The Flying Dutchman Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDD EEFGHHIICCJJKK LLKKMNOO CCPPQQRRSSTTQQ UUVVWWQQ QQPPQQKK PPQQQQXXQQKKYYZZA2 EEB2B2LLQQDDC2D2QQE2 KKBB QQF2F2ZZQQQQG2G2H2H2 QQVVIILONG time ago from Amsterdam a vessel sailed away | A |
As fair a ship as ever flung aside the laughing spray | A |
Upon the shore were tearful eyes and scarfs were in the air | B |
As to her o'er the Zuyder Zee went fond adieu and prayer | B |
And brave hearts yearning shoreward from the outwardgoing ship | C |
Felt lingering kisses clinging still to tear wet cheek and lip | C |
She steered for some far eastern clime and as she skimmed the seas | D |
Each taper mast was bending like a rod before the breeze | D |
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Her captain was a stalwart man an iron heart had he | E |
From childhood's days he sailed upon the rolling Zuyder Zee | E |
He nothing feared upon the earth and scarcely heaven feared | F |
He would have dared and done whatever mortal man had dared | G |
He looked aloft where high in air the pennant cut the blue | H |
And every rope and spar and sail was firm and strong and true | H |
He turned him from the swelling sail to gaze upon the shore | I |
Ah little thought the skipper then 'twould meet his eye no more | I |
He dreamt not that an awful doom was hanging o'er his ship | C |
That Vanderdecken's name would yet make pale the speaker's lip | C |
The vessel bounded on her way and spire and dome went down | J |
Ere darkness fell beneath the wave had sunk the distant town | J |
No more no more ye hapless crew shall Holland meet your eye | K |
In lingering hope and keen suspense maid wife and child shall die | K |
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Away away the vessel speeds till sea and sky alone | L |
Are round her as her course she steers across the torrid zone | L |
Away until the North Star fades the Southern Cross is high | K |
And myriad gems of brightest beam are sparkling In the sky | K |
The tropic winds are left behind she nears the Cape of Storms | M |
Where awful Tempest ever sits enthroned in wild alarms | N |
Where Ocean in his anger shakes aloft his foamy crest | O |
Disdainful of the weakly toys that ride upon his breast | O |
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Pierce swell the winds and waters round the Dutchman's gallant ship | C |
But to their rage defiance rings from Vanderdecken's lip | C |
Impotent they to make him swerve their might he dares despise | P |
As straight he holds his onward course and wind and wave defies | P |
For days and nights he struggles in the weird unearthly fight | Q |
His brow is bent his eye is fierce but looks of deep affright | Q |
Amongst the mariners go round as hopelessly they steer | R |
They do not dare to murmur but they whisper what they fear | R |
Their black browed captain awes them 'neath his darkened eye they quail | S |
And in a grim and sullen mood their bitter fate bewail | S |
As some fierce rider ruthless spurs a timid wavering horse | T |
He drives his shapely vessel and they watch the reckless course | T |
Till once again their skipper's laugh is flung upon the blast | Q |
The placid ocean smiles beyond the dreaded Cape is passed | Q |
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Away across the Indian main the vessel northward glides | U |
A thousand murmuring ripples break along her graceful sides | U |
The perfumed breezes fill her sails her destined port she nears | V |
The captain's brow has lost its frown the mariners their fears | V |
'Land ho ' at length the welcome sound the watchful sailor sings | W |
And soon within an Indian bay the ship at anchor swings | W |
Not idle then the busy crew ere long the spacious hold | Q |
Is emptied of its western freight and stored with silk and gold | Q |
- | |
Again the ponderous anchor's weighed the shore is left behind | Q |
The snowy sails are bosomed out before the favoring wind | Q |
Across the warm blue Indian sea the vessel southward flies | P |
And once again the North Star fades and Austral beacons rise | P |
For home she steers I she seems to know and answer to the word | Q |
And swifter skims the burnished deep like some fair oceanbird | Q |
