The Helot Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBC A DEDE A FGFG H IJIJ H KLKL H EMEM H HNHN H OPOP P BCBC P QRQR P NNNN P PFPF P STST H UVUV H WXWX H QRQR H PYPY H KNKN P ZPSP P EPEY P PPPP P UKUK P A2NA2N H B2NB2N H SC2SC2 H RD2RD2 H SCSC H NQNQ P E2E2E2E2 P E2F2E2F2 P PE2PE2 P RNRN P PPPP H PNPN H E2KE2K H E2G2E2G2 H E2RE2R H E2NE2N P H2PH2P N PNPN N I2E2I2E2 N E2NE2N N PPPP H NPNP H E2E2E2E2 H E2E2E2E2 H PJ2PJ2 H K2E2K2E2 P NNNN N E2NE2N N L2RL2R N M2E2M2E2 N QHQH H HNHN H KN2KN2 H PNPN H E2PE2P H PF2PO2 P E2NE2N P KNKN P P2RP2R P PPPP P E2PE2P H E2PE2P H Q2NQ2N H QE2QE2 H RNRN H E2PE2P P PPPP P E2PE2P P NE2NE2 P NR2NR2 P PPPP H E2PE2P H RHRH H PE2PE2 H E2PE2P H E2P2E2P2 P PPPP P E2PE2P P PE2PE2 P NPNP P PPPP H E2G2E2G2 H E2PE2P H E2PE2P H RPRP H E2E2E2E2 P P2E2P2E2 P2 S2NS2N P P2NP2N P PE2PE2 P E2T2E2T2 H E2PE2P H NPNP H E2E2E2E2 H RNRN H NPNP

I	A
	-
Low the sun beat on the land	B
Red on vine and plain and wood	C
With the wine cup in his hand	B
Vast the Helot herdsman stood	C
	-
II	A
	-
Quench'd the fierce Achean gaze	D
Dorian foemen paus'd before	E
Where cold Sparta snatch'd her bays	D
At Achaea's stubborn door	E
	-
III	A
	-
Still with thews of iron bound	F
Vastly the Achean rose	G
Godward from the brazen ground	F
High before his Spartan foes	G
	-
IV	H
	-
Still the strength his fathers knew	I
Dauntless when the foe they fac'd	J
Vein and muscle bounded through	I
Tense his Helot sinews brac'd	J
	-
V	H
	-
Still the constant womb of Earth	K
Blindly moulded all her part	L
As when to a lordly birth	K
Achean freemen left her heart	L
	-
VI	H
	-
Still insensate mother bore	E
Goodly sons for Helot graves	M
Iron necks that meekly wore	E
Sparta's yoke as Sparta's slaves	M
	-
VII	H
	-
Still O God mock'd mother she	H
Smil'd upon her sons of clay	N
Nurs'd them on her breast and knee	H
Shameless in the shameful day	N
	-
VIII	H
	-
Knew not old Achea's fires	O
Burnt no more in souls or veins	P
Godlike hosts of high desires	O
Died to clank of Spartan chains	P
	-
IX	P
	-
Low the sun beat on the land	B
Purple slope and olive wood	C
With the wine cup in his hand	B
Vast the Helot herdsman stood	C
	-
X	P
	-
As long gnarl'd roots enclasp	Q
Some red boulder fierce entwine	R
His strong fingers in their grasp	Q
Bowl of bright Caecuban wine	R
	-
XI	P
	-
From far Marsh of Amyclae	N
Sentried by lank poplars tall	N
Thro' the red slant of the day	N
Shrill pipes did lament and call	N
	-
XII	P
	-
Pierc'd the swaying air sharp pines	P
Thyrsi like the gilded ground	F
Clasp'd black shadows of brown vines	P
Swallows beat their mystic round	F
	-
XIII	P
	-
Day was at her high unrest	S
Fever'd with the wine of light	T
Loosing all her golden vest	S
Reel'd she towards the coming night	T
	-
XIV	H
	-
Fierce and full her pulses beat	U
Bacchic throbs the dry earth shook	V
Stirr'd the hot air wild and sweet	U
Madden'd ev'ry vine dark brook	V
	-
XV	H
	-
Had a red grape never burst	W
All its heart of fire out	X
To the red vat all a thirst	W
To the treader's song and shout	X
	-
XVI	H
	-
Had the red grape died a grape	Q
Nor sleek daughter of the vine	R
