The Psalter Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ KK LLMMMMNNOOPPQQRR STUUHHVWXXMMYY KKZZA2A2B2B2C2C2MM D2D2E2F2G2G2H2H2EE I2I2MMJ2G2K2K2 MMMML2L2MM HHM2M2N2N2ZZQQ L2MKKCCG2G2O2O2O2O2L 2L2 O2O2LLO2O2 P2P2O2O2Q2Q2R2R2EEO2 O2MMO2O2O2O2O2O2S2PR RMMONCE more permit me nuns and this the last | A |
I can't resist whatever may have passed | A |
But must relate what often I've been told | B |
Your tales of convent pranks are seldom cold | B |
They have a grace that no where else we find | C |
And somehow better seem to please designed | C |
Another then we'll have which three will make | D |
Three did I say 'tis four or I mistake | D |
Let's count them well The GARD'NER first we'll name | E |
Then comes the ABBESS whose declining frame | E |
Required a youth her malady to cure | F |
A story thought perhaps not over pure | F |
And as to SISTER JANE who'd got a brat | G |
I cannot fancy we should alter that | G |
These are the whole and four's a number round | H |
You'll probably remark 'tis strange I've found | H |
Such pleasure in detailing convent scenes | I |
'Tis not my whim but TASTE that thither leans | I |
And if you'd kept your breviary in view | J |
'Tis clear you'd nothing had with this to do | J |
We know howe'er 'tis not your fondest care | K |
So quickly to our hist'ry let's repair | K |
- | |
A CHARMING youth would frequent visits pay | L |
To nuns whose convent near his dwelling lay | L |
And 'mong the sisters one his person saw | M |
Who by her eyes would fain attention draw | M |
Smiles she bestowed and other complaisance | M |
But not a single step would he advance | M |
By old and young he greatly was admired | N |
Sighs burst around but none his bosom fired | N |
Fair Isabella solely got his love | O |
A beauteous nun and gentle as a dove | O |
Till then a novice in the flow'ry chain | P |
And envied doubly for her charms and swain | P |
Their soft amours were watched with eagle eye | Q |
No pleasure's free from care you may rely | Q |
In life each comfort coupled is with ill | R |
And this to alter baffles all our skill | R |
- | |
THE sister nuns so vigilant had been | S |
One night when darkness overspread the scene | T |
And all was proper mysteries to hide | U |
Some words escaped her cell that doubts supplied | U |
And other matters too were heard around | H |
That in her breviary could not be found | H |
'Tis her gallant said they he's clearly caught | V |
Alarm pervaded swarms were quickly brought | W |
Rage seemed to triumph sentinels were placed | X |
The abbess too must know they were disgraced | X |
Away they hastened to convey surprise | M |
And thund'ring at her door cried madam rise | M |
For sister Isabella in her cell | Y |
Has got a man which surely can't be well | Y |
- | |
YOU will observe the dame was not at prayer | K |
Nor yet absorbed in sleep devoid of care | K |
But with her then this abbess had in bed | Z |
Good parson John by kindness thither led | Z |
A neighb'ring rector confessor and friend | A2 |
She rose in haste the sisters to attend | A2 |
And seeking for her veil with sense confused | B2 |
The parson's breeches took for what she used | B2 |
Which in the dark resembled what was worn | C2 |
By nuns for veils and called perhaps in scorn | C2 |
Among themselves their PSALTER to express | M |
Familiarly a common awkward dress | M |
- | |
WITH this new ornament by way of veil | D2 |
She sallied forth and heard the woeful tale | D2 |
Then irritated she exclaimed with ire | E2 |
To see this wretched creature I desire | F2 |
The devil's daughter from her bold career | G2 |
Who'll bring our convent to disgrace I fear | G2 |
But God forbid I say and with his leave | H2 |
We'll all restore rebuke she shall receive | H2 |
A chapter we will call the sisters came | E |
And stood around to hear their pious dame | E |
- | |
FAIR Isabella now the abbess sent | I2 |
Who straight obeyed and to her tears gave vent | I2 |
Which overspread those lily cheeks and eyes | M |
A roguish youth so lately held his prize | M |
What said the abbess pretty scandal here | J2 |
When in the house of God such things appear | G2 |
Ashamed to death you ought to be no doubt | K2 |
Who brought you thither such we always scout | K2 |
- | |
NOW Isabella sister you must lose | M |
Henceforth that name to you we cannot use | M |
The honour is too great in such a case | M |
Pray are you sensible of your disgrace | M |
And what's the punishment you'll undergo | L2 |
Before to morrow this you'll fully know | L2 |
Our institution chastisement decrees | M |
Come speak I say we'll hear you if you please | M |
- | |
POOR Isabella with her sight on ground | H |
Confused till then had scarcely looked around | H |
Now raised her eyes and luckily perceived | M2 |
The breeches which her fears in part relieved | M2 |
And that the sisters by surprise unnerved | N2 |
As oft's the case had never once observed | N2 |
She courage took and to the abbess said | Z |
There's something from the Psalter on your head | Z |
That awkwardly hangs down pray madam try | Q |
To put it right or 'twill be in your eye | Q |
- | |
'TWAS knee strings worn at times by priests and beaux | L2 |
For more or less all follow fashion's laws | M |
This veil no doubt had very much the air | K |
Of those unmentionables parsons wear | K |
And this the nun to frolicking inclined | C |
It seems had well impressed upon her mind | C |
What cried the abbess dares she still to sneer | G2 |
How great her insolence to laugh and jeer | G2 |
When sins so heavily upon her rest | O2 |
And ev'ry thing remains quite unconfessed | O2 |
Upon my word she'd be a saint decreed | O2 |
My veil young imp your notice cannot need | O2 |
'Tis better think you little hellish crow | L2 |
What pains your soul must undergo below | L2 |
- | |
THE mother abbess sermonized and fired | O2 |
And seemed as if her tongue would ne'er be tired | O2 |
Again the culprit said your Psalter pray | L |
Good madam haste to set the proper way | L |
On which the sisters looked both young and old | O2 |
THOSE 'gan to laugh while THESE were heard to scold | O2 |
- | |
OUR preacher quite ashamed of what she'd done | P2 |
Now lost her voice and noticed not the nun | P2 |
The murmur buzzed around too well expressed | O2 |
What thoughts the holy sisterhood possessed | O2 |
At length the abbess said we've now not time | Q2 |
To take the chapter's votes upon her crime | Q2 |
'Twould make it late let each to bed return | R2 |
And till to morrow we'll the case adjourn | R2 |
No chapter met howe'er when morrow came | E |
Another day arrived and still the same | E |
The sages of the convent thought it best | O2 |
In fact to let the mystick business rest | O2 |
Much noise perhaps would hurt religion's cause | M |
And that considered prudent 'twere to pause | M |
Base envy made them Isabella hate | O2 |
And dark suspicions to the abbess state | O2 |
In short unable by their schemes to get | O2 |
The morsel she'd so fortunately met | O2 |
Each nun exerted all her art to find | O2 |
What equally might satisfy the mind | O2 |
Old friends were willingly received again | S2 |
Her gallant our belle was suffered to retain | P |
The rector and the abbess had their will | R |
And such their union precepts to fulfill | R |
That if a nun had none to give her bliss | M |
To lend a friend was nothing thought amiss | M |
Jean De La Fontaine
(1)
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