King Stephen Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFAGHIJGKLMNAOMP MAQMRSMTUVWAXM YZMA2GNMB2GC2D2A2 E2MF2GHGMG2YMH2AYI2J 2MJ2MMMK2GYUL2M2MN2M O2M2M2D2P2MMMQ2TK2M2 M2A2M2MA2R2S2MT2Q2TU 2M M2A2M2K2V2W2GZMX2A2G A2M Y2MGMZ2YYI2M2A3M2HB3 M2AC3MM2P2D3P2WP2E3M P2F3A2GAGJ2P2P2F3MM2 GP2M2G3P2H3F2GP2P2BP 2J2GMMP2Q2M I3MM2J3GK3P2M2P2MA2F 2P2P2P2S2L3MP2MJ2GP2 S2

A FRAGMENT OF A TRAGEDYA
ACT IB
SCENE I Field of BattleC
Alarum Enter King STEPHEN Knights and SoldiersD
Stephen If shame can on a soldier's vein swoll n frontE
Spread deeper crimson than the battle's toilF
Blush in your casing helmets for see seeA
Yonder my chivalry my pride of warG
Wrench'd with an iron hand from firm arrayH
Are routed loose about the plashy meadsI
Of honour forfeit O that my known voiceJ
Could reach your dastard ears and fright you moreG
Fly cowards fly Glocester is at your backsK
Throw your slack bridles o'er the flurried manesL
Ply well the rowel with faint trembling heelsM
Scampering to death at lastN
First Knight The enemyA
Bears his flaunt standard close upon their rearO
Second Knight Sure of a bloody prey seeing the fensM
Will swamp them girth deepP
Stephen Over head and earsM
No matter 'Tis a gallant enemyA
How like a comet he goes streaming onQ
But we must plague him in the flank hey friendsM
We are well breathed followR
Enter Earl BALDWIN and Soldiers as defeatedS
Stephen De RedversM
What is the monstrous bugbear that can frightT
BaldwinU
Baldwin No scare crow but the fortunate starV
Of boisterous Chester whose fell truncheon nowW
Points level to the goal of victoryA
This way he comes and if you would maintainX
Your person unaffronted by vile oddsM
-
Take horse my LordY
Stephen And which way spur for lifeZ
Now I thank Heaven I am in the toilsM
That soldiers may bear witness how my armA2
Can burst the meshes Not the eagle moreG
Loves to beat up against a tyrannous blastN
Than I to meet the torrent of my foesM
This is a brag be 't so but if I fallB2
Carve it upon my 'scutcheon'd sepulchreG
On fellow soldiers Earl of Redvers backC2
Not twenty Earls of Chester shall brow beatD2
The diadem Exeunt AlarumA2
-
SCENE II Another part of the FieldE2
Trumpets sounding a Victory Enter GLOCESTER Knights and ForcesM
Glocester Now may we lift our bruised vizors upF2
And take the flattering freshness of the airG
While the wide din of battle dies awayH
Into times past yet to be echoed sureG
In the silent pages of our chroniclersM
First Knight Will Stephen's death be marked there my goodG2
LordY
Or that we gave him lodging in yon towersM
Glocester Fain would I know the great usurper's fateH2
Enter two Captains severallyA
First Captain My LordY
Second Captain Most noble EarlI2
First Captain The KingJ2
Second Captain The Empress greetsM
Glocester What of the KingJ2
First Captain He sole and lone maintainsM
A hopeless bustle mid our swarming armsM
And with a nimble savageness attacksM
Escapes makes fiercer onset then anewK2
Eludes death giving death to most that dareG
Trespass within the circuit of his swordY
He must by this have fallen Baldwin is takenU
And for the Duke of Bretagne like a stagL2
He flies for the Welsh beagles to hunt downM2
God save the EmpressM
Glocester Now our dreaded QueenN2
What message from her HighnessM
Second Captain Royal MaudO2
From the throng'd towers of Lincoln hath look'd downM2
Like Pallas from the walls of IlionM2
And seen her enemies havock'd at her feetD2
She greets most noble Glocester from her heartP2
Intreating him his captains and brave knightsM
To grace a banquet The high city gatesM
Are envious which shall see your triumph passM
The streets are full of musicQ2
Enter Second KnightT
Glocester Whence come youK2
Second Knight From Stephen my good Prince StephenM2
StephenM2
Glocester Why do you make such echoing of his nameA2
Second Knight Because I think my lord he is no manM2
But a fierce demon Anointed safe from woundsM
And misbaptized with a Christian nameA2
Glocester A mighty soldier Does he still hold outR2
Second Knight He shames our victory His valour stillS2
Keeps elbow room amid our eager swordsM