Found her unknown soul take shape	Q
In the wild flow of the wine	R
	-
XVII	H
	-
Still had reel'd the yellow haze	P
Still had puls'd the sun pierc'd sod	Y
Still had throbb'd the vine clad days	P
To the pulses of their God	Y
	-
XVIII	H
	-
Fierce the dry lips of the earth	K
Quaff'd the subtle Bacchic soul	N
Felt its rage and felt its mirth	K
Wreath'd as for the banquet bowl	N
	-
XIX	P
	-
Sapphire breasted Bacchic priest	Z
Stood the sky above the lands	P
Sun and Moon at East and West	S
Brazen cymbals in his hands	P
	-
XX	P
	-
Temples altars smote no more	E
Sharply white as brows of Gods	P
From the long sleek yellow shore	E
Oliv'd hill or dusky sod	Y
	-
XXI	P
	-
Gaz'd the anger'd Gods while he	P
Bacchus made their temples his	P
Flushed their marble silently	P
With the red light of his kiss	P
	-
XXII	P
	-
Red the arches of his feet	U
Spann'd grape gleaming vales the earth	K
Reel'd from grove to marble street	U
Mad with echoes of his mirth	K
	-
XXIII	P
	-
Nostrils widen'd to the air	A2
As above the wine brimm'd bowl	N
Men and women everywhere	A2
Breath'd the fierce sweet Bacchic soul	N
	-
XXIV	H
	-
Flow'd the vat and roar'd the beam	B2
Laugh'd the must while far and shrill	N
Sweet as notes in Pan born dream	B2
Loud pipes sang by vale and hill	N
	-
XXV	H
	-
Earth was full of mad unrest	S
While red Bacchus held his state	C2
And her brown vine girdl'd breast	S
Shook to his wild joy and hate	C2
	-
XXVI	H
	-
Strife crouch'd red ey'd in the vine	R
In its tendrils Eros strayed	D2
Anger rode upon the wine	R
Laughter on the cup lip play'd	D2
	-
XXVII	H
	-
Day was at her chief unrest	S
Red the light on plain and wood	C
Slavish ey'd and still of breast	S
Vast the Helot herdsman stood	C
	-
XXVIII	H
	-
Wide his hairy nostrils blew	N
Maddning incense breathing up	Q
Oak to iron sinews grew	N
Round the rich Caecuban cup	Q
	-
XXIX	P
	-
Drink dull slave the Spartan said	E2
Drink until the Helot clod	E2
Feel within him subtly bred	E2
Kinship to the drunken God	E2
	-
XXX	P
	-
Drink until the leaden blood	E2
Stirs and beats about thy brain	F2
Till the hot Caecuban flood	E2
Drown the iron of thy chain	F2
	-
XXXI	P
	-
Drink till even madness flies	P
At the nimble wine's pursuit	E2
Till the God within thee lies	P
Trampled by the earth born brute	E2
	-
XXXII	P
	-
Helot drink nor spare the wine	R
Drain the deep the madd'ning bowl	N
Flesh and sinews slave are mine	R
Now I claim thy Helot soul	N
	-
XXXIII	P
	-
Gods ye love our Sparta ye	P
Gave with vine that leaps and runs	P
O'er her slopes these slaves to be	P
Mocks and warnings to her sons	P
	-
XXXIV	H
	-
Thou my Hermos turn thy eyes	P
God touch'd still their frank bold blue	N
On the Helot mark the rise	P
Of the Bacchic riot through	N
	-
XXXV	H
	-
Knotted vein and surging breast	E2
Mark the wild insensate mirth	K
God ward boast the driv'ling jest	E2
Till he grovel to the earth	K
	-
XXXVI	H
	-
Drink dull slave the Spartan cried	E2
Meek the Helot touch'd the brim	G2
Scented all the purple tide	E2
Drew the Bacchic soul to him	G2
	-
XXXVII	H
	-
Cold the thin lipp'd Spartan smiled	E2
Couch'd beneath the weighted vine	R
