The Shepherds Calendar - January- Winters Day Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDDEEFFGHCCIICCCC FFJJKKLLKKMMKKNNGHCC CCOOKKCCKKCCPPQQKKKK RRSSTTKKHGUURRKKCCVW XXCCSSKKMMKKSSHGSSCC CCKKNRCCKKKKKKTTYYKK CCKKSSKKKKCCYYZZA2A2 NNLLHGSSSSKKGGKKKKSS LLCCCCRGKKKKSSB2B2CC LLGGSSIC2D2D2CKCCGGS SSE2SSSSGGSSSSF2G2SS KKSSSSSSCCKKCCSSKK| Withering and keen the winter comes | A |
| While comfort flyes to close shut rooms | B |
| And sees the snow in feathers pass | C |
| Winnowing by the window glass | C |
| And unfelt tempests howl and beat | D |
| Above his head in corner seat | D |
| And musing oer the changing scene | E |
| Farmers behind the tavern screen | E |
| Sit or wi elbow idly prest | F |
| On hob reclines the corners guest | F |
| Reading the news to mark again | G |
| The bankrupt lists or price of grain | H |
| Or old moores anual prophecys | C |
| That many a theme for talk supplys | C |
| Whose almanacks thumbd pages swarm | I |
| Wi frost and snow and many a storm | I |
| And wisdom gossipd from the stars | C |
| Of polities and bloody wars | C |
| He shakes his head and still proceeds | C |
| Neer doubting once of what he reads | C |
| All wonders are wi faith supplyd | F |
| Bible at once and weather guide | F |
| Puffing the while his red tipt pipe | J |
| Dreaming oer troubles nearly ripe | J |
| Yet not quite lost in profits way | K |
| He'll turn to next years harvest day | K |
| And winters leisure to regale | L |
| Hopes better times and sips his ale | L |
| While labour still pursues his way | K |
| And braves the tempest as he may | K |
| The thresher first thro darkness deep | M |
| Awakes the mornings winter sleep | M |
| Scaring the owlet from her prey | K |
| Long before she dreams of day | K |
| That blinks above head on the snow | N |
| Watching the mice that squeaks below | N |
| And foddering boys sojourn again | G |
| By ryhme hung hedge and frozen plain | H |
| Shuffling thro the sinking snows | C |
| Blowing his fingers as he goes | C |
| To where the stock in bellowings hoarse | C |
| Call for their meals in dreary close | C |
| And print full many a hungry track | O |
| Round circling hedge that guards the stack | O |
| Wi higgling tug he cuts the hay | K |
| And bares the forkfull loads away | K |
| And morn and evening daily throws | C |
| The little heaps upon the snows | C |
| The shepherd too in great coat wrapt | K |
| And straw bands round his stockings lapt | K |
| Wi plodding dog that sheltering steals | C |
| To shun the wind behind his heels | C |
| Takes rough and smooth the winter weather | P |
| And paces thro the snow together | P |
| While in the fields the lonly plough | Q |
| Enjoys its frozen sabbath now | Q |
| And horses too pass time away | K |
| In leisures hungry holiday | K |
| Rubbing and lunging round the yard | K |
| Dreaming no doubt of summer sward | K |
| As near wi idle pace they draw | R |
| To brouze the upheapd cribs of straw | R |
| While whining hogs wi hungry roar | S |
| Crowd around the kitchen door | S |
| Or when their scanty meal is done | T |
| Creep in the straw the cold to shun | T |
| And old hens scratting all the day | K |
| Seeks curnels chance may throw away | K |
| Pausing to pick the seed and grain | H |
| Then dusting up the chaff again | G |
| While in the barn holes hid from view | U |
| The cats their patient watch pursue | U |
| For birds which want in flocks will draw | R |
| From woods and fields to pick the straw | R |
| The soodling boy that saunters round | K |
| The yard on homward dutys bound | K |
| Now fills the troughs for noisy hogs | C |
| Oft asking aid from barking dogs | C |
| That tuggles at each flopping ear | V |
| Of such as scramble on too near | W |
| Or circld round wi thirsty stock | X |
| That for his swinging labours flock | X |
| At clanking pump his station takes | C |
| Half hid in mist their breathing makes | C |
| Or at the pond before the door | S |
| Which every night leaves frozen oer | S |
| Wi heavy beetle splinters round | K |
| The glossy ice wi jarring sound | K |
| While huddling geese as half asleep | M |
| Doth round the imprisond water creep | M |
| Silent and sad to wait his aid | K |
| And soon as ere a hole is made | K |
| They din his ears wi pleasures cry | S |
| And hiss at all that ventures nigh | S |
| Splashing wi jealous joys vain | H |
| Their fill ere it be froze again | G |
| And woodstack climbs at maids desire | S |
| Throwing down faggots for the fire | S |
| Where stealing time he often stands | C |
| To warm his half froze tingling hands | C |
| The schoolboy still in dithering joys | C |
| Pastime in leisure hours employs | C |
| And be the weather as it may | K |
| Is never at a loss for play | K |
| Rolling up giant heaps of snow | N |
| As noontide frets its little thaw | R |
| Making rude things of various names | C |
| Snow men or aught their fancy frames | C |
| Till numbd wi cold they quake away | K |
| And join at hotter sports to play | K |
| Kicking wi many a flying bound | K |
| The football oer the frozen ground | K |
| Or seeking bright glib ice to play | K |
