The Brown Dwarf Of Rugen Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AB CC DD EE FF GG HH IJ KK LL MM LL NN GG OP LL QQ RR SS LL TT UU VV WW JI DD BB DD CC BB CC EE XX YY BB TTThe pleasant isle of Rugen looks the Baltic water o'er | A |
To the silver sanded beaches of the Pomeranian shore | B |
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And in the town of Rambin a little boy and maid | C |
Plucked the meadow flowers together and in the sea surf played | C |
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Alike were they in beauty if not in their degree | D |
He was the Amptman's first born the miller's child was she | D |
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Now of old the isle of Rugen was full of Dwarfs and Trolls | E |
The brown faced little Earth men the people without souls | E |
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And for every man and woman in Rugen's island found | F |
Walking in air and sunshine a Troll was underground | F |
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It chanced the little maiden one morning strolled away | G |
Among the haunted Nine Hills where the elves and goblins play | G |
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That day in barley fields below the harvesters had known | H |
Of evil voices in the air and heard the small horns blown | H |
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She came not back the search for her in field and wood was vain | I |
They cried her east they cried her west but she came not again | J |
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She's down among the Brown Dwarfs said the dream wives wise and old | K |
And prayers were made and masses said and Rambin's church bell tolled | K |
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Five years her father mourned her and then John Deitrich said | L |
I will find my little playmate be she alive or dead | L |
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He watched among the Nine Hills he heard the Brown Dwarfs sing | M |
And saw them dance by moonlight merrily in a ring | M |
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And when their gay robed leader tossed up his cap of red | L |
Young Deitrich caught it as it fell and thrust it on his head | L |
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The Troll came crouching at his feet and wept for lack of it | N |
Oh give me back my magic cap for your great head unfit | N |
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Nay Deitrich said the Dwarf who throws his charmed cap away | G |
Must serve its finder at his will and for his folly pay | G |
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You stole my pretty Lisbeth and hid her in the earth | O |
And you shall ope the door of glass and let me lead her forth | P |
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She will not come she's one of us she's mine the Brown Dwarf said | L |
The day is set the cake is baked to morrow we shall wed | L |
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The fell fiend fetch thee Deitrich cried and keep thy foul tongue still | Q |
Quick open to thy evil world the glass door of the hill | Q |
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The Dwarf obeyed and youth and Troll down the long stair way passed | R |
And saw in dim and sunless light a country strange and vast | R |
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Weird rich and wonderful he saw the elfin under land | S |
Its palaces of precious stones its streets of golden sand | S |
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He came unto a banquet hall with tables richly spread | L |
Where a young maiden served to him the red wine and the bread | L |
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How fair she seemed among the Trolls so ugly and so wild | T |
Yet pale and very sorrowful like one who never smiled | T |
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Her low sweet voice her gold brown hair her tender blue eyes seemed | U |
Like something he had seen elsewhere or something he had dreamed | U |
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He looked he clasped her in his arms he knew the long lost one | V |
O Lisbeth See thy playmate I am the Amptman's son | V |
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She leaned her fair head on his breast and through her sobs she spoke | W |
Oh take me from this evil place and from the elfin folk | W |
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And let me tread the grass green fields and smell the flowers again | J |
And feel the soft wind on my cheek and hear the dropping rain | I |
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And oh to hear the singing bird the rustling of the tree | D |
The lowing cows the bleat of sheep the voices of the sea | D |
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And oh upon my father's knee to sit beside the door | B |
And hear the bell of vespers ring in Rambin church once more | B |
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He kissed her cheek he kissed her lips the Brown Dwarf groaned to see | D |
And tore his tangled hair and ground his long teeth angrily | D |
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But Deitrich said For five long years this tender Christian maid | C |
Has served you in your evil world and well must she be paid | C |
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Haste hither bring me precious gems the richest in your store | B |
Then when we pass the gate of glass you'll take your cap once more | B |
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No choice was left the baffled Troll and murmuring he obeyed | C |
And filled the pockets of the youth and apron of the maid | C |
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They left the dreadful under land and passed the gate of glass | E |
They felt the sunshine's warm caress they trod the soft green grass | E |
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And when beneath they saw the Dwarf stretch up to them his brown | X |
And crooked claw like fingers they tossed his red cap down | X |
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Oh never shone so bright a sun was never sky so blue | Y |
As hand in hand they homeward walked the pleasant meadows through | Y |
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And never sang the birds so sweet in Rambin's woods before | B |
And never washed the waves so soft along the Baltic shore | B |
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And when beneath his door yard trees the father met his child | T |
The bells rung out their merriest peal the folks with joy ran wild | T |
John Greenleaf Whittier
(1)
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