Calidore: A Fragment Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDEEFFGGCCHHFF IIJJKKKLLFFDCLL JJJJ FFEE MMNN JJCCJJOOPQFFJJOOJJ RRJJSSJJJ JJOOFFJJRJFFTTUUJJDJ UUJJOOUULLOOUULLLLJJ LLLUUUUJJUUJJUUUULDU U UULLJJUUOOVVJJDJJJ WWLLFFJJOOX

Young Calidore is paddling o'er the lakeA
His healthful spirit eager and awakeA
To feel the beauty of a silent eveB
Which seem'd full loath this happy world to leaveB
The light dwelt o'er the scene so lingeringlyC
He bares his forehead to the cool blue skyD
And smiles at the far clearness all aroundE
Until his heart is well nigh over woundE
And turns for calmness to the pleasant greenF
Of easy slopes and shadowy trees that leanF
So elegantly o'er the waters' brimG
And show their blossoms trimG
Scarce can his clear and nimble eye sight followC
The freaks and dartings of the black wing'd swallowC
Delighting much to see it half at restH
Dip so refreshingly its wings and breastH
'Gainst the smooth surface and to mark anonF
The widening circles into nothing goneF
-
And now the sharp keel of his little boatI
Comes up with ripple and with easy floatI
And glides into a bed of water lilliesJ
Broad leav'd are they and their white canopiesJ
Are upward turn'd to catch the heavens' dewK
Near to a little island's point they grewK
Whence Calidore might have the goodliest viewK
Of this sweet spot of earth The bowery shoreL
Went off in gentle windings to the hoarL
And light blue mountains but no breathing manF
With a warm heart and eye prepared to scanF
Nature's clear beauty could pass lightly byD
Objects that look'd out so invitinglyC
On either side These gentle CalidoreL
Greeted as he had known them long beforeL
-
The sidelong view of swelling leafinessJ
Which the glad setting sun in gold doth dressJ
Whence ever and anon the jay outspringsJ
And scales upon the beauty of its wingsJ
-
The lonely turret shatter'd and outwornF
Stands venerably proud too proud to mournF
Its long lost grandeur fir trees grow aroundE
Aye dropping their hard fruit upon the groundE
-
The little chapel with the cross aboveM
Upholding wreaths of ivy the white doveM
That on the windows spreads his feathers lightN
And seems from purple clouds to wing its flightN
-
Green tufted islands casting their soft shadesJ
Across the lake sequester d leafy gladesJ
That through the dimness of their twilight showC
Large dock leaves spiral foxgloves or the glowC
Of the wild cat s eyes or the silvery stemsJ
Of delicate birch trees or long grass which hemsJ
A little brook The youth had long been viewingO
These pleasant things and heaven was bedewingO
The mountain flowers when his glad senses caughtP
A trumpet's silver voice Ah it was fraughtQ
With many joys for him the warder's kenF
Had found white coursers prancing in the glenF
Friends very dear to him he soon will seeJ
So pushes off his boat most eagerlyJ
And soon upon the lake he skims alongO
Deaf to the nightingale s first under songO
Nor minds he the white swans that dream so sweetlyJ
His spirit flies before him so completelyJ
-
And now he turns a jutting point of landR
Whence may be seen the castle gloomy and grandR
Nor will a bee buzz round two swelling peachesJ
Before the point of his light shallop reachesJ
Those marble steps that through the water dipS
Now over them he goes with hasty tripS
And scarcely stays to ope the folding doorsJ
Anon he leaps along the oaken floorsJ
Of halls and corridorsJ
-
Delicious sounds those little bright eyed thingsJ
That float about the air on azure wingsJ
Had been less heartfelt by him than the clangO
Of clattering hoofs into the court he sprangO
Just as two noble steeds and palfreys twainF
Were slanting out their necks with loosened reinF
While from beneath the threat'ning portcullisJ
They brought their happy burthens What a kissJ
What gentle squeeze he gave each lady's handR
How tremblingly their delicate ancles spann dJ
Into how sweet a trance his soul was goneF
While whisperings of affectionF
Made him delay to let their tender feetT
Come to the earth with an incline so sweetT
From their low palfreys o'er his neck they bentU
And whether there were tears of languishmentU
Or that the evening dew had pearl'd their tressesJ
He feels a moisture on his cheek and blessesJ
With lips that tremble and with glistening eyeD
All the soft luxuryJ
That nestled in his arms A dimpled handU
Fair as some wonder out of fairy landU
Hung from his shoulder like the drooping flowersJ
Of whitest Cassia fresh from summer showersJ
And this he fondled with his happy cheekO
As if for joy he would no further seekO
When the kind voice of good Sir ClerimondU
Came to his ear like something from beyondU
His present being so he gently drewL
His warm arms thrilling now with pulses newL
From their sweet thrall and forward gently bendingO
Thank'd heaven that his joy was never endingO
While 'gainst his forehead he devoutly press'dU
A hand heaven made to succour the distress'dU
A hand that from the world's bleak promontoryL
Had lifted Calidore for deeds of gloryL
Amid the pages and the torches' glareL
There stood a knight patting the flowing hairL
Of his proud horse's mane he was withalJ
A man of elegance and stature tallJ
So that the waving of his plumes would beL
High as the berries of a wild ash treeL
Or as the winged cap of MercuryL
His armour was so dexterously wroughtU
In shape that sure no living man had thoughtU
It hard and heavy steel but that indeedU
It was some glorious form some splendid weedU
In which a spirit new come from the skiesJ
Might live and show itself to human eyesJ
'Tis the far fam'd the brave Sir GondibertU
Said the good man to Calidore alertU
While the young warrior with a step of graceJ
Came up a courtly smile upon his faceJ
And mailed hand held out ready to greetU
The large eyed wonder and ambitious heatU
Of the aspiring boy who as he ledU
Those smiling ladies often turned his headU
To admire the visor arched so gracefullyL
Over a knightly brow while they went byD
The lamps that from the high roof'd hall were pendentU
And gave the steel a shining quite transcendentU
-
Soon in a pleasant chamber they are seatedU
The sweet lipp'd ladies have already greetedU
All the green leaves that round the window clamberL
To show their purple stars and bells of amberL
Sir Gondibert has doff'd his shining steelJ
Gladdening in the free and airy feelJ
Of a light mantle and while ClerimondU
Is looking round about him with a fondU
And placid eye young Calidore is burningO
To hear of knightly deeds and gallant spurningO
Of all unworthiness and how the strong of armV
Kept off dismay and terror and alarmV
From lovely woman while brimful of thisJ
He gave each damsel's hand so warm a kissJ
And had such manly ardour in his eyeD
That each at other look'd half staringlyJ
And then their features started into smilesJ
Sweet as blue heavens o'er enchanted islesJ
-
Softly the breezes from the forest cameW
Softly they blew aside the taper's flameW
Clear was the song from Philomel's far bowerL
Grateful the incense from the lime tree flowerL
Mysterious wild the far heard trumpet's toneF
Lovely the moon in ether all aloneF
Sweet too the converse of these happy mortalsJ
As that of busy spirits when the portalsJ
Are closing in the west or that soft hummingO
We hear around when Hesperus is comingO
Sweet be their sleepX

John Keats



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