The Nightingale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCABDD EFEFGGHIIJJHKKLLMM HNHIOOIIIINNIIPPPQQI IRRQQIIIISSIITTUUVVW XIIMYYIIMZZA2A2IIB2B 2IIC2D2VVIE2IE2LVVQL F2F2QE2E2E2LLG2G2III QDQH2I2I2RRJ2J2J2K2R RK2L2G2L2G2M2M2M2M2L 2L2M2M2DH2L2L2L2L2M2 M2IIL2L2B2B2M2M2M2M2 M2M2N2N2O2O2DH2L2L2M 2M2P2P2M2M2M2M2VVM2M 2M2M2M2IM2IIIVVL2L2I IM2M2IIE2E2E2JJM2M2M 2M2M2M2IIIIYYQIM2M2I IM2M2LLM2M2IIM2

NO easy matter 'tis to holdA
Against its owner's will the fleeceB
Who troubled by the itching smartC
Of Cupid's irritating dartC
Eager awaits some Jason boldA
To grant releaseB
E'en dragon huge or flaming steerD
When Jason's loved will cause no fearD
-
Duennas grating bolt and lockE
All obstacles can naught availF
Constraint is but a stumbling blockE
For youthful ardour must prevailF
Girls are precocious nowadaysG
Look at the men with ardent gazeG
And longings' an infinityH
Trim misses but just in their teensI
By day and night devise the meansI
To dull with subtlety to sleepJ
The Argus vainly set to keepJ
In safety their virginityH
Sighs smiles false tears they'll fain employK
An artless lover to decoyK
I'll say no more but leave to youL
Friend reader to pronounce if trueL
What I've asserted when you have heardM
How artful Kitty caged her birdM
-
IN a small town in ItalyH
The name of which I do not knowN
Young Kitty dwelt gay pretty freeH
Varambon's child BoccacioI
Omits her mother's name which notO
To you or me imports a jotO
At fourteen years our Kitty's charmsI
Were all that could be wished plump armsI
A swelling bosom on her cheeksI
Roses' and lilies' mingled streaksI
A sparkling eye all these you knowN
Speak well for what is found belowN
With such advantages as theseI
No virgin sure could fail to pleaseI
Or lack a lover nor did KateP
But little time she had to waitP
One soon appeared to seal her fateP
Young Richard saw her loved her wooed herQ
What swain I ask could have withstood herQ
Soft words caresses tender glancesI
The battery of love's advancesI
Soon lit up in the maiden's breastR
The flame which his own heart possessedR
Soon growing to a burning fireQ
Of love and mutual desireQ
Desire for what My reader knowsI
Or if he does not may supposeI
And not be very wond'rous wiseI
When youthful lovers mingle sighsI
Believe me friend I am not wrongS
For one thing only do they longS
One check deferred our lover's blissI
A thing quite natural 'twas thisI
The mother loved so well her childT
That fearful she might be beguiledT
She would not let her out of sightU
A single minute day or nightU
At mother's apron string all dayV
Kate whiled the weary hours awayV
And shared her bed all night Such loveW
In parents we must all approveX
Though Catherine I must confessI
In place of so much tendernessI
More liberty would have preferredM
To little girls maternal careY
In such excess is right and fairY
But for a lass of fourteen yearsI
For whom one need have no such fearsI
Solicitude is quite absurdM
And only bores her Kitty couldZ
No moment steal do what she wouldZ
To see her Richard Sorely vexedA2
She was and he still more perplexedA2
In spite of all he might deviseI
A squeeze a kiss quick talk of eyesI
Was all he could obtain no moreB2
Bread butterless a sanded floorB2
It seemed no better Joy like thisI
Could not suffice more sterling blissI
Our lovers wished nor would stop shortC2
Till they'd obtained the thing they soughtD2
And thus it came about One dayV
By chance they met alone awayV
From jealous parents What's the useI
Said Richard of all our affectionE2
Of love it is a rank abuseI
And yields me nothing but dejectionE2
I see you without seeing youL
Must always look another wayV
And if we meet I dare not stayV
Must ev'ry inclination smotherQ
I can't believe your love is trueL
I'll never own you really kindF2
Unless some certain means you findF2
For us to meet without your motherQ
Kate answered Were it not too plainE2
How warm my love another strainE2
I would employ In converse vainE2
Let us not waste our moments fewL
But think what it were best to doL
If you will please me Robert saidG2
You must contrive to change your bedG2
And have it placed well let me seeI
Moved to the outer galleryI
Where you will be alone and freeI
