The Children Of Lir Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDEDE FGFG H H IJIKIIII LGLGFMFN AOAODKDK IHIHIIII IPIPDI IQIQFI IRIRII FIFIIGIGOut upon the sand dunes thrive the coarse long grasses | A |
Herons standing knee deep in the brackish pool | B |
Overhead the sunset fire and flame amasses | C |
And the moon to eastward rises pale and cool | B |
Rose and green around her silver gray and pearly | D |
Chequered with the black rooks flying home to bed | E |
For to wake at daybreak birds must couch them early | D |
And the day's a long one since the dawn was red | E |
- | |
On the chilly lakelet in that pleasant gloaming | F |
See the sad swans sailing they shall have no rest | G |
Never a voice to greet them save the bittern's booming | F |
Where the ghostly sallows sway against the West | G |
'Sister ' saith the gray swan 'Sister I am weary ' | - |
Turning to the white swan wet despairing eyes | H |
'O' she saith 'my young one O' she saith 'my dearie ' | - |
Casts her wings about him with a storm of cries | H |
- | |
Woe for Lir's sweet children whom their vile stepmother | I |
Glamoured with her witch spells for a thousand years | J |
Died their father raving on his throne another | I |
Blind before the end came from the burning tears | K |
Long the swans have wandered over lake and river | I |
Gone is all the glory of the race of Lir | I |
Gone and long forgotten like a dream of fever | I |
But the swans remember the sweet days that were | I |
- | |
Hugh the black and white swan with the beauteous feathers | L |
Fiachra the black swan with the emerald breast | G |
Conn the youngest dearest sheltered in all weathers | L |
Him his snow white sister loves the tenderest | G |
These her mother gave her as she lay a dying | F |
To her faithful keeping faithful hath she been | M |
With her wings spread o'er them when the tempest's crying | F |
And her songs so hopeful when the sky's serene | N |
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Other swans have nests made 'mid the reeds and rushes | A |
Lined with downy feathers where the cygnets sleep | O |
Dreaming if a bird dreams till the daylight blushes | A |
Then they sail out swiftly on the current deep | O |
With the proud swan father tall and strong and stately | D |
And the mild swan mother grave with household cares | K |
All well born and comely all rejoicing greatly | D |
Full of honest pleasure is a life like theirs | K |
- | |
But alas for my swans with the human nature | I |
Sick with human longings starved for human ties | H |
With their hearts all human cramped to a bird's stature | I |
And the human weeping in the bird's soft eyes | H |
Never shall my swans build nests in some green river | I |
Never fly to Southward in the autumn gray | I |
Rear no tender children love no mates for ever | I |
Robbed alike of bird's joys and of man's are they | I |
- | |
Babbles Conn the youngest 'Sister I remember | I |
At my father's palace how I went in silk | P |
Ate the juicy deer flesh roasted from the ember | I |
Drank from golden goblets my child's draught of milk | P |
Once I rode a hunting laughed to see the hurry | D |
Shouted at the ball play on the lake did row | I |
You had for your beauty gauds that shone so rarely ' | - |
'Peace' saith Fionnuala 'that was long ago ' | - |
- | |
'Sister ' saith Fiachra 'well do I remember | I |
How the flaming torches lit the banquet hall | Q |
And the fire leapt skyward in the mid December | I |
And among the rushes slept our staghounds tall | Q |
By our father's right hand you sat shyly gazing | F |
Smiling half and sighing with your eyes a glow | I |
As the bards sang loudly all your beauty praising ' | - |
'Peace ' saith Fionnuala 'that was long ago ' | - |
- | |
'Sister ' then saith Hugh 'most do I remember | I |
One I called my brother one earth's goodliest man | R |
Strong as forest oaks are where the wild vines clamber | I |
First at feast or hunting in the battle's van | R |
Angus you were handsome wise and true and tender | I |
Loved by every comrade feared by every foe | I |
Low low lies your beauty all forgot your splendour ' | - |
'Peace ' saith Fionnuala 'that was long ago ' | - |
- | |
Dews are in the clear air and the roselight paling | F |
Over sands and sedges shines the evening star | I |
And the moon's disc lonely high in heaven is sailing | F |
Silvered all the spear heads of the rushes are | I |
Housed warm are all things as the night grows colder | I |
Water fowl and sky fowl dreamless in the nest | G |
But the swans go drifting drooping wing and shoulder | I |
Cleaving the still water where the fishes rest | G |
Katharine Tynan
(1)
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