The Shepherds Calendar - January- Winters Day Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDDEEFFGHCCIICCCC FFJJKKLLKKMMKKNNGHCC CCOOKKCCKKCCPPQQKKKK RRSSTTKKHGUURRKKCCVW XXCCSSKKMMKKSSHGSSCC CCKKNRCCKKKKKKTTYYKK CCKKSSKKKKCCYYZZA2A2 NNLLHGSSSSKKGGKKKKSS LLCCCCRGKKKKSSB2B2CC LLGGSSIC2D2D2CKCCGGS SSE2SSSSGGSSSSF2G2SS KKSSSSSSCCKKCCSSKKWithering 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
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Shepherds Calendar - January- Winters Day poem by John Clare
Best Poems of John Clare