The Zenana Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDEE FFGG HHIIJJKKLLMM NNOOPQBRCSTUTUVVMM QPWWBBXXLLBCYYZZA2F A2FWW B2B2YYC2D2E2D2F2F2G2 G2 MM H2H2JI2FFJ2J2K2L2K2L 2OO M2M2N2N2I2JO2O2BC P2P2Q2Q2D2D2 R2R2P2P2H2S2H2S2OOD2 T2U2U2QQV2V2 P2P2W2W2QQX2X2BBW2W2 Y2Y2RZ2RZ2 AAT2A3K2K2P2P2B3B3C3 C3W2XRRFF K2K2 ZP2ZP2J2J2 BP2D3D3P2P2P2P2P2P2B 2B2E3E3P2P2 WWIIF3F3NNP2P2FFQ2Q2 K2K2P2P2 T G3G3P2P2H3H3I3P2I3P2 UJ3F2K3

WHAT is there that the world hath notA
Gathered in yon enchanted spotA
Where pale and with a languid eyeB
The fair Sultana listlesslyC
Leans on her silken couch and dreamsD
Of mountain airs and mountain streamsD
Sweet though the music float aroundE
It wants the old familiar soundE
-
And fragrant though the flowers are breathingF
From far and near together wreathingF
They are not those she used to wearG
Upon the midnight of her hairG
-
She's very young and childhood's daysH
With all their old remembered waysH
The empire of her heart contestI
With love that is so new a guestI
When blushing with her Murad nearJ
Half timid bliss half sweetest fearJ
E'en the beloved past is dimK
Past present future merge in himK
But he the warrior and the chiefL
His hours of happiness are briefL
And he must leave Nadira's sideM
To woo and win a ruder brideM
-
Sought sword in hand and spur on heelN
The fame that weds with blood and steelN
And while from Delhi far awayO
His youthful bride pines through the dayO
Weary and sad thus when againP
He seeks to bind love's loosen'd chainQ
He finds the tears are scarcely dryB
Upon a cheek whose bloom is fadedR
The very flush of victoryC
Is like the brow he watches shadedS
A thousand thoughts are at her heartT
His image paramount o'er allU
Yet not all his the tears that startT
As mournful memories recallU
Scenes of another home which yetV
That fond young heart can not forgetV
She thinks upon that place of prideM
Which frowned upon the mountain's sideM
-
While round it spread the ancient plainQ
Her steps will never cross againP
And near those mighty temples standW
The miracles of mortal handW
Where hidden from the common eyeB
The past's long buried secrets lieB
Those mysteries of the first great creedX
Whose mystic fancies were the seedX
Of every wild and vain beliefL
That held o'er man their empire briefL
And turned beneath a southern skyB
All that was faith to poetryC
Hence had the Grecian fables birthY
And wandered beautiful o'er earthY
Till every wood and stream and caveZ
Shelter to some bright vision gaveZ
For all of terrible and strangeA2
That from those gloomy caverns sprungF
-
From Greece received a graceful changeA2
That spoke another sky and tongueF
A finer eye a gentler handW
Than in their native Hindoo landW
-
'Twas thence Nadira came and stillB2
Her memory kept that lofty hillB2
The vale below her place of birthY
That one charmed spot her native earthY
Still haunted by that early loveC2
Which youth can feel and youth aloneD2
An eager ready tendernessE2
To all its after life unknownD2
When the full heart its magic flingsF2
Alike o'er rare and common thingsF2
The dew of morning's earliest hourG2
Which swells but once from leaf and flowerG2
-
From the pure life within suppliedM
A sweet but soon exhausted tideM
-
There falls a shadow on the gloomH2
There steals a light step through the roomH2
Gentle as love that though so nearJ
No sound hath caught the list'ning earI2
A moment's fond watch o'er her keepingF
Murad beholds Nadira weepingF
He who to win her lightest smileJ2
Had given his heart's best blood the whileJ2
She turned a beautiful delightK2
Has flushed the pale one into roseL2
Murad her love returned to nightK2
Her tears what recks she now of thoseL2
Dried in the full heart's crimson rayO
Ere he can kiss those tears awayO
-
And she is seated at his feetM2
Too timid his dear eyes to meetM2
But happy for she knows whose browN2
Is bending fondly o'er her nowN2
And eager for his sake to hearI2
The records red of sword and spearJ
For his sake feels the colour riseO2
His spirit kindle in her eyesO2
Till her heart beating joins the cryB
Of Murad and of VictoryC
-
City of glories now no moreP2
His camp extends by BejaporeP2
Where the Mahratta's haughty raceQ2
