King Volmer And Elsie Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBAA C D E FF GGHH IIAA JJKK LMHH EEKK D NO PAQQ E RR SSEE TTU VVWW JJX E S B Y DDB Z U A2B2C2 WWD2D2 E2E2 F2F2 WWE G2G2HH YYH2H2 BBI2I2| After the Danish of Christian Winter | A |
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| Where over heathen doom rings and gray stones of the Horg | B |
| In its little Christian city stands the church of Vordingborg | B |
| In merry mood King Volmer sat forgetful of his power | A |
| As idle as the Goose of Gold that brooded on his tower | A |
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| Out spake the King to Henrik his young and faithful squire | C |
| 'Dar'st trust thy little Elsie the maid of thy desire ' | - |
| 'Of all the men in Denmark she loveth only me | D |
| As true to me is Elsie as thy Lily is to thee ' | - |
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| Loud laughed the king 'To morrow shall bring another day | E |
| When I myself will test her she will not say me nay ' | - |
| Thereat the lords and gallants that round about him stood | F |
| Wagged all their heads in concert and smiled as courtiers should | F |
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| The gray lark sings o'er Vordingborg and on the ancient town | G |
| From the tall tower of Valdemar the Golden Goose looks down | G |
| The yellow grain is waving in the pleasant wind of morn | H |
| The wood resounds with cry of hounds and blare of hunter's horn | H |
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| In the garden of her father little Elsie sits and spins | I |
| And singing with the early birds her daily task begins | I |
| Gay tulips bloom and sweet mint curls around her garden bower | A |
| But she is sweeter than the mint and fairer than the flower | A |
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| About her form her kirtle blue clings lovingly and white | J |
| As snow her loose sleeves only leave her small round wrists in sight | J |
| Below the modest petticoat can only half conceal | K |
| The motion of the lightest foot that ever turned a wheel | K |
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| The cat sits purring at her side bees hum in sunshine warm | L |
| But look she starts she lifts her face she shades it with her arm | M |
| And hark a train of horsemen with sound of dog and horn | H |
| Come leaping o'er the ditches come trampling down the corn | H |
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| Merrily rang the bridle reins and scarf and plume streamed gay | E |
| As fast beside her father's gate the riders held their way | E |
| And one was brave in scarlet cloak with golden spur on heel | K |
| And as he checked his foaming steed the maiden checked her wheel | K |
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| 'All hail among thy roses the fairest rose to me | D |
| For weary months in secret my heart has longed for thee ' | - |
| What noble knight was this What words for modest maiden's ear | N |
| She dropped a lowly courtesy of bashfulness and fear | O |
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| She lifted up her spinning wheel she fain would seek the door | P |
| Trembling in every limb her cheek with blushes crimsoned o'er | A |
| 'Nay fear me not ' the rider said 'I offer heart and hand | Q |
| Bear witness these good Danish knights who round about me stand | Q |
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| 'I grant you time to think of this to answer as you may | E |
| For to morrow little Elsie shall bring another day ' | - |
| He spake the old phrase slyly as glancing round his train | R |
| He saw his merry followers seek to hide their smiles in vain | R |
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| 'The snow of pearls I'll scatter in your curls of golden hair | S |
| I'll line with furs the velvet of the kirtle that you wear | S |
| All precious gems shall twine your neck and in a chariot gay | E |
| You shall ride my little Elsie behind four steeds of gray | E |
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| 'And harps shall sound and flutes shall play and brazen lamps shall glow | T |
| On marble floors your feet shall weave the dances to and fro | T |
| At frosty eventide for us the blazing hearth shall shine | U |
| While at our ease we play at draughts and drink the blood red wine ' | - |
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| Then Elsie raised her head and met her wooer face to face | V |
| A roguish smile shone in her eye and on her lip found place | V |
| Back from her low white forehead the curls of gold she threw | W |
| And lifted up her eyes to his steady and clear and blue | W |
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| 'I am a lowly peasant and you a gallant knight | J |
| I will not trust a love that soon may cool and turn to slight | J |
| If you would wed me henceforth be a peasant not a lord | X |
| I bid you hang upon the wall your tried and trusty sword ' | - |
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| 'To please you Elsie I will lay keen Dynadel away | E |
| And in its place will swing the scythe and mow your father's hay ' | - |
| 'Nay but your gallant scarlet cloak my eyes can never bear | S |
| A Vadmal coat so plain and gray is all that you must wear ' | - |
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| 'Well Vadmal will I wear for you ' the rider gayly spoke | B |
| 'And on the Lord's high altar I'll lay my scarlet cloak ' | - |
| 'But mark ' she said 'no stately horse my peasant love must ride | Y |
| A yoke of steers before the plough is all that he must guide ' | - |
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| The knight looked down upon his steed 'Well let him wander free | D |
| No other man must ride the horse that has been backed by me | D |
| Henceforth I'll tread the furrow and to my oxen talk | B |
| If only little Elsie beside my plough will walk ' | - |
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| 'You must take from out your cellar cask of wine and flask and can | Z |
| The homely mead I brew you may serve a peasant man ' | - |
| 'Most willingly fair Elsie I'll drink that mead of thine | U |
| And leave my minstrel's thirsty throat to drain my generous wine ' | - |
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| 'Now break your shield asunder and shatter sign and boss | A2 |
| Unmeet for peasant wedded arms your knightly knee across | B2 |
| And pull me down your castle from top to basement wall | C2 |
| And let your plough trace furrows in the ruins of your hall ' | - |
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| Then smiled he with a lofty pride right well at last he knew | W |
| The maiden of the spinning wheel was to her troth plight true | W |
| 'Ah roguish little Elsie you act your part full well | D2 |
| You know that I must bear my shield and in my castle dwell | D2 |
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| 'The lions ramping on that shield between the hearts aflame | E2 |
| Keep watch o'er Denmark's honor and guard her ancient name | E2 |
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| 'For know that I am Volmer I dwell in yonder towers | F2 |
| Who ploughs them ploughs up Denmark this goodly home of ours' | F2 |
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| 'I tempt no more fair Elsie your heart I know is true | W |
| Would God that all our maidens were good and pure as you | W |
| Well have you pleased your monarch and he shall well repay | E |
| God's peace Farewell To morrow will bring another day ' | - |
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| He lifted up his bridle hand he spurred his good steed then | G2 |
| And like a whirl blast swept away with all his gallant men | G2 |
| The steel hoofs beat the rocky path again on winds of morn | H |
| The wood resounds with cry of hounds and blare of hunter's horn | H |
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| 'Thou true and ever faithful ' the listening Henrik cried | Y |
| And leaping o'er the green hedge he stood by Elsie's side | Y |
| None saw the fond embracing save shining from afar | H2 |
| The Golden Goose that watched them from the tower of Valdemar | H2 |
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| O darling girls of Denmark of all the flowers that throng | B |
| Her vales of spring the fairest I sing for you my song | B |
| No praise as yours so bravely rewards the singer's skill | I2 |
| Thank God of maids like Elsie the land has plenty still | I2 |
John Greenleaf Whittier
(1)
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