| To sailing slide the hours away | K |
| As smooth and quick as shadows run | T |
| When clouds in autumn pass the sun | T |
| Some hurrying rambles eager take | Y |
| To skait upon the meadow lake | Y |
| Scaring the snipe from her retreat | K |
| From shelving banks unfrozen seat | K |
| Or running brook where icy spars | C |
| Which the pale sunlight specks wi stars | C |
| Shoots crizzling oer the restless tide | K |
| To many a likness petrified | K |
| Where fancy often stoops to pore | S |
| And turns again to wonder more | S |
| The more hen too wi fear opprest | K |
| Starts from her reedy shelterd nest | K |
| Bustling to get from foes away | K |
| And scarcly flies more fast then they | K |
| Skaiting along wi curving springs | C |
| Wi arms spread out like herons wings | C |
| They race away for pleasures sake | Y |
| A hunters speed along the lake | Y |
| And oft neath trees where ice is thin | Z |
| Meet narrow scapes from breaking in | Z |
| Again the robin waxes tame | A2 |
| And ventures pitys crumbs to claim | A2 |
| Picking the trifles off the snow | N |
| Which dames on purpose daily throw | N |
| And perching on the window sill | L |
| Where memory recolecting still | L |
| Knows the last winters broken pane | H |
| And there he hops and peeps again | G |
| The clouds of starnels dailey fly | S |
| Blackening thro the evening sky | S |
| To whittleseas reed wooded mere | S |
| And ozier holts by rivers near | S |
| And many a mingld swathy crowd | K |
| Rook crow and jackdaw noising loud | K |
| Fly too and fro to dreary fen | G |
| Dull winters weary flight agen | G |
| Flopping on heavy wings away | K |
| As soon as morning wakens grey | K |
| And when the sun sets round and red | K |
| Returns to naked woods to bed | K |
| Wood pigeons too in flocks appear | S |
| By hunger tamd from timid fear | S |
| They mid the sheep unstartld steal | L |
| And share wi them a scanty meal | L |
| Picking the green leaves want bestows | C |
| Of turnips sprouting thro the snows | C |
| The ickles from the cottage eaves | C |
| Which cold nights freakish labour leaves | C |
| Fret in the sun a partial thaw | R |
| Pattring on the pitted snow | G |
| But soon as ere hes out of sight | K |
| They eke afresh their tails at night | K |
| The sun soon creepeth out of sight | K |
| Behind the woods and running night | K |
| Makes haste to shut the days dull eye | S |
| And grizzles oer the chilly sky | S |
| Dark deep and thick by day forsook | B2 |
| As cottage chimneys sooty nook | B2 |
| While maidens fresh as summer roses | C |
| Joining from the distant closes | C |
| Haste home wi yokes and swinging pail | L |
| And thresher too sets by his flail | L |
| And leaves the mice at peace agen | G |
| To fill their holes wi stolen grain | G |
| And owlets glad his toils are oer | S |
| Swoops by him as he shuts the door | S |
| The shepherd seeks his cottage warm | I |
| And tucks his hook beneath his arm | C2 |
| And weary in the cold to roam | D2 |
| Scenting the track that leadeth home | D2 |
| His dog wi swifter pace proceeds | C |
| And barks to urge his masters speed | K |
| Then turns and looks him in the face | C |
| And trotts before Wi mending pace | C |
| Till out of whistle from the swain | G |
| He sits him down and barks again | G |
| Anxious to greet the opend door | S |
| And meet the cottage fire once more | S |
| The robin that wi nimble eye | S |
| Glegs round a danger to espy | E2 |
| Now pops from out the opend door | S |
| From crumbs half left upon the floor | S |
| Nor wipes his bill on perching chair | S |
| Nor stays to clean a feather there | S |
| Scard at the cat that sliveth in | G |
| A chance from evenings glooms to win | G |
| To jump on chairs or tables nigh | S |
| Seeking what plunder may supply | S |
| The childerns litterd scraps to thieve | S |
| Or aught that negligence may leave | S |
| Creeping when huswives cease to watch | F2 |
| Or dairey doors are off the latch | G2 |
| On cheese or butter to regale | S |
| Or new milk reeking in the pale | S |
| The hedger now in leathern coat | K |
| From woodland wilds and fields remote | K |
| After a journey far and slow | S |
| Knocks from his shoes the caking snow | S |
| And opes the welcome creaking door | S |
| Throwing his faggot on the floor | S |
| And at his listening wifes desire | S |
| To eke afresh the blazing fire | S |
| Wi sharp bill cuts the hazel bands | C |
| Then sets him down to warm his hands | C |
| And tell in labours happy way | K |
| His story of the passing day | K |
| While as the warm blaze cracks and gleams | C |
| The supper reeks in savoury steams | C |
| Or keetle simmers merrily | S |
| And tinkling cups are set for tea | S |
| Thus doth the winters dreary day | K |
| From morn to evening wear away | K |
John Clare
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About The Shepherds Calendar - January- Winters Day
The Shepherds Calendar - January- Winters Day is a poem by John Clare. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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