The Hero Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCB DEFE GHIH JKLK ABC DMNM BHAH OHPH BQRQ DSTS GUVU WHHH OBFB TXBX TYHY FZO HH LHBG A2BLB B2SC2S GD2BD2 GE2F2E2 TG2HG2 BH2BH2 I2HJ2H BBJ2B

'O for a knight like BayardA
Without reproach or fearB
My light glove on his casque of steelC
My love knot on his spearB
-
'O for the white plume floatingD
Sad Zutphen's field aboveE
The lion heart in battleF
The woman's heart in loveE
-
'O that man once more were manlyG
Woman's pride and not her scornH
That once more the pale young motherI
Dared to boast a man is born'H
-
'But now life's slumberous currentJ
No sun bowed cascade wakesK
No tall heroic manhoodL
The level dulness breaksK
-
'O for a knight like BayardA
Without reproach or fearB
My light glove on his casque of steelC
My love knot on his spear '-
-
Then I said my own heart throbbingD
To the time her proud pulse beatM
'Life hath its regal natures yetN
True tender brave and sweetM
-
'Smile not fair unbelieverB
One man at least I knowH
Who might wear the crest of BayardA
Or Sydney's plume of snowH
-
'Once when over purple mountainsO
Died away the Grecian sunH
And the far Cyllenian rangesP
Paled and darkened one by oneH
-
'Fell the Turk a bolt of thunderB
Cleaving all the quiet skyQ
And against his sharp steel lightningsR
Stood the Suliote but to dieQ
-
'Woe for the weak and haltingD
The crescent blazed behindS
A curving line of sabresT
Like fire before the windS
-
'Last to fly and first to rallyG
Rode he of whom I speakU
When groaning in his bridle pathV
Sank down like a wounded GreekU
-
'With the rich Albanian costumeW
Wet with many a ghastly stainH
Gazing on earth and sky as oneH
Who might not gaze againH
-
'He looked forward to the mountainsO
Back on foes that never spareB
Then flung him from his saddleF
And place the stranger thereB
-
''Allah hu ' Through flashing sabresT
Through a stormy hail of leadX
The good Thessalian chargerB
Up the slopes of olives spedX
-
'Hot spurred the turbaned ridersT
He almost felt their breathY
Where a mountain stream rolled darkly downH
Between the hills and deathY
-
'One brave and manful struggleF
He gained the solid landZ
And the cover of the mountainsO
And the carbines of his band '-
-
'It was very great and noble '-
Said the moist eyed listener thenH
'But one brave deed makes no heroH
Tell me what he since hath been '-
-
'Still a brave and generous manhoodL
Still and honor without stainH
In the prison of the KaiserB
By the barricades of SeineG
-
'But dream not helm and harnessA2
The sign of valor trueB
Peace bath higher tests of manhoodL
Than battle ever knewB
-
'Wouldst know him now Behold himB2
The Cadmus of the blindS
Giving the dumb lip languageC2
The idiot clay a mindS
-
'Walking his round of dutyG
Serenely day by dayD2
With the strong man's hand of laborB
And childhood's heart of playD2
-
'True as the knights of storyG
Sir Lancelot and his peersE2
Brave in his calm enduranceF2
As they in tilt of spearsE2
-
'As waves in stillest watersT
As stars in noonday skiesG2
All that wakes to noble actionH
In his noon of calmness liesG2
-
'Wherever outraged NatureB
Asks word or action braveH2
Wherever struggles laborB
Wherever groans a slaveH2
-
'Wherever rise the peoplesI2
Wherever sinks a throneH
The throbbing heart of Freedom findsJ2
An answer in his ownH
-
'Knight of a better eraB
Without reproach or fearB
Said I not well that BayardsJ2
And Sidneys still are hereB

John Greenleaf Whittier



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