The Erl-king Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCD EEFF GGHH BBII BBJJ IIHH KKHH HHHH LK HHCD BBFF HHHH BBKK IIJJ IIBB KKCC HHHHA | |
WHO rides there so late through the night dark and drear | B |
The father it is with his infant so dear | B |
He holdeth the boy tightly clasp'd in his arm | C |
He holdeth him safely he keepeth him warm | D |
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My son wherefore seek'st thou thy face thus to hide | E |
Look father the Erl King is close by our side | E |
Dost see not the Erl King with crown and with train | F |
My son 'tis the mist rising over the plain | F |
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Oh come thou dear infant oh come thou with me | G |
Full many a game I will play there with thee | G |
On my strand lovely flowers their blossoms unfold | H |
My mother shall grace thee with garments of gold | H |
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My father my father and dost thou not hear | B |
The words that the Erl King now breathes in mine ear | B |
Be calm dearest child 'tis thy fancy deceives | I |
'Tis the sad wind that sighs through the withering leaves | I |
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Wilt go then dear infant wilt go with me there | B |
My daughters shall tend thee with sisterly care | B |
My daughters by night their glad festival keep | J |
They'll dance thee and rock thee and sing thee to sleep | J |
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My father my father and dost thou not see | I |
How the Erl King his daughters has brought here for me | I |
My darling my darling I see it aright | H |
'Tis the aged grey willows deceiving thy sight | H |
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I love thee I'm charm'd by thy beauty dear boy | K |
And if thou'rt unwilling then force I'll employ | K |
My father my father he seizes me fast | H |
Full sorely the Erl King has hurt me at last | H |
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The father now gallops with terror half wild | H |
He grasps in his arms the poor shuddering child | H |
He reaches his courtyard with toil and with dread | H |
The child in his arms finds he motionless dead | H |
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from a translation by | L |
Edwin Zeydel | K |
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Who rides so late where winds blow wild | H |
It is the father grasping his child | H |
He holds the boy embraced in his arm | C |
He clasps him snugly he keeps him warm | D |
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My son why cover your face in such fear | B |
O don't you see the ErlKing near | B |
The ErlKing with his crown and train | F |
My son the mist is on the plain | F |
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Sweet lad o come and join me do | H |
Such pretty games I'll play with you | H |
On the shore gay flowers their colors unfold | H |
My mother has made you a garment of gold | H |
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My father my father o can you not hear | B |
The promise the ErlKing breathes in my ear | B |
Be calm stay calm my child lie low | K |
In withered leaves the night winds blow | K |
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Will you sweet lad come along with me | I |
My daughters shall care for you tenderly | I |
In the night my daughters their revelry keep | J |
They'll rock you and dance you and sing you to sleep | J |
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My father my father o can you not trace | I |
The ErlKing's daughters in that gloomy place | I |
My son my son I see it clear | B |
How grey the ancient willows appear | B |
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I love you your comeliness charms me my boy | K |
And if you're not willing then force I'll employ | K |
Now father o father he's seizing my arm | C |
The ErlKing has done me the cruelest harm | C |
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The father shudders his ride is wild | H |
In his arms he's holding the shivering child | H |
He reaches home with toil and dread | H |
In his arms the child was dead | H |
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
(1)
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