled the pipe with bark of willowT
Placed a burning coal upon itU
Gave it to his guest the strangerA
And began to speak in this wiseV
When I blow my breath about meB
When I breathe upon the landscapeW
Motionless are all the riversP
Hard as stone becomes the waterA
And the young man answered smilingD
When I blow my breath about meB
When I breathe upon the landscapeW
Flowers spring up o'er all the meadowsX
Singing onward rush the riversP
When I shake my hoary tressesY
Said the old man darkly frowningD
All the land with snow is coveredK
All the leaves from all the branchesJ
Fall and fade and die and witherA
For I breathe and lo they are notZ
From the waters and the marshesJ
Rise the wild goose and the heronF
Fly away to distant regionsA2
For I speak and lo they are notZ
And where'er my footsteps wanderA
All the wild beasts of the forestG
Hide themselves in holes and cavernsB2
And the earth becomes as flintstoneF
When I shake my flowing ringletsB2
Said the young man softly laughingD
Showers of rain fall warm and welcomeC2
Plants lift up their heads rejoicingD
Back Into their lakes and marshesB2
Come the wild goose and the heronF
Homeward shoots the arrowy swallowT
Sing the bluebird and the robinF
And where'er my footsteps wanderA
All the meadows wave with blossomsB2
All the woodlands ring with musicD2
All the trees are dark with foliageE2
While they spake the night departedI
From the distant realms of WabunF
From his shining lodge of silverA
Like a warrior robed and paintedI
Came the sun and said Behold meB
Gheezis the great sun behold meB
Then the old man's tongue was speechlessB2
And the air grew warm and pleasantF2
And upon the wigwam sweetlyB
Sang the bluebird and the robinF
And the stream began to murmurA
And a scent of growing grassesB2
Through the lodge was gently waftedG2
And Segwun the youthful strangerA
More distinctly in the daylightH2
Saw the icy face before himI2
It was Peboan the WinterA
From his eyes the tears were flowingD
As from melting lakes the streamletsB2
And his body shrunk and dwindledE
As the shouting sun ascendedI
Till into the air it fadedI
Till into the ground it vanishedJ2
And the young man saw before himI2
On the hearth stone of the wigwamK2
Where the fire had smoked and smoulderedJ2
Saw the earliest flower of Spring timeL
Saw the Beauty of the Spring timeL
Saw the Miskodeed in blossomC2
Thus it was that in the North landJ2
After that unheard of coldnessB2
That intolerable WinterA
Came the Spring with all its splendorA
All its birds and all its blossomsB2
All its flowers and leaves and grassesB2
Sailing on the wind to northwardJ2
Flying in great flocks like arrowsB2
Like huge arrows shot through heavenF
Passed the swan the MahnahbezeeB2
Speaking almost as a man speaksB2
And in long lines waving bendingD
Like a bow string snapped asunderA
Came the white goose Waw be wawaL2
And in pairs or singly flyingD
Mahng the loon with clangorous pinionsB2
The blue heron the Shuh shuh gahD
And the grouse the MushkodasaB2
In the thickets and the meadowsB2
Piped the bluebird the OwaissaB2
On the summit of the lodgesB2
Sang the robin the OpecheeM2
In the covert of the pine treesB2
Cooed the pigeon the OmemeeC2
And the sorrowing HiawathaN2
Speechless in his infinite sorrowT
Heard their voices calling to himC2
Went forth from his gloomy doorwayL2
Stood and gazed into the heavenF
Gazed upon the earth and watersB2
From his wanderings far to eastwardJ2
From the regions of the morningD
From the shining land of WabunF
Homeward now returned IagooD
The great traveller the great boasterT
Full of new and strange adventuresB2
Marvels many and many wondersB2
And the people of the villageO2
Listened to him as he told themC2
Of his marvellous adventuresB2
Laughing answered him in this wiseB2
Ugh it is indeed IagooD
No one else beholds such wondersB2
He had seen he said a waterT
Bigger than the Big Sea WaterT
Broader than the Gitche GumeeC2
Bitter so that none could drink itJ2
At each other looked the warriorsB2
Looked the women at each otherT
Smiled and said It cannot be soT
Kaw they said it cannot be soT
O'er it said he o'er this waterT
Came a great canoe with pinionsT
A canoe with wings came flyingD
Bigger than a grove of pine treesT
Taller than the tallest tree topsT
And the old men and the womenF
Looked and tittered at each otherT
Kaw they said we don't believe itJ2
From its mouth he said to greet himC2
Came Waywassimo the lightningD
Came the thunder AnnemeekeeD
And the warriors and the womenF
Laughed aloud at poor IagooD
Kaw they said what tales you tell usT
In it said he came a peopleP2
In the great canoe with pinionsT
Came he said a hundred warriorsT
Painted white were all their facesT
And with hair their chins were coveredJ2
And the warriors and the womenF
Laughed and shouted in derisionF
Like the ravens on the tree topsT
Like the crows upon the hemlocksT
Kaw they said what lies you tell usT
Do not think that we believe themC2
Only Hiawatha laughed notJ2
But he gravely spake and answeredJ2
To their jeering and their jestingD
True is all Iagoo tells usT
I have seen it in a visionF
Seen the great canoe with pinionsT
Seen the people with white facesT
Seen the coming of this beardedJ2
People of the wooden vesselP2
From the regions of the morningD
From the shining land of WabunF
Gitche Manito the MightyJ2
The Great Spirit the CreatorT
Sends them hither on his errandJ2
Sends them to us with his messageO2
Wheresoe'er they move before themC2
Swarms the stinging fly the AhmoC2
Swarms the bee the honey makerT
Wheresoe'er they tread beneath themC2
Springs a flower unknown among usT
Springs the White man's Foot in blossomC2
Let us welcome then the strangersT
Hail them as our friends and brothersT
And the heart's right hand of friendshipQ2
Give them when they come to see usT
Gitche Manito the MightyJ2
Said this to me in my visionF
I beheld too in that visionF
All the secrets of the futureT
Of the distant days that shall beJ2
I beheld the westward marchesT
Of the unknown crowded nationsT
All the land was full of peopleP2
Restless struggling toiling strivingD
Speaking many tongues yet feelingD
But one heart beat in their bosomsT
In the woodlands rang their axesT
Smoked their towns in all the valleysT
Over all the lakes and riversT
Rushed their great canoes of thunderT
Then a darker drearier visionF
Passed before me vague and cloud likeD
I beheld our nation scatteredJ2
All forgetful of my counselsT
Weakened warriT

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



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