Large ey'd gaz'd the Spartan child	E2
On the Helot and the wine	R
	-
XXXVIII	H
	-
Rose pale Doric shafts behind	E2
Stern and strong and thro' and thro'	N
Weaving with the grape breath'd wind	E2
Restless swallows call'd and flew	N
	-
XXXIX	P
	-
Dropp'd the rose flush'd doves and hung	H2
On the fountains murmuring brims	P
To the bronz'd vine Hermos clung	H2
Silver like his naked limbs	P
	-
XL	N
	-
Flash'd and flush'd rich copper'd leaves	P
Whiten'd by his ruddy hair	N
Pallid as the marble eaves	P
Aw'd he met the Helot's stare	N
	-
XLI	N
	-
Clang'd the brazen goblet down	I2
Marble bred loud echoes stirr'd	E2
With fix'd fingers knotted brown	I2
Dumb the Helot grasp'd his beard	E2
	-
XLII	N
	-
Heard the far pipes mad and sweet	E2
All the ruddy hazes thrill	N
Heard the loud beam crash and beat	E2
In the red vat on the hill	N
	-
XLIII	N
	-
Wide his nostrils as a stag's	P
Drew the hot wind's fiery bliss	P
Red his lips as river flags	P
From the strong Caecuban kiss	P
	-
XLIV	H
	-
On his swarthy temples grew	N
Purple veins like cluster'd grapes	P
Past his rolling pupils blew	N
Wine born fierce lascivious shapes	P
	-
XLV	H
	-
Cold the haughty Spartan smiled	E2
His the power to knit that day	E2
Bacchic fires insensate wild	E2
To the grand Achean clay	E2
	-
XLVI	H
	-
His the might hence his the right	E2
Who should bid him pause nor Fate	E2
Warning pass'd before his sight	E2
Dark robed and articulate	E2
	-
XLVII	H
	-
No black omens on his eyes	P
Sinistre God sent darkly broke	J2
Nor from ruddy earth nor skies	P
Portends to him mutely spoke	J2
	-
XLVIII	H
	-
Lo he said he maddens now	K2
Flames divine do scathe the clod	E2
Round his reeling Helot brow	K2
Stings the garland of the God	E2
	-
XLIX	P
	-
Mark my Hermos turn to steel	N
The soft tendons of thy soul	N
Watch the God beneath the heel	N
Of the strong brute swooning roll	N
	-
L	N
	-
Shame my Hermos honey dew	E2
Breeds not on the Spartan spear	N
Steel thy mother eyes of blue	E2
Blush to death that weakling tear	N
	-
LI	N
	-
Nay behold breed Spartan scorn	L2
Of the red lust of the wine	R
Watch the God himself down borne	L2
By the brutish rush of swine	R
	-
LII	N
	-
Lo the magic of the drink	M2
At the nimble wine's pursuit	E2
See the man half'd satyr sink	M2
All the human in the brute	E2
	-
LIII	N
	-
Lo the magic of the cup	Q
Watch the frothing Helot rave	H
As great buildings labour up	Q
From the corpse of slaughter'd slave	H
	-
LIV	H
	-
Build the Spartan virtue high	H
From the Helot's wine dead soul	N
Scorn the wild hot flames that fly	H
From the purple hearted bowl	N
	-
LV	H
	-
Helot clay Gods what its worth	K
Balanc'd with proud Sparta's rock	N2
Ours its force to till the earth	K
Ours its soul to gyve and mock	N2
	-
LVI	H
	-
Ours its sullen might Ye Gods	P
Vastly build the Achean clay	N
Iron breast our slavish clods	P
Ours their Helot souls to slay	N
	-
LVII	H
	-
Knit great thews smite sinews vast	E2
Into steel build Helot bones	P
Iron marrowed such will last	E2
Ground by ruthless Sparta's stones	P
	-
LVIII	H
	-
Crown the strong brute satyr wise	P
Narrow wall his Helot brain	F2