Has won the Moslem conqueror's placeQ2
A bolder prince now fills the throneD2
And he will struggle for his ownD2
-
'And yet ' he said 'when evening fallsR2
Solemn above those mouldering wallsR2
Where the mosques cleave the starry airP2
Deserted at their hour of prayerP2
And rises Ibrahim's lonely tombH2
'Mid weed grown shrines and ruined towersS2
All marked with that eternal gloomH2
Left by the past to present hoursS2
When human pride and human swayO
Have run their circle of decayO
And mocking the funereal stoneD2
Alone attests its builder goneT2
Oh vain such temple o'er the sleepU2
Which none remain to watch or weepU2
I could not choose but think how vainQ
The struggle fierce for worthless gainQ
And calm and bright the moon looked downV2
O'er the white shrines of that fair townV2
-
While heavily the cocoa treeP2
Drooped o'er the walls its panoplyP2
A warrior proud whose crested headW2
Bends mournful o'er the recent deadW2
And shadows deep athwart the plainQ
Usurp the silver moonbeam's reignQ
For every ruined building castX2
Shadows like memories of the pastX2
And not a sound the wind brought nighB
Save the far jackal's wailing cryB
And that came from the field now redW2
With the fierce banquet I had spreadW2
Accursed and unnatural feastY2
For worm and fly and bird and beastY2
While round me earth and heaven recordedR
The folly of life's desperate gameZ2
And the cold justice still awardedR
By time which makes all lots the sameZ2
-
Slayer or slain it matters notA
We struggle perish are forgotA
The earth grows green above the goneT2
And the calm heaven looks sternly onA3
'Twas folly this the gloomy nightK2
Fled before morning's orient lightK2
City and river owned its powerP2
And I too gladdened with the hourP2
I saw my own far tents extendB3
My own proud crescent o'er them bendB3
I heard the trumpet's glorious voiceC3
Summon the warriors of my choiceC3
Again impatient on to leadW2
I sprang upon my raven steedX
Again I felt my father's bloodR
Pour through my veins its burning floodR
My scimetar around I swungF
Forth to the air its lightning sprungF
-
A beautiful and fiery lightK2
The meteor of the coming fightK2
-
'I turned from each forgotten graveZ
To others which the name they bearP2
Will long from old oblivion saveZ
The heroes of the race I shareP2
I thought upon the lonely isleJ2
Where sleeps the lion king the whileJ2
-
Who looked on death yet paused to dieB
Till comraded by VictoryP2
And he fire noblest of my lineD3
Whose tomb is now the warrior's shrineD3
Where I were well content to beP2
So that such fame might live with meP2
The light of peace the storm of warP2
Lord of the earth our proud AkbarP2
'What though our passing day but beP2
A bubble on eternityP2
Small though the circle is yet stillB2
'Tis ours to colour at our willB2
Mine be that consciousness of lifeE3
Which has its energies from strifeE3
Which lives its utmost knows its powerP2
Claims from the mind its utmost dowerP2
-
With fiery pulse and ready handW
That wills and willing wins commandW
That boldly takes from earth its bestI
To whom the grave can be but restI
Mine the fierce free existence spentF3
Mid meeting ranks and armed tentF3
Save the few moments which I stealN
At thy beloved feet to kneelN
And own the warrior's wild careerP2
Has no such joy as waits him hereP2
When all that hope can dream is hungF
Upon the music of thy tongueF
Ah never is that cherished faceQ2
Banished from its accustomed placeQ2
It shines upon my weariest nightK2
It leads me on in thickest fightK2
All that seems most opposed to beP2
Is yet associate with theeP2
-
Together life and thee departT
Dream idol treasure of my heart '-
-
Again again Murad must wieldG3
His scimetar in battle fieldG3
And must he leave his lonely flowerP2
To pine in solitary bowerP2
Has power no aid has wealth no charmH3
The weight of absence to disarmH3
Alas she will not touch her luteI3
What sing and not for Murad's earP2
The echo of the heart is muteI3
And that alone makes music dearP2
In vain in vain that royal hallU
Is decked as for a festivalJ3
The sunny birds whose shining wingsF2
Seem asK3

Letitia Elizabeth Landon



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