A Ballad Of Hell Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAC DEF GHGI JAJK LML INON PQPQ RSRT UVUV GWGW XYZY KAKA A2EA2E B2XB2Z QC2Q P HD2HD2 E2F2E2F2 EVEV K OLOL D2G2D2G2 H2I2H2I2'A letter from my love to day | A |
Oh unexpected dear appeal ' | B |
She struck a happy tear away | A |
And broke the crimson seal | C |
- | |
'My love there is no help on earth | D |
No help in heaven the dead man's bell | E |
Must toll our wedding our first hearth | F |
Must be the well paved floor of hell ' | - |
- | |
The colour died from out her face | G |
Her eyes like ghostly candles shone | H |
She cast dread looks about the place | G |
Then clenched her teeth and read right on | I |
- | |
'I may not pass the prison door | J |
Here must I rot from day to day | A |
Unless I wed whom I abhor | J |
My cousin Blanche of Valencay | K |
- | |
'At midnight with my dagger keen | L |
I'll take my life it must be so | M |
Meet me in hell to night my queen | L |
For weal and woe ' | - |
- | |
She laughed although her face was wan | I |
She girded on her golden belt | N |
She took her jewelled ivory fan | O |
And at her glowing missal knelt | N |
- | |
Then rose 'And am I mad ' she said | P |
She broke her fan her belt untied | Q |
With leather girt herself instead | P |
And stuck a dagger at her side | Q |
- | |
She waited shuddering in her room | R |
Till sleep had fallen on all the house | S |
She never flinched she faced her doom | R |
They two must sin to keep their vows | T |
- | |
Then out into the night she went | U |
And stooping crept by hedge and tree | V |
Her rose bush flung a snare of scent | U |
And caught a happy memory | V |
- | |
She fell and lay a minute's space | G |
She tore the sward in her distress | W |
The dewy grass refreshed her face | G |
She rose and ran with lifted dress | W |
- | |
She started like a morn caught ghost | X |
Once when the moon came out and stood | Y |
To watch the naked road she crossed | Z |
And dived into the murmuring wood | Y |
- | |
The branches snatched her streaming cloak | K |
A live thing shrieked she made no stay | A |
She hurried to the trysting oak | K |
Right well she knew the way | A |
- | |
Without a pause she bared her breast | A2 |
And drove her dagger home and fell | E |
And lay like one that takes her rest | A2 |
And died and wakened up in hell | E |
- | |
She bathed her spirit in the flame | B2 |
And near the centre took her post | X |
From all sides to her ears there came | B2 |
The dreary anguish of the lost | Z |
- | |
The devil started at her side | Q |
Comely and tall and black as jet | C2 |
'I am young Malespina's bride | Q |
Has he come hither yet ' | - |
- | |
'My poppet welcome to your bed ' | - |
'Is Malespina here ' | - |
'Not he To morrow he must wed | P |
His cousin Blanche my dear ' | - |
- | |
'You lie he died with me to night ' | - |
'Not he it was a plot' 'You lie ' | - |
'My dear I never lie outright ' | - |
'We died at midnight he and I ' | - |
- | |
The devil went Without a groan | H |
She gathered up in one fierce prayer | D2 |
Took root in hell's midst all alone | H |
And waited for him there | D2 |
- | |
She dared to make herself at home | E2 |
Amidst the wail the uneasy stir | F2 |
The blood stained flame that filled the dome | E2 |
Scentless and silent shrouded her | F2 |
- | |
How long she stayed I cannot tell | E |
But when she felt his perfidy | V |
She marched across the floor of hell | E |
And all the damned stood up to see | V |
- | |
The devil stopped her at the brink | K |
She shook him off she cried 'Away ' | - |
'My dear you have gone mad I think ' | - |
'I was betrayed I will not stay ' | - |
- | |
Across the weltering deep she ran | O |
A stranger thing was never seen | L |
The damned stood silent to a man | O |
They saw the great gulf set between | L |
- | |
To her it seemed a meadow fair | D2 |
And flowers sprang up about her feet | G2 |
She entered heaven she climbed the stair | D2 |
And knelt down at the mercy seat | G2 |
- | |
Seraphs and saints with one great voice | H2 |
Welcomed that soul that knew not fear | I2 |
Amazed to find it could rejoice | H2 |
Hell raised a hoarse half human cheer | I2 |
John Davidson
(1)
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