The Eagle And The Beetle Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCDDCEEFFGGHHIJJI KLLMMNONPOQLLRRSTUVW XYWZZA2A2B2B2C2C2D2D 2E2F2G2E2H2H2H2FFI2I 2J2J2K2L2M2M2N2N2| A | |
| - | |
| John Rabbit by Dame Eagle chased | B |
| Was making for his hole in haste | B |
| When on his way he met a beetle's burrow | C |
| I leave you all to think | D |
| If such a little chink | D |
| Could to a rabbit give protection thorough | C |
| But since no better could be got | E |
| John Rabbit there was fain to squat | E |
| Of course in an asylum so absurd | F |
| John felt ere long the talons of the bird | F |
| But first the beetle interceding cried | G |
| 'Great queen of birds it cannot be denied | G |
| That maugre my protection you can bear | H |
| My trembling guest John Rabbit through the air | H |
| But do not give me such affront I pray | I |
| And since he craves your grace | J |
| In pity of his case | J |
| Grant him his life or take us both away | I |
| For he's my gossip friend and neighbour ' | - |
| In vain the beetle's friendly labour | K |
| The eagle clutch'd her prey without reply | L |
| And as she flapp'd her vasty wings to fly | L |
| Struck down our orator and still'd him | M |
| The wonder is she hadn't kill'd him | M |
| The beetle soon of sweet revenge in quest | N |
| Flew to the old gnarl'd mountain oak | O |
| Which proudly bore that haughty eagle's nest | N |
| And while the bird was gone | P |
| Her eggs her cherish'd eggs he broke | O |
| Not sparing one | Q |
| Returning from her flight the eagle's cry | L |
| Of rage and bitter anguish fill'd the sky | L |
| But by excess of passion blind | R |
| Her enemy she fail'd to find | R |
| Her wrath in vain that year it was her fate | S |
| To live a mourning mother desolate | T |
| The next she built a loftier nest 'twas vain | U |
| The beetle found and dash'd her eggs again | V |
| John Rabbit's death was thus revenged anew | W |
| The second mourning for her murder'd brood | X |
| Was such that through the giant mountain wood | Y |
| For six long months the sleepless echo flew | W |
| The bird once Ganymede now made | Z |
| Her prayer to Jupiter for aid | Z |
| And laying them within his godship's lap | A2 |
| She thought her eggs now safe from all mishap | A2 |
| The god his own could not but make them | B2 |
| No wretch would venture there to break them | B2 |
| And no one did Their enemy this time | C2 |
| Upsoaring to a place sublime | C2 |
| Let fall upon his royal robes some dirt | D2 |
| Which Jove just shaking with a sudden flirt | D2 |
| Threw out the eggs no one knows whither | E2 |
| When Jupiter inform'd her how th' event | F2 |
| Occurr'd by purest accident | G2 |
| The eagle raved there was no reasoning with her | E2 |
| She gave out threats of leaving court | H2 |
| To make the desert her resort | H2 |
| And other brav'ries of this sort | H2 |
| Poor Jupiter in silence heard | F |
| The uproar of his favourite bird | F |
| Before his throne the beetle now appear'd | I2 |
| And by a clear complaint the mystery clear'd | I2 |
| The god pronounced the eagle in the wrong | J2 |
| But still their hatred was so old and strong | J2 |
| These enemies could not be reconciled | K2 |
| And that the general peace might not be spoil'd | L2 |
| The best that he could do the god arranged | M2 |
| That thence the eagle's pairing should be changed | M2 |
| To come when beetle folks are only found | N2 |
| Conceal'd and dormant under ground | N2 |
Jean De La Fontaine
(1)
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About The Eagle And The Beetle
The Eagle And The Beetle is a poem by Jean De La Fontaine. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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