Solitude Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHGGII JKLB MMBBNNMMOOPPQQRRSS AATTUUVVQQWWQQLLIIQQ FFQQXXIIYY ZZA2A2JJQQIIB2B2FFQQ C2C2IILIQQD2E2QQLLBB FFQQQQF2G2VVII QQQQH2H2QQBBQQQQI2I2 QQFFQQBBQQEEQQQQJ2J2 QQBBQQIIQQK2K2IIQQQQ IIL2L2QQLLIIM2M2 IIJJQQIIA2A2N2O2QQQQ G2G2QQJ2J2A2A2P2P2LL BBM2M2BBQ2YR2R2QQM2M 2QQAAJ2J2YQ2IIAA QQQQEEQQQLYYIIQQQQB2 B2IIAAAALLFFS2S2AALL R2R2QQT2T2U2U2QQV2V2 BBIIE2W2QQ QQIIQQFFSS

Now as even's warning bellA
Rings the day's departing knellA
Leaving me from labour freeB
Solitude I'll walk with theeB
Whether 'side the woods we roveC
Or sweep beneath the willow groveC
Whether sauntering we proceedD
Cross the green or down the meadD
Whether sitting down we lookE
On the bubbles of the brookE
Whether curious waste an hourF
Pausing o'er each tasty flowerF
Or expounding nature's spellsG
From the sand pick out the shellsG
Or while lingering by the streamsH
Where more sweet the music seemsH
Listen to the soft'ning swellsG
Of some distant chiming bellsG
Mellowing sweetly on the breezeI
Rising falling by degreesI
Dying now then wak'd againJ
In full many a 'witching strainK
Sounding as the gale flits byL
Flats and sharps of melodyB
-
Sweet it is to wind the rillM
Sweet with thee to climb the hillM
On whose lap the bullock freeB
Chews his cud most placidlyB
Or o'er fallows bare and brownN
Beaten sheep tracks wander downN
Where the mole unwearied stillM
Roots up many a crumbling hillM
And the little chumbling mouseO
Gnarls the dead weed for her houseO
While the plough's unfeeling shareP
Lays full many a dwelling bareP
Where the lark with russet breastQ
'Hind the big clod hides her nestQ
And the black snail's founder'd paceR
Finds from noon a hiding placeR
Breaking off the scorching sunS
Where the matted twitches runS
-
Solitude I love thee wellA
Brushing through the wilder'd dellA
Picking from the ramping grassT
Nameless blossoms as I passT
Which the dews of eve bedeckU
Fair a pearls on woman's neckU
Marking shepherds rous'd from sleepV
Blundering off to fold their sheepV
And the swain with toils distrestQ
Hide his tools to seek his restQ
While the cows with hobbling stridesW
Twitching slow their fly bit hidesW
Rub the pasture's creaking gateQ
Milking maids and boys to waitQ
Or as sunshine leaves the skyL
As the daylight shuts her eyeL
Sweet it is to meet the breezeI
'Neath the shade of hawthorn treesI
By the pasture's wilder'd roundQ
Where the pismire hills aboundQ
Where the blushing fin weed's flowerF
Closes up at even's hourF
Leaving then the green behindQ
Narrow hoof plod lanes to windQ
Oak and ash embower'd beneathX
Leading to the lonely heathX
Where the unmolested furzeI
And the burdock's clinging bursI
And the briars by freedom sownY
Claim the wilder'd spots their ownY
-
There while we the scene surveyZ
Deck'd in nature's wild arrayZ
Swell'd with ling clad hillocks greenA2
Suiting the disorder'd sceneA2
Haply we may rest us thenJ
In the banish'd herdsman's denJ
Where the wattled hulk is fixtQ
Propt some double oak betwixtQ
Where the swain the branches lopsI
And o'er head with rushes topsI
Where with woodbine's sweet perfumeB2
And the rose's blushing bloomB2
Loveliest cieling of the bowerF
Arching in peeps many a flowerF
While a hill of thyme so sweetQ
Or a moss'd stone forms a seatQ
There as 'tween light hangs the eveC2
I will watch thy bosom heaveC2
Marking then the darksome flowsI
Night's gloom o'er thy mantle throwsI
Fondly gazing on thine eyeL
As it rolls its extasyI