We there can meet and chat at leisureQ
While others sleep nor need we fearD
Of merry tales I have a treasureQ
To tell but cannot tell them hereH2
Kate smiled at this for she knew wellI2
What sort of tales he had to tellI2
But promised she would do her bestR
And soon accomplish his requestR
It was not easy you'll admitJ2
But love lends foolish maidens witJ2
And this is how she managed itJ2
The whole night long she kept awakeK2
Snored sighed and kicked as one possessedR
That parents both could get not restR
So much she made the settle shakeK2
This is not strange A longing girlL2
With thoughts of sweetheart in her headG2
In bed all night will sleepless twirlL2
A flea is in her ear 'tis saidG2
The morning broke Of fleas and heatM2
Kitty complained Let me entreatM2
O mother I may put my bedM2
Out in the gallery she saidM2
'Tis cooler there and PhilomelL2
Who warbles in the neigh'bring dellL2
Will solace me Ready consentM2
The simple mother gave and wentM2
To seek her spouse Our Kate my dearD
Will change her bed that she may hearH2
The nightingale and sleep more coolL2
Wife said the good man You're a foolL2
And Kate too with her nightingaleL2
Don't tell me such a foolish taleL2
She must remain No doubt to nightM2
Will fresher be I sleep all rightM2
In spite of heat and so can sheI
Is she more delicate than meI
Incensed was Kate by this denialL2
After so promising a trialL2
Nor would be beat but firmly sworeB2
To give more trouble than beforeB2
That night again no wink she sleptM2
But groaned and fretted sighed and weptM2
Upon her couch so tossed and turnedM2
The anxious mother quite concernedM2
Again her husband sought Our KateM2
To me seems greatly changed of lateM2
You are unkind she said to himN2
To thwart her simple girlish whimN2
Why may she not her bed exchangeO2
In naught will it the house derangeO2
Placed in the passage she's as nearD
To us as were she lying hereH2
You do not love your child and willL2
With your unkindness make her illL2
Pray cease the husband cried to scoldM2
And take your whim I ne'er could holdM2
My own against a screaming wifeP2
You'll drive me mad upon my lifeP2
Her belly full our Kate may getM2
Of nightingale or of linnetM2
The thing was settled Kate obeyedM2
And in a trice her bed was madeM2
And lover signalled Who shall sayV
How long to both appeared that dayV
That tedious day But night arrivedM2
And Richard too he had contrivedM2
By ladder and a servant's aidM2
To reach the chamber of the maidM2
To tell how often they embracedM2
How changed in form their tendernessI
Would lead to nothing but a wasteM2
Of time my readers will confessI
The longest most abstruse discourseI
Would lack precision want the forceI
Their youthful ardour to portrayV
To understand there's but one wayV
Experience The nightingaleL2
Sang all night long his pleasing taleL2
And though he made but little noiseI
The lass was satisfied Her joysI
So exquisite that she averredM2
The other nightingale the birdM2
Who warbles to the woods his blissI
Was but an ass compared with thisI
But nature could not long maintainE2
Of efforts such as these the strainE2
Their forces spent the lovers twainE2
In fond embrace fell fast asleepJ
Just as the dawn began to peepJ
The father as he left his bedM2
By curiosity was ledM2
To learn if Kitty soundly sleptM2
And softly to the passage creptM2
I'll see the influence he saidM2
Of nightingale and change of bedM2
With bated breath upon tip toesI
Close to the couch he cautious goesI
Where Kitty lay in calm reposeI
Excessive heat had made all clothesI
Unbearable The sleeping pairY
Had cast them off and lay as bareY
As our first happy parents wereQ
In Paradise But in the placeI
Of apple in her willing handM2
Kate firmly grasp the magic wandM2
Which served to found the human raceI
The which to name were a disgraceI
Though dames the most refined employ itM2
Desire it and much enjoy itM2
If good Catullus tells us trueL
The father scarce believed his viewL
But keeping in his bosom pentM2
His anger to his wife he wentM2
And said Get up and come with meI
At present I can plainly seeI
Why Kate hadM2

Jean De La Fontaine



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