Uncle Ned-s Tale: An Old Dragoon's Story Poem Rhyme Scheme

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I OFTEN musing wander back to days long since gone by	A
And far off scenes and long lost forms arise to fancy's eye	A
A group familiar now I see who all but one are fled	B
My mother sister Jane myself and dear old Uncle Ned	B
I'll tell you how I see them now First mother in her chair	C
Sits knitting by the parlor fire with anxious matron air	C
My sister Jane just nine years old is seated at her feet	D
With look demure as if she too were thinking how to meet	D
The butcher's or the baker's bill though not a thought has she	E
Of aught beside her girlish toys and next to her I see	E
Myself a sturdy lad of twelve neglectful of the book	F
That open lies upon my knee my fixed admiring look	F
At Uncle Ned upon the left whose upright martial mien	G
Whose empty sleeve and gray mustache proclaim what he has been	H
My mother I had always loved my father then was dead	B
But 'twas more than love 'twas worship I felt for Uncle Ned	B
Such tales he had of battle fields the victory and the rout	I
The ringing cheer the dying shriek the loud exulting shout	I
And how forgetting age and wounds his eye would kindle bright	J
When telling of some desperate ride or close and deadly fight	J
But oft I noticed in the midst of some wild martial tale	K
To which I lent attentive ear my mother's cheek grow pale	K
She sighed to see my kindled look and feared I might be led	B
To follow in the wayward steps of poor old Uncle Ned	B
But with all the wondrous tales he told 'twas strange I never heard	L
Of his last fight for of that day he never spoke a word	L
And yet 'twas there he lost his arm and once he e'en confessed	M
'Twas there he won the glittering cross he wore upon his breast	M
It hung the center of a group of Glory's emblems fair	C
And royal hands he told me once had placed the bauble there	C
Each day that passed I hungered more to hear about that fight	J
And oftentimes I prayed in vain At length one winter's night	J
The very night I speak of now with more than usual care	C
I filled his pipe then took my stand beside my uncle's chair	C
I fixed my eyes upon the Cross he saw my youthful plan	N
And smiling laid the pipe aside and thus the tale began	N
	-
'Well boy it was in summer time and just at morning's light	J
We heard the 'Boot and Saddle ' sound the foe was then in sight	J
Just winding round a distant hill and opening on the plain	O
Each trooper looked with careful eye to girth and curb and rein	O
We snatched a hasty breakfast we were old campaigners then	P
That morn of all our splendid corps we'd scarce one hundred men	P
But they were soldiers tried and true who'd rather die than yield	Q
The rest were scattered far and wide o'er many a hard fought field	Q
Our trumpet now rang sharply out and at a swinging pace	R
We left the bivouac behind and soon the eye could trace	R
The columns moving o'er the plain Oh ' twas a stirring sight	J
To see two mighty armies there preparing for the fight	J
To watch the heavy masses as with practiced steady wheel	S
They opened out in slender lines of brightly flashing steel	S
Our place was on the farther flank behind some rising ground	T
That hid the stirring scene from view but soon a booming sound	T
Proclaimed the opening of the fight Then war's loud thunder rolled	U
And hurtling shells and whistling balls their deadly message told	U
We hoped to have a gallant day our hearts were all aglow	V
We longed for one wild sweeping charge to chase the flying foe	V
Our troopers marked the hours glide by but still no orders came	W
They clutched their swords and muttered words 'twere better not to name	W
For hours the loud artillery roared the sun was at its height	J
Still there we lay behind that hill shut out from all the fight	J
We heard the maddened charging yells the ringing British cheers	X
And all the din of glorious war kept sounding in our ears	X
Our hearts with fierce impatience throbbed we cursed the very hill	Y
That hid the sight the evening fell and we were idle still	Y
The horses too were almost wild and told with angry snort	Z
And blazing eye their fierce desire to join the savage sport	Z
When lower still the sun had sunk and with it all our hope	A2
A horseman soiled with smoke and sweat came dashing down the slope	A2
He bore the wished for orders ' At last ' our Colonel cried	B2
And as he read the brief dispatch his glance was filled with pride	B2
Then he who bore the orders in a low emphatic tone	C2
The stern expressive sentence spoke 'He said it must be done '	-
'It shall be done ' our Colonel cried 'Men look to strap and girth	D2
We've work to do this day will prove what every man is worth	D2
Ay work my lads will make amends for all our long delay	E2
The General says on us depends the fortune of the day '	-
'No order needed we to mount each man was in his place	R
And stern and dangerous was the look on every veteran face	R
We trotted sharply up the hill and halted on the brow	F2
And then that glorious field appeared Oh lad I see it now	F2
But little time had we to spare for idle gazing then	P
Beneath us in the valley stood a dark clad mass of men	P
It cut the British line in two Our Colonel shouted 'There	F2
Behold your work Our orders are to charge and break that square '	-
Each trooper drew a heavy breath then gathered up his reins	G2
And pressed the helmet o'er his brow the horses tossed their manes	G2
In protest fierce against the curb and spurned the springy heath	H2
Impatient for the trumpet's sound to bid them rush to death	I2
	-
'Well boy that moment seemed an hour at last we heard the words	J2
'Dragoons I know you'll follow me Ride steady men Draw swords '	-
The trumpet sounded off we dashed at first with steady pace	R
But growing swifter as we went Oh 'twas a gallant race	R
Three fourths the ground was left behind the loud and thrilling 'Charge '	-
Rang out but fairly frantic now we needed not to urge	K2
With voice or rein our gallant steeds or touch their foaming flanks	L2
They seemed to fly Now straight in front appeared the kneeling ranks	L2
Above them waved a standard broad we saw their rifles raised	M2
A moment more with awful crash the deadly volley blazed	M2
The bullets whistled through our ranks and many a trooper fell	N2
But we were left What cared we then but onward rushing still	Y
Again the crash roared fiercely out but on still madly on	O2
We heard the shrieks of dying men but recked not who was gone	P2
We gored the horses' foaming flanks and on through smoke and glare	F2
We wildly dashed with clenched teeth We had no thought no care	F2
Then came a sudden sweeping rush Again with savage heel	S
I struck my horse with awful bound he rose right o'er their steel	S
	-
'Well boy I cannot tell you how that dreadful leap was made	Q2
But there I rode inside the square and grasped a reeking blade	Q2
I cared not that I was alone my eyes seemed filled with blood	R2
I never thought a man could feel in such a murderous mood	S2
I parried not nor guarded thrusts I felt not pain or wound	T
But madly spurred the frantic horse and swept my sword around	T
I tried to reach the standard sheet but there at last was foiled	T2
The gallant horse was jaded now and from the steel recoiled	T2
They saw his fright and pressed him then his terror made him rear	F2
And falling back he crushed their ranks and broke their guarded square	F2
My comrades saw the gap 'he made and soon came dashing in	H
They raised me up I felt no hurt but mingled in the din	H
I'd seen some fearful work before but never was engaged	U2
In such a wild and savage fight as now around me raged	U2
The foe had ceased their firing and now plied the deadly steel	S
Though all our men were wounded then no pain they seemed to feel	S
No groans escaped from those who fell but horrid oaths instead	B
And scowling looks of hate were on the features of the dead	B
The fight was ro	F2

John Boyle O'reilly

Uncle Ned-s Tale: An Old Dragoon's Story Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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