The Lady's Rock Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDDED FGHGBDBD IJKJDDLD DMDMDDND OBPBKDDD QDRDDSDS TUDUDVWV XBYBDZDZ A2DBDDDB2D C2D2E2D2F2G2DG2 DBDBVDDD DWSWDBDB DGDGH2AI2A J2DEDK2DG2D DDL2DF2FM2F DCDCDDBDA brother's eye had seen the grief | A |
That Duart's lady bore | B |
His boat with sail half raised flies down | C |
The sound by green Lismore | B |
Ahaladah Ahaladah | D |
Why speeds your boat so fast | D |
No scene of joy shall light your track | E |
Adown the spray strewn blast | D |
- | |
The very trees upon the isle | F |
Rock to and fro and wail | G |
The very birds cry sad and shrill | H |
Storm driven where you sail | G |
O when for yon dim mainland shore | B |
You launched your keel to start | D |
You knew not of the load 'twill bear | B |
The heavier load your heart | D |
- | |
See what is that which yonder gleams | I |
Where skarts alone make home | J |
Is that but one oft breaking sea | K |
Some frequent fount of foam | J |
The morn is dark and indistinct | D |
Is all through drift and cloud | D |
Around the rock white waters toss | L |
As flaps in wind a shroud | D |
- | |
It cannot be a leaping jet | D |
Nor form of rock or wave | M |
There stands some being saved by God | D |
In mercy from the grave | M |
Down with the sail out oars the boat | D |
Can reach the leeward side | D |
Mother of Heaven look you men | N |
Where breaks that roaring tide | D |
- | |
A living woman do I dream | O |
Or stands my sister there | B |
Where only at the middle ebb | P |
The shelving ledge is bare | B |
O white as surf that sweeps her knee | K |
She falls but not to die | D |
Ahaladah is at her side | D |
He bears her up on high | D |
- | |
Away from Duart now he steers | Q |
Why curses he its lord | D |
Why flee to Inveraray's strength | R |
As though he feared his sword | D |
Proud triumph's notes were often heard | D |
Where Aray's waters sing | S |
And mourners there have often wept | D |
The slain for faith and king | S |
- | |
But never would that lady's lips | T |
There speak her grievous woe | U |
Though in her chamber in the night | D |
Her frequent tears would flow | U |
She dreamt of wrong where love was sought | D |
Of crafty cruel eyes | V |
Of one steep stair of grasping hands | W |
That stifled piteous cries | V |
- | |
Of wind which tore the hissing waves | X |
And howled o'er mountains bare | B |
Where swollen burns in feathery clouds | Y |
Were dashed into the air | B |
Of one wet rock of horror wild | D |
When she was left alone | Z |
Till madness seemed to whelm her thought | D |
And with a shuddering moan | Z |
- | |
Again she heard the surges rush | A2 |
And where she shrinking turned | D |
The seaweed there like woman's hair | B |
The murderous billows spurned | D |
Again the night and wind were joined | D |
To mock her hope of aid | D |
Till shrieking she awoke where once | B2 |
She slept a happy maid | D |
- | |
But none would she accuse and dumb | C2 |
Rebuked the vengeance call | D2 |
Till one dark eve at supper time | E2 |
Within the old dim hall | D2 |
She heard some whisper and she saw | F2 |
Her brother leave his place | G2 |
Go forth and entering beckon out | D |
A band with stern set face | G2 |
- | |
Again he came and o'er her bent | D |
And whispered Sister dear | B |
Let fall your veil about your head | D |
Nor tremble when you hear | B |
That Duart comes in mourner's guise | V |
Lo there he takes his seat | D |
Chief tell us why your mien is sad | D |
When friends and kinsmen meet | D |
- | |
My woes are great my wife lies dead | D |
But yester week these hands | W |
Closed her sweet eyes and now I bring | S |
Her body to your lands | W |
Then was the arras drawn aside | D |
And girt with wake lights drear | B |
Beneath the archway's carven vault | D |
Was borne a white crossed bier | B |
- | |
And Duart rose his shifting eye | D |
Moved like a marsh fire pale | G |
But circling back still restless scanned | D |
The lady of the veil | G |
Then through the silence broke a voice | H2 |
Know you that lady chief | A |
She too a guest with us like you | I2 |
Well knows the pangs of grief | A |
- | |
You come from far bring wine To each | J2 |
The ruddy goblet passed | D |
The lady raised her hand and back | E |
The heavy veil she cast | D |
Strong Duart reeled as from a stroke | K2 |
He stared as at the dead | D |
How could her glance o'er that dark face | G2 |
Such deathly palor spread | D |
- | |
Your play is out ah cursed fiend | D |
Ahaladah cried loud | D |
Your death shall be no phantom false | L2 |
No empty mask your shroud | D |
If hospitality's high law | F2 |
Here shields your life awhile | F |
By all the saints you yet shall feel | M2 |
The vengeance of Argyll | F |
- | |
- | |
- | |
In Edinburgh Duart's Lord | D |
Strides down the shadowed town | C |
The white moon glints on roofs o'erhead | D |
And on St Giles's crown | C |
Another step is on the street | D |
The watchmen hear no cry | D |
But drenched in blood lies Duart where | B |
Ahaladah passed by | D |
John Campbell
(1)
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