When thy solemn musings caughtQ
Tell thy soul's absorb'd in thoughtQ
When thy finely folded armD2
O'er thy bosom beating warmE2
Wraps thee melancholy roundQ
And thy ringlets wild unboundQ
On thy lily shoulders lieL
Like dark streaks in morning's skyL
Peace and silence sit with theeB
And peace alone is heaven to meB
While the moonlight's infant hourF
Faint 'gins creep to gild the bowerF
And the wattled hedge gleams roundQ
Its diamond shadows on the groundQ
O thou soothing SolitudeQ
From the vain and from the rudeQ
When this silent hour is comeF2
And I meet thy welcome homeG2
What balm is thine to troubles deepV
As on thy breast I sink to sleepV
What bliss on even's silence flowsI
When thy wish'd opiate bring reposeI
-
And I have found thee wondrous sweetQ
Sheltering from the noon day heatQ
As 'neath hazels I have stoodQ
In the gloomy hanging woodQ
Where the sunbeams filtering smallH2
Freckling through the branches fallH2
And the flapping leaf the groundQ
Shadows flitting round and roundQ
Where the glimmering streamlets wreatheB
Many a crooked root beneathB
Unseen gliding day by dayQ
O'er their solitary wayQ
Smooth or rough as onward ledQ
Where the wild weed dip its headQ
Murmuring dribbling drop by dropI2
When dead leaves their progress stopI2
Or winding sweet their restless wayQ
While the frothy bubbles playQ
And I love thy presence drearF
In such wildernesses whereF
Ne'er an axe was heard to soundQ
Or a tree fall gulsh'd the groundQ
Where as if that spot could beB
First foot mark'd the ground by meB
All is still and wild and gayQ
Left as at creation's dayQ
Pleasant too it is to lookE
For thy step in shady nookE
Where by hedge side coolly ledQ
Brooks curl o'er their sandy bedQ
On whose tide the clouds reflectQ
In whose margin flags are frecktQ
Where the waters winding blueJ2
Single arch'd brig flutter throughJ2
While the willow branches greyQ
Damp the sultry eye of dayQ
And in whispers mildly soothB
Chafe the mossy keystone smoothB
Where the banks beneath them spreadQ
Level in an easy bedQ
While the wild thyme's pinky bellsI
Circulate reviving smellsI
And as the breeze with feather feetQ
Crimping o'er the waters sweetQ
Trembling fans the sun tann'd cheekK2
And gives the comfort one would seekK2
Stretching there in soft reposeI
Far from peace and freedom's foesI
In a spot so wild so rudeQ
Dear to me is solitudeQ
Soothing then to watch the groundQ
Every insect flitting roundQ
Such as painted summer bringsI
Lady fly with freckled wingsI
Watch her up the tall bent climbL2
And from knotted flowers of thymeL2
Where the woodland banks are decktQ
See the bee his load collectQ
Mark him turn the petals byL
Gold dust gathering on his thighL
As full many a hum he heavesI
While he pats th'intruding leavesI
Lost in many a heedless springM2
Then wearing home on heavy wingM2
-
But when sorrows more oppressI
When the world brings more distressI
Wishing to despise as thenJ
Brunts of fate and scorn of menJ
When fate's demons thus intrudeQ
Then I seek thee SolitudeQ
Where the abbey's height appearsI
Hoary 'neath a weight of yearsI
Where the mouldering walls are seenA2
Hung with pellitory greenA2
Where the steeple's taper stretchN2
Tires the eye its length to reachO2
Dizzy nauntling high and proudQ
Top stone losing in a cloudQ
Where the cross to time resign'dQ
Creaking harshly in the windQ
Crowning high the rifted domeG2
Points the pilgrim's wish'd for homeG2
While the look fear turns awayQ
Shuddering at its dread decayQ
There let me my peace pursueJ2
