Fingal - Book Iv Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B C D A A A E A F G

ARGUMENTA
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The action of the poem being suspended by night Ossian takes the opportunity to relate his own actions at the lake of Lego and his courtship of Everallin who was the mother of Oscar and had died some time before the expedition of Fingal into Ireland Her ghost appears to him and tells him that Oscar who had been sent the beginning of the night to observe the enemy was engaged with an advanced party and almost overpowered Ossian relieves his son and an alarm is given to Fingal of the approach of Swaran The king rises calls his army together and as he had promised the preceding night devolves the command on Gaul the son of Morni while he himself after charging his sons to behave gallantly and defend his people retires to a hill from whence he could have a view of the battle The battle joins the poet relates Oscar's great actions But when Oscar in conjunction with his father conquered in one wing Gaul who was attacked by Swaran in person was on the point of retreating in the other Fingal sends Ullin his bard to encourage them with a war song but notwithstanding Swaran prevails and Gaul and his army are obliged to give way Fingal descending from the hill rallies them again Swaran desists from the pursuit possesses himself of a rising ground restores the ranks and waits the approach of Fingal The king having encouraged his men gives the necessary orders and renews the battle Cuthullin who with his friend Connal and Carril his bard had retired to the cave of Tura hearing the noise came to the brow of the hill which overlooked the field of battle where he saw Fingal engaged with the enemy He being hindered by Connal from joining Fingal who was himself upon the point of obtaining a complete victory sends Carril to congratulate that hero on successB
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Who comes with her songs from the hill like the bow of the showery Lena It is the maid of the voice of love the white armed daughter of Toscar Often hast thou heard my song often given the tear of beauty Hast thou come to the wars of thy people to hear the actions of Oscar When shall I cease to mourn by the streams of resounding Cona My years have passed away in battle My age is darkened with griefC
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quot Daughter of the hand of snow I was not so mournful and blind I was not so dark and forlorn when Everallin loved me Everallin with the dark brown hair the white bosomed daughter of Branno A thousand heroes sought the maid she refused her love to a thousand The sons of the sword were despised for graceful in her eyes was Ossian I went in suit of the maid to Lego's sable surge Twelve of my people were there the sons of streamy Morven We came to Branno friend of strangers Branno of the sounding mail 'From whence ' he said 'are the arms of steel Not easy to win is the maid who has denied the blue eyed sons of Erin But blest be thou O son of Fingal Happy is the maid that waits thee Though twelve daughters of beauty were mine thine were the choice thou son of fame '-
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quot He opened the hall of the maid the dark haired Everallin Joy kindled in our manly breasts We blest the maid of Branno Above us on the hill appeared the people of stately Cormac Eight were the heroes of the chief The heath flamed wide with their arms There Colla there Durra of wounds there mighty Toscar and Tago there Fresta the victorious stood Dairo of the happy deeds Dala the battle's bulwark in the narrow way The sword flamed in the hand of Cormac Graceful was the look of the hero Eight were the heroes of Ossian Ullin stormy son of war Mullo of the generous deeds The noble the graceful Scelacha Oglan and Cerdan the wrathful Dumariccan's brows of death And why should Ogar be the last so wide renowned on the hills of ArdvenD
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quot Ogar met Dala the strong face to face on the field of heroes The battle of the chiefs was like wind on ocean's foamy waves The dagger is remembered by Ogar the weapon which he loved Nine times he drowned it in Dala's side The stormy battle turned Three times I broke on Cormac's shield three times he broke his spear But unhappy youth of love I cut his head away Five times I shook it by the lock The friends of Cormac fled Whoever would have told me lovely maid when then I strove in battle that blind forsaken and forlorn I now should pass the night firm ought his mail to have been unmatched his arm in war quotA
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On Lena's gloomy heath the voice of music died away The inconstant blast blew hard The high oak shook its leaves around Of Everallin were my thoughts when in all the light of beauty she came her blue eyes rolling in tears She stood on a cloud before my sight and spoke with feeble voice quot Rise Ossian rise and save my son save Oscar prince of men Near the red oak of Luba's stream he fights with Lochlin's sons quot She sunk into her cloud again I covered me with steel My spear supported my steps my rattling armor rung I hummed as I was wont in danger the songs of heroes of old Like distant thunder Lochlin heard They fled my son pursuedA
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I called him like a distant stream quot Oscar return over Lena No further pursue the foe quot I said quot though Ossian is behind thee quot He came and pleasant to my ear was Oscar's sounding steel quot Why didst thou stop my hand quot he said quot till death had covered all For dark and dreadful by the stream they met thy son and Fillin They watched the terrors of the night Our swords have conquered some But as the winds of night pour the ocean over the white sands of Mora so dark advance the sons of Lochlin over Lena's rustling heat The ghosts of night shriek afar I have seen the meteors of death Let me awake the king of Morven he that smiles in danger He that is like the sun of heaven rising in a storm quotA
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Fingal had started from a dream and leaned on Trenmor's shield the dark brown shield of his fathers which they had lifted of old in war The hero had seen in his rest the mournful form of Agandecca She came from the way of the ocean She slowly lonely moved over Lena Her face was pale like the mist of Cromla Dark were the tears of her cheek She often raised her dim hand from her robe her robe which was of the clouds of the desert she raised her dim hand over Fingal and turned away silent eyes quot Why weeps the daughter of Starno quot said Fingal with a sigh quot why is thy face so pale fair wanderer of the clouds quot She departed on the wind of Lena She left him in the midst of the night She mourned the sons of her people that were to fall by the hand of FingalE
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The hero started from rest Still he beheld her in his soul The sound of Oscar's steps approached The king saw the gray shield on his side for the faint beam of the morning came over the waters of Ullin quot What do the foes in their fear quot said the rising king of Morven quot or fly they through ocean's foam or wait they the battle of steel But why should Fingal ask I hear their voice on the early wind Fly over Lena's heath O Oscar awake our friends quotA
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The king stood by the stone of Lubar Thrice he reared his terrible voice The deer started from the fountains of Cromla The rocks shook on all their hills Like the noise of a hundred mountain streams that burst and roar and foam like the clouds that gather to a tempest on the blue face of the sky so met the sons of the desert round the terrible voice of Fingal Pleasant was the voice of the king of Morven to the warriors of his land Often had he led them to battle often returned with the spoils of the foeF
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quot Come to battle quot said the king quot ye children of echoing Selma Come to the death of thousands Comhal's son will see the fight My sword shall wave on the hill the defence of my people in war But never may you need it warriors while the son of Morni fights theG

James Macpherson



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