The King Of The Vasse Poem Rhyme Scheme

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A LEGEND OF THE BUSH	A
	-
	-
MY tale which I have brought is of a time	B
Ere that fair Southern land was stained with crime	B
Brought thitherward in reeking ships and cast	C
Like blight upon the coast or like a blast	C
From angry levin on a fair young tree	D
That stands thenceforth a piteous sight to see	D
So lives this land to day beneath the sun	E
A weltering plague spot where the hot tears run	E
And hearts to ashes turn and souls are dried	F
Like empty kilns where hopes have parched and died	F
Woe's cloak is round her she the fairest shore	G
In all the Southern Ocean o'er and o'er	H
Poor Cinderella she must bide her woe	I
Because an elder sister wills it so	I
Ah could that sister see the future day	J
When her own wealth and strength are shorn away	J
A nd she lone mother then puts forth her hand	K
To rest on kindred blood in that far land	K
Could she but see that kin deny her claim	L
Because of nothing owing her but shame	L
Then might she learn 'tis building but to fall	M
If carted rubble be the basement wall	M
	-
But this my tale if tale it be begins	N
Before the young land saw the old land's sins	N
Sail up the orient ocean like a cloud	O
Far blown and widening as it neared a shroud	O
Fate sent to wrap the bier of all things pure	P
And mark the leper land while stains endure	P
In the far days the few who sought the West	Q
Were men all guileless in adventurous quest	Q
Of lands to feed their flocks and raise their grain	R
And help them live their lives with less of pain	R
Than crowded Europe lets her children know	I
From their old homesteads did they seaward go	I
As if in Nature's order men must flee	D
As flow the streams from inlands to the sea	D
	-
In that far time from out a Northern land	K
With home ties severed went a numerous band	K
Of men and wives and children white haired folk	S
Whose humble hope of rest at home had broke	S
As year was piled on year and still their toil	T
Had wrung poor fee from Sweden's rugged soil	T
One day there gathered from the neighboring steads	D
In Jacob Eibsen's five strong household heads	D
Five men large limbed and sinewed Jacob's sons	D
Though he was hale as one whose current runs	D
In stony channels that the streamlet rend	K
But keep it clear and full unto the end	K
Eight sons had Jacob Eibsen three still boys	D
And these five men who owned of griefs and joys	D
The common lot and three tall girls beside	K
Of whom the eldest was a blushing bride	K
One year before Old fashioned times and men	U
And wives and maidens were in Sweden then	U
These five came there for counsel they were tired	K
Of hoping on for all the heart desired	K
And Jacob old but mighty thewed as youth	V
In all their words did sadly own the truth	V
And said unto them 'Wealth cannot be found	K
In Sweden now by men who till the ground	K
I've thought at times of leaving this bare place	D
And holding seaward with a seeking face	D
For those new lands they speak of where men thrive	W
Alone I've thought of this but now you five	W
Five brother men of Eibsen blood shall say	D
If our old stock from here must wend their way	D
And seek a home where anxious sires can give	X
To every child enough whereon to live '	-
	-
Then each took thought in silence Jacob gazed	K
Across them at the pastures worn and grazed	K
By ill fed herds his glance to corn fields passed	K
Where stunted oats worse each year than the last	K
And blighted barley grew amongst the stones	D
That showed ungainly like earth's fleshless bones	D
He sighed and turned away 'Sons let me know	I
What think you '	-
	-
Each one answered firm 'We go '	-
And then they said 'We want no northern wind	K
To chill us more or driving hail to blind	K
But let us sail where south winds fan the sea	D
And happier we and all our race shall be '	-
And so in time there started for the coast	K
With farm and household gear this Eibsen host	K
And there with others to a good ship passed	K
Which soon of Sweden's hills beheld the last	K
	-
I know not of their voyage nor how they	D
Did wonder stricken sit as day by day	D
'Neath tropic rays they saw the smooth sea swell	Y
And heave while night by night the north star fell	Y
Till last they watched him burning on the sea	D
Nor how they saw and wondered it could be	D
Strange beacons rise before them as they gazed	K
Nor how their hearts grew light when southward blazed	K
Five stars in blessed shape the Cross whose flame	L
Seemed shining welcome as the wanderers came	L
	-
My story presses from this star born hope	Z
To where on young New Holland's western slope	Z
These Northern farming folk found homes at last	K
And all their thankless toil seemed now long past	K
Nine fruitful years chased over and nigh all	M
Of life was sweet But one dark dropp of gall	M
Had come when first they landed like a sign	A2
Of some black woe and deep in Eibsen's wine	A2
Of life it hid till in the sweetest cup	B2
The old man saw its shape come shuddering up	B2
And first it came in this wise when their ship	C2
Had made the promised land and every lip	C2
Was pouring praise for what the eye did meet	K
For all the air was yellow as with heat	K
Above the peaceful sea and dazzling sand	K
That wooed each other round the beauteous land	K
Where inward stretched the slumbering forest's green	D2
When first these sights from off the deck were seen	D2
There rose a wailing stern wards and the men	U
Who dreamt of heaven turned to earth agen	U
And heard the direful cause with bated breath	E2
The land's first gleam had brought the blight of death	E2
	-
The wife of Eibsen held her six years' son	U
Her youngest and in secret best loved one	U
Close to her lifeless his had been the cry	F2
That first horizonwards bent every eye	F2
And from that opening sight of sand and tree	D
Like one deep spell bound did he seem to be	D
And moved by some strange phantasy his eyes	D
Were wide distended as in glad surprise	D
At something there he saw his arms reached o'er	H
The vessel's side as if to greet the shore	G
And sounds came from his lips like sobs of joy	G2
	-
A brief time so and then the blue eyed boy	G2
Sank down convulsed as if to him appeared	K
Strange sights that they saw not and all afeard	K
Grew the late joyous people with vague dread	K
And loud the mother wailed above her dead	K
The ship steered in and found a bay and then	U
The anchor plunged aweary like the men	U
Breathed breaths of rest at treading land agen	U
	-
Upon the beach by Christian men untrod	K
The wanderers kneeling offered up to God	K
The land's first fruits and nigh the kneeling band	K
The burdened mother sat upon the sand	K
And still she wailed not praying	H2
	-
'Neath the wood	K
That lined the beach a crowd of watchers stood	K
Tall men spear armed with skins like dusky night	K
And aspect blended of deep awe and fright	K
The ship that morn they saw like some vast bird	K
Come sailing toward their country and they heard	K
The voices now of those strange men whose eyes	D
Were turned aloft who spake unto the skies	D
	-
They heard and feared not knowing that first prayer	I2
But feared not when the wail arose for there	I2
Was some familiar thing did not appall	M
Grief common heritage and lot of all	M
They moved and breathed more freely at the cry	F2
And slowly from the wood and timorously	M
They one by one emerged upon the beach	J2
The white men saw and like to friends did reach	J2
Their hands unarmed and soon the dusky crowd	K
Drew nigh and stood where wailed the mother loud	K
They claimed her kindred they could understand	K
That woe was hers and theirs whereas the band	K
Of white skinned men did not as brethren seem	K2
But now behold a man whom one would deem	K2
From eye and mien wherever met a King	H2
Did stand beside the woman No youth's spring	H2
Was in the foot that naked pressed the sand	K
No warrior's might was in the long dark hand	K
That waved his people backward no bright gold	K
Of lace or armor glittered gaunt and old	K

John Boyle O'reilly

The King Of The Vasse Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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