'Neath the shade of gloomy yewJ2
Doleful hung with mourning greenA2
Suiting well the solemn sceneA2
There that I may learn to scanP2
Mites illustrious called manP2
Turn with thee the nettles byL
Where the grave stone meets the eyeL
Soon full soon to read and seeB
That all below is vanityB
And man to me a galling thingM2
Own'd creation's lord and kingM2
A minute's length a zephyr's breathB
Sport of fate and prey of deathB
Tyrant to day to morrow goneQ2
Distinguish'd only by a stoneY
That fain would have the eye to knowR2
Pride's better dust is lodg'd belowR2
While worm like me are mouldering laidQ
With nothing set to say they're deadQ
All the difference trifling thingM2
That notes at last the slave and kingM2
As wither'd leaves life's bloom when stoptQ
That drop in autumn so they droptQ
As snails which in their painted shellA
So snugly once were known to dwellA
When in the school boy's care we viewJ2
The pleasing toys of varied hueJ2
By age or accident are flownY
The shell left empty tenant goneQ2
So pass we from the world's affairsI
And careless vanish from its caresI
So leave with silent long farewelA
Vain life as left the snail his shellA
-
All this when there my eyes beholdQ
On every stone and heap of mouldQ
Solitude though thou art sweetQ
Solemn art thou then to meetQ
When with list'ning pause I lookE
Round the pillar's ruin'd nookE
Glooms revealing dim descriedQ
Ghosts companion'd by thy sideQ
Where in old deformityQ
Ancient arches sweep on highL
And the aisles to light unknownY
Create a darkness all their ownY
Save the moon as on we passI
Splinters through the broken glassI
Or the torn roof patch'd with cloudQ
Or the crack'd wall bulg'd and bow'dQ
Glimmering faint along the groundQ
Shooting solemn and profoundQ
Lighting up the silent gloomB2
Just to read an ancient tombB2
'Neath where as it gilding creepsI
We may see some abbot sleepsI
And as on we mete the aisleA
Daring scarce to breathe the whileA
Soft as creeping feet can fallA
While the damp green stained wallA
Swift the startled ghost flits byL
Mocking murmurs faintly sighL
Reminding our intruding fearF
Such visits are unwelcome hereF
Seemly then from hollow urnS2
Gentle steps our step returnS2
E'er so soft and e'er so stillA
Check our breath or how we willA
List'ning spirits still replyL
Step for step and sigh for sighL
Murmuring o'er one's weary woeR2
Such as once 'twas theirs to knowR2
They whisper to such slaves as meQ
A buried tale of miseryQ
We once had life ere life's declineT2
Flesh blood and bone the same as thineT2
We knew its pains and shar'd its griefU2
Till death long wish'd for brought reliefU2
We had our hopes and like to theeQ
Hop'd morrow's better day to seeQ
But like to thine our hope the sameV2
To morrow's kindness never cameV2
We had our tyrants e'en as thouB
Our wants met many a scornful browB
But death laid low their wealthy powersI
Their harmless ashes mix with oursI
And this vain world its pride its formE2
That treads on thee as on a wormW2
Its mighty heirs the time shall beQ
When they as quiet sleep by theeQ
-
O here's thy comfort SolitudeQ
When overpowering woes intrudeQ
Then thy sad thy solemn dressI
Owns the balm my soul to blessI
Here I judge the world arightQ
Here see vain man in his true lightQ
Learn patience in this trying hourF
To gild life's brambles with a flowerF
Take pattern from the hints thou'st givenS
And follow in thy steps to heavenS

John Clare



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