'For home for home ' the merry crew with gladsome voices cry | K |
And dark browed Vanderdecken has a mild light in his eye | K |
- | |
But once again the Cape draws near and furious billows rise | P |
And still the daring Dutchman's laugh the hurricane defies | P |
But wildly shrieked the tempest ere the scornful sound had died | Q |
A warning to the daring man to curb his impious pride | Q |
A crested mountain struck the ship and like a frighted bird | Q |
She trembled 'neath the awful shock Then Vanderdecken heard | Q |
A pleading voice within the gale his better angel spoke | X |
But fled before his scowling look as mast high mountains broke | X |
Around the trembling vessel till the crew with terror paled | Q |
But Vanderdecken never flinched nor 'neath the thunders quailed | Q |
With folded arms and stern pressed lips dark anger in his eye | K |
He answered back the threatening frown that lowered o'er the sky | K |
With fierce defiance in his heart and scornful look of flame | Y |
He spoke and thus with impious voice blasphemed God's holy name | Y |
'Howl on ye winds ye tempests howl your rage is spent in vain | Z |
Despite your strength your frowns your hate I'll ride upon the main | Z |
Defiance to your idle shrieks I'll sail upon my path | A2 |
I cringe not for thy Maker's smile I care not for His wrath ' | - |
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He ceased An awful silence fell the tempest and the sea | E |
Were hushed in sudden stillness by the Ruler's dread decree | E |
The ship was riding motionless within the gathering gloom | B2 |
The Dutchman stood upon the poop and heard his dreadful doom | B2 |
The hapless crew were on the deck in swooning terror prone | L |
They too were bound in fearful fate In angered thunder tone | L |
The judgment words swept o'er the sea 'Go wretch accurst condemned | Q |
Go sail for ever on the deep by shrieking tempests hemmed | Q |
No home no port no calm no rest no gentle favoring breeze | D |
Shall ever greet thee Go accurst and battle with the seas | D |
Go braggart struggle with the storm nor ever cease to live | C2 |
But bear a million times the pangs that death and fear can give | D2 |
Away and hide thy guilty head a curse to all thy kind | Q |
Who ever see thee struggling wretch with ocean and with wind | Q |
Away presumptuous worm of earth Go teach thy fellow worms | E2 |
The awful fate that waits on him who braves the King of Storms ' | - |
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'Twas o'er A lurid lightning flash lit up the sea and sky | K |
Around and o'er the fated ship then rose a wailing cry | K |
From every heart within her of keen anguish and despair | B |
But mercy was for them no more it died away in air | B |
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Once more the lurid light gleamed out the ship was still at rest | Q |
The crew were standing at their posts with arms across his breast | Q |
Still stood the captain on the poop but bent and crouching now | F2 |
He bowed beneath that fiat dread and o'er his swarthy brow | F2 |
Swept lines of anguish as if he a thousand years of pain | Z |
Had lived and suffered Then across the heaving angry main | Z |
The tempest shrieked triumphant and the angry waters hissed | Q |
Their vengeful hate against the toy they oftentimes bad kissed | Q |
And ever through the midnight storm that hapless crew must speed | Q |
They try to round the stormy Cape but never can succeed | Q |
And oft when gales are wildest and the lightning's vivid sheen | G2 |
Flashes back the ocean's anger still the Phantom Ship is seen | G2 |
Ever sailing to the southward in the fierce tornado's swoop | H2 |
With her ghostly crew and canvas and her captain on the poop | H2 |
Unrelenting unforgiven and 'tis said that every word | Q |
Of his blasphemous defiance still upon the gale is heard | Q |
But Heaven help the ship near which the dismal sailor steers | V |
The doom of those is sealed to whom that Phantom Ship appears | V |
They'll never reach their destined port they'll see their homes no more | I |
They who see the Flying Dutchman never never reach the shore | I |
John Boyle O'reilly
(2)
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