The Shepherd's Calendar - October Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDEEFFGEEEEEHHBB IIJJKKLLLLAADCMMEENN OOPPQQLLLLBBLLEELLFF BBKKJJRSPPBBFFOOLLLL LLDDEELLLLTTDCUUVVWW XXEEEWWYYLLBBZZNature now spreads around in dreary hue | A |
A pall to cover all that summer knew | A |
Yet in the poets solitary way | B |
Some pleasing objects for his praise delay | B |
Somthing that makes him pause and turn again | C |
As every trifle will his eye detain | D |
The free horse rustling through the stubble land | E |
And bawling herd boy with his motly band | E |
Of hogs and sheep and cows who feed their fill | F |
Oer cleard fields rambling where so ere they will | F |
The geese flock gabbling in the splashy fields | G |
And quaking ducks in pondweeds half conseald | E |
Or seeking worms along the homclose sward | E |
Right glad of freedom from the prison yard | E |
While every cart rut dribbles its low tide | E |
And every hollow splashing sports provide | E |
The hedger stopping gaps wi pointed bough | H |
Made by intruding horse and blundering cow | H |
The milk maid tripping on her morning way | B |
And fodderers oft tho early cutting hay | B |
Dropping the littering forkfulls from his back | I |
Side where the thorn fence circles round the stack | I |
The cotter journying wi his noisev swine | J |
Along the wood side where the brambles twine | J |
Shaking from dinted cups the acorns brown | K |
And from the hedges red awes dashing down | K |
And nutters rustling in the yellow woods | L |
Scaring from their snug lairs the pheasant broods | L |
And squirrels secret toils oer winter dreams | L |
Picking the brown nuts from the yellow beams | L |
And hunters from the thickets avenue | A |
In scarlet jackets startling on the view | A |
Skiming a moment oer the russet plain | D |
Then hiding in the colord woods again | C |
The ploping guns sharp momentary shock | M |
Which eccho bustles from her cave to mock | M |
The sticking groups in many a ragged set | E |
Brushing the woods their harmless loads to get | E |
And gipseys camps in some snug shelterd nook | N |
Where old lane hedges like the pasture brook | N |
Run crooking as they will by wood and dell | O |
In such lone spots these wild wood roamers dwell | O |
On commons where no farmers claims appear | P |
Nor tyrant justice rides to interfere | P |
Such the abodes neath hedge or spreading oak | Q |
And but discovered by its curling smoak | Q |
Puffing and peeping up as wills the breeze | L |
Between the branches of the colord trees | L |
Such are the pictures that october yields | L |
To please the poet as he walks the fields | L |
Oft dames in faded cloak of red or grey | B |
Loiters along the mornings dripping way | B |
Wi wicker basket on their witherd arms | L |
Searching the hedges of home close or farms | L |
Where brashy elder trees to autum fade | E |
Each cotters mossy hut and garden shade | E |
Whose glossy berrys picturesquly weaves | L |
Their swathy bunches mid the yellow leaves | L |
Where the pert sparrow stains his little bill | F |
And tutling robin picks his meals at will | F |
Black ripening to the wan suns misty ray | B |
Here the industrious huswives wend their way | B |
Pulling the brittle branches carefull down | K |
And hawking loads of berrys to the town | K |
Wi unpretending skill yet half divine | J |
To press and make their eldern berry wine | J |
That bottld up becomes a rousing charm | R |
To kindle winters icy bosom warm | S |
That wi its merry partner nut brown beer | P |
Makes up the peasants christmass keeping cheer | P |
While nature like fair woman in decay | B |
Which pale consumption hourly wastes away | B |
Upon her waining features pale and chill | F |
Wears dreams of beauty that seem lovely still | F |
Among the heath furze still delights to dwell | O |
Quaking as if with cold the harvest bell | O |
The mushroom buttons each moist morning brings | L |
Like spots of snow in the green tawney rings | L |
And fuzz balls swelld like bladders in the grass | L |
Which oft the merry laughing milking lass | L |
Will stoop to gather in her sportive airs | L |
And slive in mimickd fondness unawares | L |
To smut the brown cheek of the teazing swain | D |
Wi the black powder which their balls contain | D |
Who feigns offence at first that love may speed | E |
Then charms a kiss to recompence the deed | E |
The flying clouds urged on in swiftest pace | L |
Like living things as if they runned a race | L |
The winds that oer each coming tempest broods | L |
Waking like spirits in their startling moods | L |
Fluttering the sear leaves on the blasting lea | T |
That litters under every fading tree | T |
And pausing oft as falls the pattering rain | D |
Then gathering strength and twirling them again | C |
The startld stockdove hurried wizzing bye | U |
As the still hawk hangs oer him in the sky | U |
Crows from the oak trees qawking as they spring | V |
Dashing the acorns down wi beating wing | V |
Waking the woodlands sleep in noises low | W |
Pattring on crimpt brakes withering brown below | W |
While from their hollow nest the squirrels pop | X |
Adown the tree to pick them as they drop | X |
The starnel crowds that dim the muddy light | E |
The crows and jackdaws flapping home at night | E |
And puddock circling round its lazy flight | E |
Round the wild sweeing wood in motion slow | W |
Before it perches on the oaks below | W |
And hugh black beetles revelling alone | Y |
In the dull evening with their heavy drone | Y |
Buzzing from barn door straw and hovel sides | L |
Where fodderd cattle from the night abides | L |
These pictures linger thro the shortning day | B |
And cheer the lone bards mellancholy way | B |
And now and then a solitary boy | Z |
Journeying and muttering oer his dreams of joy | Z |
John Clare
(1)
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