And holds our bladed falchions all aloofT2
His gleaming battle axe being slaughter sickQ2
Smote on the morion of a Flemish knightT
Broke short in his hand upon the which he flungU2
The heft away with such a vengeful forceM
-
It paunch'd the Earl of Chester's horse who thenM2
Spleen hearted came in full career at himA2
Glocester Did no one take him at a vantage thenM2
Second Knight Three then with tiger leap upon him flewK2
Whom with his sword swift drawn and nimbly heldV2
He stung away again and stood to breatheW2
Smiling Anon upon him rush'd once moreG
A throng of foes and in this renew'd strifeZ
My sword met his and snapp'd off at the hiltsM
Glocester Come lead me to this Mars and let us moveX2
In silence not insulting his sad doomA2
With clamorous trumpets To the Empress bearG
My salutation as befits the timeA2
Exeunt GLOCESTER and ForcesM
-
SCENE III The Field of Battle Enter STEPHEN unarmedY2
Stephen Another sword And what if I could seizeM
One from Bellona's gleaming armouryG
Or choose the fairest of her sheaved spearsM
Where are my enemies Here close at handZ2
Here come the testy brood O for a swordY
I'm faint a biting sword A noble swordY
A hedge stake or a ponderous stone to hurlI2
With brawny vengeance like the labourer CainM2
Come on Farewell my kingdom and all hailA3
Thou superb plum'd and helmeted renownM2
All hail I would not truck this brilliant dayH
To rule in Pylos with a Nestor's beardB3
Come onM2
Enter DE KAIMS and Knights cA
De Kaims Is 't madness or a hunger after deathC3
That makes thee thus unarm'd throw taunts at usM
Yield Stephen or my sword's point dip inM2
'he gloomy current of a traitor's heartP2
Stephen Do it De Kaims I will not budge an inchD3
De Kaims Yes of thy madness thou shalt take the meedP2
Stephen Darest thouW
De Kaims How dare against a man disarmedP2
Stephen What weapons has the lion but himselfE3
Come not near me De Kaims for by the priceM
Of all the glory I have won this dayP2
Being a king I will not yield aliveF3
To any but the second man of the realmA2
Robert of GlocesterG
De Kaims Thou shalt vail to meA
Stephen Shall I when I have sworn against it sirG
Thou think'st it brave to take a breathing kingJ2
That on a court day bow'd to haughty MaudP2
The awed presence chamber may be boldP2
To whisper there's the man who took aliveF3
Stephen me prisoner Certes De KaimsM
The ambition is a noble oneM2
De Kaims 'Tis trueG
And Stephen I must compass itP2
Stephen No noM2
Do not tempt me to throttle you on the gorgeG3
Or with my gauntlet crush your hollow breastP2
Just when your knighthood is grown ripe and fullH3
For lordshipF2
A Soldier Is an honest yeoman's spearG
Of no use at a need Take thatP2
Stephen Ah dastardP2
De Kaims What you are vulnerable my prisoner IB
Stephen No not yet I disclaim it and demandP2
Death as a sovereign right unto a kingJ2
Who 'sdains to yield to any but his peerG
If not in title yet in noble deedsM
The Earl of Glocester Stab to the hilts De KaimsM
For I will never by mean hands be ledP2
From this so famous field Do ye hear Be quickQ2
Trumpets Enter the Earl of CHESTER and KnightsM
-
SCENE IV A Presence Chamber Queen MAUD in a Chair of State theI3
Earls of GLOCESTER and CHESTER Lords AttendantsM
Maud Glocester no more I will behold that BoulogneM2
Set him before me Not for the poor sakeJ3
Of regal pomp and a vain glorious hourG
As thou with wary speech yet near enoughK3
Hast hintedP2
Glocester Faithful counsel have I givenM2
If wary for your Highness' benefitP2
Maud The Heavens forbid that I should not think soM
For by thy valour have I won this realmA2
Which by thy wisdom I will ever keepF2
To sage advisers let me ever bendP2
'A meek attentive ear so that they treatP2
Of the wide kingdom's rule and governmentP2
Not trenching on our actions personalS2
Advis'd not school'd I would be and henceforthL3
Spoken to in clear plain and open termsM
Not side ways sermon'd atP2
Glocester Then in plain termsM
Once more for the fallen kingJ2
Maud Your pardon BrotherG
I would no more of that for as I saidP2
Tis not for worlS2

John Keats



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