Isabella Or The Pot Of Basil Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCBADD AEFEFEFGG AHIHIJIEE KLMLMLMNN KOPOPOPQQ KRSRSRSTT KUKVKVKWW KKEKEKEKK QXGXGXGQQ QEYEYEYFF QZA2ZA2ZA2QQ QQVQVQVQQ QKQKQKQQQ KB2QB2QB2QB2B2 KC2D2C2D2E2D2F2F2 KQQQQQQB2B2 KB2QB2QB2QRR KKB2KB2KB2EE QQMQMQMGG QA2B2A2B2A2B2G2G2 QQB2QB2QB2QQ QRH2RH2RH2GG QB2B2B2B2

IA
Fair Isabel poor simple IsabelB
Lorenzo a young palmer in Love's eyeA
They could not in the self same mansion dwellB
Without some stir of heart some maladyC
They could not sit at meals but feel how wellB
It soothed each to be the other byA
They could not sure beneath the same roof sleepD
But to each other dream and nightly weepD
-
IIA
With every morn their love grew tendererE
With every eve deeper and tenderer stillF
He might not in house field or garden stirE
But her full shape would all his seeing fillF
And his continual voice was pleasanterE
To her than noise of trees or hidden rillF
Her lute string gave an echo of his nameG
She spoilt her half done broidery with the sameG
-
IIIA
He knew whose gentle hand was at the latchH
Before the door had given her to his eyesI
And from her chamber window he would catchH
Her beauty farther than the falcon spiesI
And constant as her vespers would he watchJ
Because her face was turn'd to the same skiesI
And with sick longing all the night outwearE
To hear her morning step upon the stairE
-
IVK
A whole long month of May in this sad plightL
Made their cheeks paler by the break of JuneM
To morrow will I bow to my delightL
To morrow will I ask my lady's boonM
O may I never see another nightL
Lorenzo if thy lips breathe not love's tuneM
So spake they to their pillows but alasN
Honeyless days and days did he let passN
-
VK
Until sweet Isabella's untouch'd cheekO
Fell sick within the rose's just domainP
Fell thin as a young mother's who doth seekO
By every lull to cool her infant's painP
How ill she is said he I may not speakO
And yet I will and tell my love all plainP
If looks speak love laws I will drink her tearsQ
And at the least 'twill startle off her caresQ
-
VIK
So said he one fair morning and all dayR
His heart beat awfully against his sideS
And to his heart he inwardly did prayR
For power to speak but still the ruddy tideS
Stifled his voice and puls'd resolve awayR
Fever'd his high conceit of such a brideS
Yet brought him to the meekness of a childT
Alas when passion is both meek and wildT
-
VIIK
So once more he had wak'd and anguishedU
A dreary night of love and miseryK
If Isabel's quick eye had not been wedV
To every symbol on his forehead highK
She saw it waxing very pale and deadV
And straight all flush'd so lisped tenderlyK
Lorenzo here she ceas'd her timid questW
But in her tone and look he read the restW
-
VIIIK
O Isabella I can half perceiveK
That I may speak my grief into thine earE
If thou didst ever any thing believeK
Believe how I love thee believe how nearE
My soul is to its doom I would not grieveK
Thy hand by unwelcome pressing would not fearE
Thine eyes by gazing but I cannot liveK
Another night and not my passion shriveK
-
IXQ
Love thou art leading me from wintry coldX
Lady thou leadest me to summer climeG
And I must taste the blossoms that unfoldX
In its ripe warmth this gracious morning timeG
So said his erewhile timid lips grew boldX
And poesied with hers in dewy rhymeG
Great bliss was with them and great happinessQ
Grew like a lusty flower in June's caressQ
-
XQ
Parting they seem'd to tread upon the airE
Twin roses by the zephyr blown apartY
Only to meet again more close and shareE
The inward fragrance of each other's heartY
She to her chamber gone a ditty fairE
Sang of delicious love and honey'd dartY
He with light steps went up a western hillF
And bade the sun farewell and joy'd his fillF
-
XIQ
All close they met again before the duskZ
Had taken from the stars its pleasant veilA2
All close they met all eves before the duskZ
Had taken from the stars its pleasant veilA2
Close in a bower of hyacinth and muskZ
Unknown of any free from whispering taleA2
Ah better had it been for ever soQ
Than idle ears should pleasure in their woeQ