Dash the soul from breast and eyes	P
Lash him toward the earth again	O2
	-
LIX	P
	-
Make a giant for our need	E2
Weak to feel and strong to toil	N
Dully wise to dig or bleed	E2
On proud Sparta's alien soil	N
	-
LX	P
	-
Gods recall thy spark at birth	K
Lit his soul with high desire	N
Blend him grind him with the earth	K
Tread out old Achea's fire	N
	-
LXI	P
	-
Lo my Hermos laugh and mark	P2
See the swift mock of the wine	R
Faints the primal God born spark	P2
Trodden by the rush of swine	R
	-
LXII	P
	-
Gods ye love our Sparta ye	P
Gave with vine that leaps and runs	P
O'er her slopes these slaves to be	P
Mocks and warnings to her sons	P
	-
LXIII	P
	-
Cold the haughty Spartan smil'd	E2
Madd'ning from the purple hills	P
Sang the far pipes sweet and wild	E2
Red as sun pierc'd daffodils	P
	-
LXIV	H
	-
Neck curv'd serpent silent scaled	E2
With lock'd rainbows stole the sea	P
On the sleek long beaches wail'd	E2
Doves from column and from tree	P
	-
LXV	H
	-
Reel'd the mote swarm'd haze and thick	Q2
Beat the hot pulse of the air	N
In the Helot fierce and quick	Q2
All his soul sprang from its lair	N
	-
LXVI	H
	-
As the drowzing tiger deep	Q
In the dim cell hears the shout	E2
From the arena from his sleep	Q
Launches to its thunders out	E2
	-
LXVII	H
	-
So to fierce calls of the wine	R
Strong the red Caecuban bowl	N
From its slumber deep supine	R
Panted up the Helot soul	N
	-
LXVIII	H
	-
At his blood flush'd eye balls rear'd	E2
Mad and sweet came pipes and songs	P
Rous'd at last the wild soul glar'd	E2
Spear thrust with a million wrongs	P
	-
LXIX	P
	-
Past the primal senseless bliss	P
Past red laughter of the grapes	P
Past the wine's first honey'd kiss	P
Past the wine born wanton shapes	P
	-
LXX	P
	-
Still the Helot stands his feet	E2
Set like oak roots in his gaze	P
Black clouds roll and lightnings meet	E2
Flames from old Achean days	P
	-
LXXI	P
	-
Who may quench the God born fire	N
Pulsing at the soul's deep root	E2
Tyrants grind it in the mire	N
Lo it vivifies the brute	E2
	-
LXXII	P
	-
Stings the chain embruted clay	N
Senseless to his yoke bound shame	R2
Goads him on to rend and slay	N
Knowing not the spurring flame	R2
	-
LXXIII	P
	-
Tyrants changeless stand the Gods	P
Nor their calm might yielded ye	P
Not beneath thy chains and rods	P
Dies man's God gift Liberty	P
	-
LXXIV	H
	-
Bruteward lash thy Helots hold	E2
Brain and soul and clay in gyves	P
Coin their blood and sweat in gold	E2
Build thy cities on their lives	P
	-
LXXV	H
	-
Comes a day the spark divine	R
Answers to the Gods who gave	H
Fierce the hot flames pant and shine	R
In the bruis'd breast of the slave	H
	-
LXXVI	H
	-
Changeless stand the Gods nor he	P
Knows he answers their behest	E2
Feels the might of their decree	P
In the blind rage of his breast	E2
	-
LXXVII	H
	-
Tyrants tremble when ye tread	E2
Down the servile Helot clods	P
Under despot heel is bred	E2
The white anger of the Gods	P
	-
LXXVIII	H
	-
Thro' the shackle canker'd dust	E2
Thro' the gyv'd soul foul and dark	P2
Force they changeless Gods and just	E2
Up the bright eternal spark	P2
	-
LXXIX	P
