Lily's Menagerie Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B CA DDEE FF G H HGIIIJJGGGGGGKLL M NMOPQQ F K KFFRRST QQ U T UVV L G G W W L W W LW XXYYZZFFA2 U UA2GGB2 C2 C2B2Y A2 A2Y D2 E2D2 PIF2 PYY G2 Y YG2Y H2Y I2J2 K2J2 K2F K2FK2K2F2F2F K2F K2 L2 M2 M2L2 M2K2K2PPF N2F N2PPO2 K2 K2O2

THERE'S no menagerie I vowA
-
Excels my Lily's at this minuteB
-
She keeps the strangest creatures in itC
And catches them she knows not howA
-
Oh how they hop and run and raveD
And their clipp'd pinions wildly waveD
Poor princes who must all endureE
The pangs of love that nought can cureE
-
What is the fairy's name Is't Lily Ask not meF
Give thanks to Heaven if she's unknown to theeF
-
Oh what a cackling what a shriekingG
-
When near the door she takes her standH
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With her food basket in her handH
Oh what a croaking what a squeakingG
Alive all the trees and the bushes appearI
While to her feet whole troops draw nearI
The very fish within the water clearI
Splash with impatience and their heads protrudeJ
And then she throws around the foodJ
With such a look the very gods delightingG
To say nought of beasts There begins then a bitingG
A picking a pecking a sippingG
And each o'er the legs of another is trippingG
And pushing and pressing and flappingG
And chasing and fuming and snappingG
And all for one small piece of breadK
To which though dry her fair hands give a tasteL
As though it in ambrosia had been plac'dL
-
And then her look the toneM
-
With which she calls Pipi PipiN
Would draw Jove's eagle from his throneM
Yes Venus' turtle doves I weanO
And the vain peacock e'enP
Would come I swearQ
Soon as that tone had reach'd them through the airQ
-
E'en from a forest dark had sheF
-
Enticed a bear unlick'd ill bredK
-
And by her wiles alluring ledK
To join the gentle companyF
Until as tame as they was heF
Up to a certain point be't understoodR
How fair and ah how goodR
She seem'd to be I would have drain'd my bloodS
To water e'en her flow'rets sweetT
-
Thou sayest I Who How And whereQ
Well to be plain good Sirs I am the bearQ
-
In a net apron caught alasU
-
Chain'd by a silk thread at her feetT
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But how this wonder came to passU
I'll tell some day if ye are curiousV
Just now my temper's much too furiousV
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Ah when I'm in the corner plac'dL
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And hear afar the creatures snappingG
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And see the flipping and the flappingG
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I turn aroundW
-
With growling soundW
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And backward run a step in hasteL
-
And look aroundW
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With growling soundW
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Then run again a step in hasteL
And to my former post go roundW
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But suddenly my anger growsX
A mighty spirit fills my noseX
My inward feelings all revoltY
A creature such as thou a doltY
Pipi a squirrel able nuts to crackZ
I bristle up my shaggy backZ
Unused a slave to beF
I'm laughed at by each trim and upstart treeF
To scorn The bowling green I flyA2
-
With neatly mown and well kept grassU
-
The box makes faces as I passU
Into the darkest thicket hasten IA2
Hoping to 'scape from the ringG
Over the palings to springG
Vainly I leap and climbB2
-
I feel a leaden spellC2
-
That pinions me as wellC2
And when I'm fully wearied out in timeB2
I lay me down beside some mock cascadeY
-
And roll myself half dead and foam and cryA2
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And ah no Oreads hear my sighA2
Excepting those of china madeY
-
But ah with sudden powerD2
-
In all my members blissful feelings reignE2
'Tis she who singeth yonder in her bowerD2
-
I hear that darling darling voice againP
The air is warm and teems with fragrance clearI
Sings she perchance for me alone to hearF2
-
I haste and trample down the shrubs amainP
The trees make way the bushes all retreatY
And so the beast is lying at her feetY
-
She looks at him The monster's droll enoughG2
-
He's for a bear too mildY
-
Yet for a dog too wildY
So shaggy clumsy roughG2
Upon his back she gently strokes her footY
-
He thinks himself in ParadiseH2
What feelings through his seven senses shootY
-
But she looks on with careless eyesI2
I lick her soles and kiss her shoesJ2
-
As gently as a bear well mayK2
Softly I rise and with a clever ruseJ2
-
Leap on her knee On a propitious dayK2
She suffers it my ears then tickles sheF
-
And hits me a hard blow in wanton playK2
I growl with new born ecstasyF
Then speaks she in a sweet vain jest I wotK2
Allons lout doux eh la menotteK2
Et faites serviteurF2
Comme un joli seigneurF2
Thus she proceeds with sport and gleeF
-
Hope fills the oft deluded beastK2
Yet if one moment he would lazy beF
-
Her fondness all at once hath ceas'dK2
-
She doth a flask of balsam fire possessL2
-
Sweeter than honey bees can makeM2
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One drop of which she'll on her finger takeM2
When soften'd by his love and faithfulnessL2
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Wherewith her monster's raging thirst to slakeM2
Then leaves me to myself and flies at lastK2
And I unbound yet prison'd fastK2
By magic follow in her trainP
Seek for her tremble fly againP
The hapless creature thus tormenteth sheF
-
Regardless of his pleasure or his woeN2
Ha oft half open'd does she leave the door for meF
-
And sideways looks to learn if I will fly or noN2
And I Oh gods your hands aloneP
Can end the spell that's o'er me thrownP
Free me and gratitude my heart will fillO2
-
And yet from heaven ye send me down no aidK2
-
Not quite in vain doth life my limbs pervadeK2
I feel it Strength is left me stillO2

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe



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