-
XIIQ
Were they unhappy then It cannot beQ
Too many tears for lovers have been shedV
Too many sighs give we to them in feeQ
Too much of pity after they are deadV
Too many doleful stories do we seeQ
Whose matter in bright gold were best be readV
Except in such a page where Theseus' spouseQ
Over the pathless waves towards him bowsQ
-
XIIIQ
But for the general award of loveK
The little sweet doth kill much bitternessQ
Though Dido silent is in under groveK
And Isabella's was a great distressQ
Though young Lorenzo in warm Indian cloveK
Was not embalm'd this truth is not the lessQ
Even bees the little almsmen of spring bowersQ
Know there is richest juice in poison flowersQ
-
XIVK
With her two brothers this fair lady dweltB2
Enriched from ancestral merchandizeQ
And for them many a weary hand did sweltB2
In torched mines and noisy factoriesQ
And many once proud quiver'd loins did meltB2
In blood from stinging whip with hollow eyesQ
Many all day in dazzling river stoodB2
To take the rich ored driftings of the floodB2
-
XVK
For them the Ceylon diver held his breathC2
And went all naked to the hungry sharkD2
For them his ears gush'd blood for them in deathC2
The seal on the cold ice with piteous barkD2
Lay full of darts for them alone did seetheE2
A thousand men in troubles wide and darkD2
Half ignorant they turn'd an easy wheelF2
That set sharp racks at work to pinch and peelF2
-
XVIK
Why were they proud Because their marble fountsQ
Gush'd with more pride than do a wretch's tearsQ
Why were they proud Because fair orange mountsQ
Were of more soft ascent than lazar stairsQ
Why were they proud Because red lin'd accountsQ
Were richer than the songs of Grecian yearsQ
Why were they proud again we ask aloudB2
Why in the name of Glory were they proudB2
-
XVIIK
Yet were these Florentines as self retiredB2
In hungry pride and gainful cowardiceQ
As two close Hebrews in that land inspiredB2
Paled in and vineyarded from beggar spiesQ
The hawks of ship mast forests the untiredB2
And pannier'd mules for ducats and old liesQ
Quick cat's paws on the generous stray awayR
Great wits in Spanish Tuscan and MalayR
-
XVIIIK
How was it these same ledger men could spyK
Fair Isabella in her downy nestB2
How could they find out in Lorenzo's eyeK
A straying from his toil Hot Egypt's pestB2
Into their vision covetous and slyK
How could these money bags see east and westB2
Yet so they did and every dealer fairE
Must see behind as doth the hunted hareE
-
XIXQ
O eloquent and famed BoccaccioQ
Of thee we now should ask forgiving boonM
And of thy spicy myrtles as they blowQ
And of thy roses amorous of the moonM
And of thy lilies that do paler growQ
Now they can no more hear thy ghittern's tuneM
For venturing syllables that ill beseemG
The quiet glooms of such a piteous themeG
-
XXQ
Grant thou a pardon here and then the taleA2
Shall move on soberly as it is meetB2
There is no other crime no mad assailA2
To make old prose in modern rhyme more sweetB2
But it is done succeed the verse or failA2
To honour thee and thy gone spirit greetB2
To stead thee as a verse in English tongueG2
An echo of thee in the north wind sungG2
-
XXIQ
These brethren having found by many signsQ
What love Lorenzo for their sister hadB2
And how she lov'd him too each unconfinesQ
His bitter thoughts to other well nigh madB2
That he the servant of their trade designsQ
Should in their sister's love be blithe and gladB2
When 'twas their plan to coax her by degreesQ
To some high noble and his olive treesQ
-
XXIIQ
And many a jealous conference had theyR
And many times they bit their lips aloneH2
Before they fix'd upon a surest wayR
To make the youngster for his crime atoneH2
And at the last these men of cruel clayR
Cut Mercy with a sharp knife to the boneH2
For they resolved in some forest dimG
To kill Lorenzo and there bury himG
-
XXIIIQ
So on a pleasant morning as he leantB2
Into the sun rise o'er the balustradeB2
Of the garden terrace towards him they bentB2
Their footing through the dews and to him saidB2

John Keats



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