The African Prince Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCB DEFG HIJI EKLK MNON OHJH FPBP KQRQQHSH TOUO VWXW YZA2Z LQB2Q C2D2BD2 E2F2G2H2 I2J2K2J2 IHC2 L2M2K2M2 VB2N2B2IT was a king in Africa | A |
He had an only son | B |
And none of Europe's crowned kings | C |
Could have a dearer one | B |
- | |
With good cane arrows five feet long | D |
And with a shining bow | E |
When but a boy to the palm woods | F |
Would that young hunter go | G |
- | |
And home he brought white ivory | H |
And many a spotted hide | I |
When leopards fierce and beautiful | J |
Beneath his arrows died | I |
- | |
Around his arms around his brow | E |
A shining bar was rolled | K |
It was to mark his royal blood | L |
He wore that bar of gold | K |
- | |
And often at his father's feet | M |
The evening he would pass | N |
When weary of the hunt he lay | O |
Upon the scented grass | N |
- | |
Alas it was an evil day | O |
When such a thing could be | H |
When strangers pale and terrible | J |
Came o'er the distant sea | H |
- | |
They found the young prince mid the woods | F |
The palm woods deep and dark | P |
That day his lion hunt was done | B |
They bore him to their bark | P |
- | |
They bound him in a narrow hold | K |
With others of his kind | Q |
For weeks did that accursed ship | R |
Sail on before the wind | Q |
Now shame upon the cruel wind | Q |
And on the cruel sea | H |
That did not with some mighty storm | S |
Set those poor captives free | H |
- | |
Or shame to those weak thoughts so fain | T |
To have their wilful way | O |
God knoweth what is best for all | U |
The winds and seas obey | O |
- | |
At length a lovely island rose | V |
From out the ocean wave | W |
They took him to the market place | X |
And sold him for a slave | W |
- | |
Some built them homes and in the shade | Y |
Of flowered and fragrant trees | Z |
They half forgot the palm hid huts | A2 |
They left far o'er the seas | Z |
- | |
But he was born of nobler blood | L |
And was of nobler kind | Q |
And even unto death his heart | B2 |
For its own kindred pined | Q |
- | |
There came to him a seraph child | C2 |
With eyes of gentlest blue | D2 |
If there are angels in high heaven | B |
Earth has its angels too | D2 |
- | |
She cheered him with her holy words | E2 |
She soothed him with her tears | F2 |
And pityingly she spoke with him | G2 |
Of home and early years | H2 |
- | |
And when his heart was all subdued | I2 |
By kindness into love | J2 |
She taught him from this weary earth | K2 |
To look in faith above | J2 |
- | |
She told him how the Saviour died | I |
For man upon the tree | H |
'He suffered ' said the holy child | C2 |
'For you as well as me ' | - |
- | |
Sorrow and death have need of faith | L2 |
The African believed | M2 |
As rain falls fertile on the earth | K2 |
Those words his soul received | M2 |
- | |
He died in hope as only those | V |
Who die in Christ depart | B2 |
One blessed name within his lips | N2 |
One hope within his heart | B2 |
Letitia Elizabeth Landon
(2)
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