	-
Till like lightnings vast and fierce	P
On the land its terror smites	P
Till its flames the tyrants pierce	P
Till the dust the despot bites	P
	-
LXXX	P
	-
Day was at its chief unrest	E2
Stone from stone the Helot rose	P
Fix'd his eyes his naked breast	E2
Iron wall'd his inner throes	P
	-
LXXXI	P
	-
Rose white in the dusky leaves	P
Shone the frank ey'd Spartan child	E2
Low the pale doves on the eaves	P
Made their soft moan sweet and wild	E2
	-
LXXXII	P
	-
Wand'ring winds fire throated stole	N
Sybils whisp'ring from their books	P
With the rush of wine from bowl	N
Leap'd the tendril darken'd brooks	P
	-
LXXXIII	P
	-
As the leathern cestus binds	P
Tense the boxer's knotted hands	P
So the strong wine round him winds	P
Binds his thews to iron bands	P
	-
LXXXIV	H
	-
Changeless are the Gods and bred	E2
All their wrath divine in him	G2
Bull like fell his furious head	E2
Swell'd vast cords on breast and limb	G2
	-
LXXXV	H
	-
As loud flaming stones are hurl'd	E2
From foul craters thus the gods	P
Cast their just wrath on the world	E2
From the mire of Helot clods	P
	-
LXXXVI	H
	-
Still the furious Helot stood	E2
Staring thro' the shafted space	P
Dry lipp'd for the Spartan blood	E2
He of scourg'd Achea's race	P
	-
LXXXVII	H
	-
Sprang the Helot roar'd the vine	R
Rent from grey long wedded stones	P
From pale shaft and dusky pine	R
Beat the fury of his groans	P
	-
LXXXVIII	H
	-
Thunders inarticulate	E2
Wordless curses deep and wild	E2
Reach'd the long pois'd sword of Fate	E2
To the Spartan thro' his child	E2
	-
LXXXIX	P
	-
On his knotted hands upflung	P2
O'er his low'r'd front all white	E2
Fair young Hermos quiv'ring hung	P2
As the discus flashes bright	E2
	-
XC	P2
	-
In the player's hand the boy	S2
Naked blossom pallid lay	N
Rous'd to lust of bloody joy	S2
Throbb'd the slave's embruted clay	N
	-
XCI	P
	-
Loud he laugh'd the father sprang	P2
From the Spartan's iron mail	N
Late the bubbling death cry rang	P2
On the hot pulse of the gale	N
	-
XCII	P
	-
As the shining discus flies	P
From the thrower's strong hand whirl'd	E2
Hermos cleft the air his cries	P
Lance like to the Spartan hurl'd	E2
	-
XCIII	P
	-
As the discus smites the ground	E2
Smote his golden head the stone	T2
Of a tall shaft burst a sound	E2
And but one his dying groan	T2
	-
XCIV	H
	-
Lo the tyrant's iron might	E2
Lo the Helot's yokes and chains	P
Slave slain in the throbbing light	E2
Lay the sole child of his veins	P
	-
XCV	H
	-
Laugh'd the Helot loud and full	N
Gazing at his tyrant's face	P
Low'r'd his front like captive bull	N
Bellowing from the fields of Thrace	P
	-
XCVI	H
	-
Rose the pale shaft redly flush'd	E2
Red with Bacchic light and blood	E2
On its stone the Helot rush'd	E2
Stone the tyrant Spartan stood	E2
	-
XCVII	H
	-
Lo the magic of the wine	R
From far marsh of Amyclae	N
Bier'd upon the ruddy vine	R
Spartan dust and Helot lay	N
	-
XCVIII	H
	-
Spouse of Bacchus reel'd the day	N
Red track'd on the throbbing sods	P
Dead but free the Helot lay	N
Just and changeless stand the Gods	P

Isabella Valancy Crawford

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