The Fisherman Of Wexford Poem Rhyme Scheme

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THERE is an old tradition sacred held in Wexford town	A
That says 'Upon St Martin's Eve no net shall be let down	A
No fishermen of Wexford shall upon that holy day	B
Set sail or cast a line within the scope of Wexford Bay '	C
The tongue that framed the order or the time no one could tell	D
And no one ever questioned but the people kept it well	D
And never in man's memory was fisher known to leave	E
The little town of Wexford on the good St Martin's Eve	E
	-
Alas alas for Wexford once upon that holy day	B
Came a wondrous shoal of herring to the waters of the Bay	B
The fishers and their families stood out upon the beach	F
And all day watched with wistful eyes the wealth they might not reach	F
Such shoal was never seen before and keen regrets went round	G
Alas alas for Wexford Hark what is that grating sound	G
The boats' keels on the shingle Mothers wives ye well may grieve	E
The fishermen of Wexford mean to sail on Martin s Eve	E
	-
'Oh stay ye ' cried the women wild 'Stay ' cried the men white haired	H
'And dare ye not to do this thing your fathers never dared	H
No man can thrive who tempts the Lord ' 'Away ' they cried 'the Lord	I
Ne'er sent a shoal of fish but as a fisherman's reward '	-
And scoffingly they said 'To night our net shall sweep the Bay	B
And take the Saint who guards it should he come across our way '	-
The keels have touched the water and the crews are in each boat	J
And on St Martin's Eve the Wexford fishers are afloat	J
	-
The moon is shining coldly on the sea and on the land	K
On dark faces in the fishing fleet and pale ones on the strand	K
As seaward go the daring boats and heavenward the cries	L
Of kneeling wives and mothers with uplifted hands and eyes	L
	-
' Oh Holy Virgin be their guard ' the weeping women cried	M
The old men sad and silent watched the boats cleave through the tide	M
As past the farthest headland past the lighthouse in a line	N
The fishing fleet went seaward through the phosphor lighted brine	N
	-
Oh pray ye wives and mothers All your prayers they sorely need	O
To save them from the wrath they've roused by their rebellious greed	O
Oh white haired men and little babes and weeping sweethearts pray	B
To God to spare the fishermen to night in Wexford Bay	B
	-
The boats have reached good offing and as out the nets are thrown	P
The hearts ashore are chilled to hear the soughing sea wind's moan	P
	-
Like to a human heart that loved and hoped for some return	Q
To find at last but hatred so the sea wind seemed to mourn	R
But ah the Wexford fishermen their nets did scarcely sink	S
One inch below the foam when lo the daring boatmen shrink	S
With sudden awe and whitened lips and glaring eyes agape	T
For breast high threatening from the sea uprose a Human Shape	T
	-
Beyond them in the moonlight hand upraised and awful mien	U
Waving back and pointing landward breast high in the sea 'twas seen	U
Thrice it waved and thrice it pointed then with clenched hand upraised	O
The awful shape went down before the fishers as they gazed	O
Gleaming whitely through the water fathoms deep they saw its frown	A
They saw its white hand clenched above it sinking slowly down	A
And then there was a rushing ' neath the boats and every soul	V
Was thrilled with greed they knew it was the seaward going shoal	V
	-
Defying the dread warning every face was sternly set	O
And wildly did they ply the oar and wildly haul the net	O
But two boats' crews obeyed the sign God fearing men were they	B
They cut their lines and left their nets and homeward sped away	B
But darkly rising sternward did God's wrath in tempest sweep	W
And they of all the fishermen that night escaped the deep	W
Oh wives and mothers sweethearts sires well might ye mourn next day	B
For seventy fishers' corpses strewed the shores of Wexford Bay	B

John Boyle O'reilly

The Fisherman Of Wexford Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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