The Blackfeet Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDCCEFEGHIHJIKI A ICLCIICILMCMIHCH A ININCCICKCICCCKC O ICICCIPIQMPMLILI O ICICCCICIRCROIKI O CLILCSCSLCLCTCLC O ICSCIUCUCCCCVWCW O ICOCCOTOSISIOHIH I CXTXVSISLSYSJCLC I IZCZA2B2IB2SC2OC2A2C LCI | A |
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Where the snow world of the mountains | B |
Fronts the sea like world of sward | C |
And encamped along the prairies | D |
Tower the white peaks heavenward | C |
Where they stand by dawn rose coloured | C |
Or dim silvered by the stars | E |
And behind their shadowed portals | F |
Evening draws her lurid bars | E |
Lies a country whose sweet grasses | G |
Richly clothe the rolling plain | H |
All its swelling upland pastures | I |
Speak of Plenty's happy reign | H |
There the bison herds in autumn | J |
Roamed wide sunlit solitudes | I |
Seamed with many an azure river | K |
Bright in burnished poplar woods | I |
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II | A |
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Night dews pearled the painted hide tents | I |
Moyas named that on the mead | C |
Sheltered dark eyed women wearing | L |
Braided hair and woven bead | C |
Never man had seen their lodges | I |
Never warrior crossed the slopes | I |
Where they rode and where they hunted | C |
Imu bulls and antelopes | I |
Masterless how swift their riding | L |
While the wild steeds onward flew | M |
From round breasts and arms unburdened | C |
Freedom's winds their tresses blew | M |
Only when the purple shadows | I |
Slowly veiled the darkening plain | H |
Would they sorrow that the Sun god | C |
Dearer loved his Alp's domain | H |
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III | A |
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Southward nearer to the gorges | I |
Whence the sudden warm winds blow | N |
Shaking all the pine's huge branches | I |
Melting all the fallen snow | N |
Dwelt the S ksika the Blackfeet | C |
They whose ancestor endued | C |
With the dark salve's magic fleetness | I |
First on foot the deer pursued | C |
Gallantly the Braves bore torture | K |
While their Sun dance fasts were held | C |
While the drums beat and the virgins | I |
Saw the pains by manhood quelled | C |
As each writhing form triumphant | C |
Called on the Great Spirit's might | C |
On his son whose voice in thunder | K |
Summons airy hosts to fight | C |
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IV | O |
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Star Child praised as bearing all things | I |
Praised as Brave who never feared | C |
Young but famed above his elders | I |
Chief to man and maid endeared | C |
Went with comrades quiver harnessed | C |
O'er the hills and face to face | I |
Where the bright leaves trembled round them | P |
Found the fearless huntress race | I |
Was it peace or was it warfare | Q |
Starting back their bows they drew | M |
But a mystic power compelled them | P |
And no word no arrow flew | M |
Nearer to each other drawing | L |
Strength and beauty beckoned Peace | I |
Each the other envious eyeing | L |
Jealous lest their hunt should cease | I |
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V | O |
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They are strong could not they aid us | I |
Thought the maiden band amazed | C |
Conquered these could well obey us | I |
Dreamed the warriors as they gazed | C |
Falsely answered cunning Star Child | C |
Smiling as they slowly met | C |
While the women's frequent questions | I |
Were to laughter's music set | C |
Who is chief among you tell us | I |
He is far Is she your queen | R |
With the shells and deer teeth broidered | C |
Decked with sheen of gold between | R |
Yea she slays the bear the grizzly | O |
Light her empire on us lies | I |
With the love she rules her courser | K |
Guides and guards us 'Laughing Eyes' | I |
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VI | O |
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Vaunted then the men their Star Child | C |
Peerless soldier keen eyed king | L |
From the girl he weds shall heroes | I |
Worthy war god's lineage spring | L |
Know ye not how old enchantment | C |
Saw his storm born sire appear | S |
Armed upon a peak dark lifted | C |
O'er the snows and glaciers drear | S |
His the darts divine whose breaking | L |
Thrice hath some disaster sent | C |
Shafts that killed and then returning | L |
Kept his armoury unspent | C |
Give us of these arrows Bring him | T |
Cried the maidens Nay they said | C |
Come with us and share our hunting | L |
Ere the autumn leaves are shed | C |
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VII | O |
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Answered they In painted lodges | I |
Berries we have dried and meat | C |
Come again e'er comes the winter | S |
Let us hear your horses' feet | C |
And they sprang into their saddles | I |
Swept white splashing through a stream | U |
Red and saffron hued the pageant | C |
Crossed the blue translucent gleam | U |
Then unwilling as they vanished | C |
Star Child slow to camp returned | C |
Told the council of the Blackfeet | C |
All the marvels he had learned | C |
Dressed him in his chief's apparel | V |
Rode to where within the glen | W |
Lay the trail that led him onward | C |
To the town unknown of men | W |
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VIII | O |
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From each Moya thronged the dwellers | I |
Hath the chief the arrows sent | C |
I am Chief behold me trust me | O |
Lead me to your ruler's tent | C |
He hath not the shafts enchanted | C |
Thus unarmed came never chief | O |
Bent a thousand bows around him | T |
Back or die impostor thief | O |
Angry yet afraid to anger | S |
Lest he lose those Laughing Eyes | I |
He obeying vowed to conquer | S |
Scorning to make vain replies | I |
Went and weary seemed the journey | O |
All along the yellow plain | H |
Red as rose leaves in the grasses | I |
Flushed his dusky cheeks with pain | H |
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IX | I |
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Grave in silent circles seated | C |
'Neath their Moya's smoke tanned cone | X |
Round the fire his chieftains heard him | T |
Holding each a pipe's red stone | X |
Pausing long they gave their counsel | V |
Different from their wont for here | S |
All the young men spoke for kindness | I |
All the old men were severe | S |
But the Braves rode forth at morning | L |
Half the magic darts they bore | S |
Pledge so precious of their friendship | Y |
None had thought to give before | S |
To the huntress nation welcome | J |
Waking song in every tent | C |
Where the hours were passed in feasting | L |
And the days to love were lent | C |
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X | I |
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Thus the maidens were the victors | I |
For to them the warriors came | Z |
Laughing Eyes but loved the Star Child | C |
When his shafts her own became | Z |
Ah but where is man or woman | A2 |
Who may boast of triumph long | B2 |
Nought abides and mighty nations | I |
Cannot ever more be strong | B2 |
So each huntress found a master | S |
Yielding to her heart's new birth | C2 |
And no more along the prairie | O |
Beat her steed the sounding earth | C2 |
Yearly yet the Blackfeet women | A2 |
Meet and dance and sing the day | C |
When through love they won and winning | L |
Freedom passed with love away | C |
John Campbell
(1)
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