A Ballad Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A ABBB CDED FFGH ICJC BKLK BMF BCAC BN N OBP QRLR STU FBBB VPB GCWC BX X BYFY BZCZ A2B2BB2 AYC2Y WD2Y FYFY GHE2H FYF

With A Serious ConclusionA
-
Crowd about me little childrenA
Come and cluster 'round my kneeB
While I tell a little storyB
That happened once with meB
-
My father he had gone awayC
A sailing on the foamD
Leaving me the merest infantE
And my mother dear at homeD
-
For my father was a sailorF
And he sailed the ocean o'erF
For full five years ere yet againG
He reached his native shoreH
-
And I had grown up ruggedI
And healthy day by dayC
Though I was but a puny babeJ
When father went awayC
-
Poor mother she would kiss meB
And look at me and sighK
So strangely oft I wonderedL
And would ask the reason whyK
-
And she would answer sadlyB
Between her sobs and tearsM
'You look so like your fatherF
Far away so many years '-
-
And then she would caress meB
And brush my hair awayC
And tell me not to questionA
But to run about my playC
-
Thus I went playing thoughtfullyB
For that my mother saidN
'YOU LOOK SO LIKE YOUR FATHER '-
Kept ringing in my headN
-
So ranging once the golden sandsO
That looked out on the seaB
I called aloud 'My father dearP
Come back to ma and me '-
-
Then I saw a glancing shadowQ
On the sand and heard the shriekR
Of a sea gull flying seawardL
And I heard a gruff voice speakR
-
'Ay ay my little shipmateS
I thought I heard you hailT
Were you trumpeting that sea gullU
Or do you see a sail '-
-
And as rough and gruff a sailorF
As ever sailed the seaB
Was standing near grotesquelyB
And leering dreadfullyB
-
I replied though I was frightenedV
'It was my father dearP
I was calling for across the seaB
I think he didn't hear '-
-
And then the sailor leered againG
In such a frightful wayC
And made so many facesW
I was little loath to stayC
-
But he started fiercely toward meB
Then made a sudden haltX
And roared ' I think he heard you '-
And turned a somersaultX
-
Then a wild fear overcame meB
And I flew off like the windY
Shrieking 'MOTHER ' and the sailorF
Just a little way behindY
-
And then my mother heard meB
And I saw her shade her eyesZ
Looking toward me from the doorwayC
Transfixed with pale surpriseZ
-
For a moment then her featuresA2
Glowed with all their wonted charmsB2
As the sailor overtook meB
And I fainted in her armsB2
-
When I awoke to reasonA
I shuddered with affrightY
Till I felt my mother's presenceC2
With a thrill of wild delightY
-
Till amid a shower of kissesW
Falling glad as summer rainD2
A muffled thunder rumbledY
'Is he coming 'round again '-
-
Then I shrieked and clung unto herF
While her features flushed and burnedY
As she told me it was fatherF
From a foreign land returnedY
-
-
-
I said when I was calm againG
And thoughtfully once moreH
Had dwelt upon my mother's wordsE2
Of just the day beforeH
-
'I DON'T look like my fatherF
As you told me yesterdayY
I know I don't or fatherF
Would have run the other way '-

James Whitcomb Riley



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