Orlando Furioso Canto 11 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCBCDD EFEFGFHH IJIJIJKK ELELELKK DMNMNMNLL DO O O LL PQPQPQQQ LLLLLLLL NDNDNDE QGLGLGLLL QLRLRLRLL QLCLCLCNN QGQGQGQST QLGLGLGQQ GUGUGU LVLVLVWW LQLQLQGG LLLLLLLL L L L LL QGQGQGQNN QLGLGLGTT QCLCLCLLL CNN C| ARGUMENT | A |
| Assisted by the magic ring she wears | B |
| Angelica evanishes from view | C |
| Next in a damsel whom a giant bears | B |
| Beneath his arm his bride Rogero true | C |
| Beholds Orlando to the shore repairs | B |
| Where the fell orc so many damsels slew | C |
| Olympia frees and spoils the beast of life | D |
| Her afterwards Oberto takes to wife | D |
| - | |
| I | - |
| Although a feeble rein in mid career | E |
| Will oft suffice to stop courageous horse | F |
| 'Tis seldom Reason's bit will serve to steer | E |
| Desire or turn him from his furious course | F |
| When pleasure is in reach like headstrong bear | G |
| Whom from the honeyed meal 'tis ill to force | F |
| If once he scent the tempting mess or sup | H |
| A drop which hangs upon the luscious cup | H |
| - | |
| II | - |
| What reason then Rogero shall withhold | I |
| From taking with Angelica delight | J |
| That gentle maid there naked in his hold | I |
| In the lone forest and secure from sight | J |
| Of Bradamant he thinks not who controlled | I |
| His bosom erst and foolish were the knight | J |
| If thinking of that damsel as before | K |
| By this he had not set an equal store | K |
| - | |
| III | - |
| Warmed by whose youthful beauties the severe | E |
| Xenocrates would not have been more chaste | L |
| The impatient Child had dropt both shield and spear | E |
| And hurrying now his other arms uncased | L |
| When casting down her eyes in shame and fear | E |
| The virtuous ring upon her finger placed | L |
| Angelica descried and which of yore | K |
| From her Brunello in Albracca bore | K |
| - | |
| IV | D |
| This is the ring she carried into France | M |
| When thither first the damsel took her way | N |
| With her the brother bearer of the lance | M |
| After the paladin Astolpho's prey | N |
| With this she Malagigi's spells and trance | M |
| Made vain by Merlin's stair and on a day | N |
| Orlando freed with many knights and good | L |
| From Dragontina's cruel servitude | L |
| - | |
| V | D |
| With this passed viewless from the turret cell | O |
| Where her that bad old man had mewed but why | - |
| Recount its different wonders if as well | O |
| You know the virtues of the ring as I | - |
| From her this even in her citadel | O |
| His monarch Agramant to satisfy | - |
| Brunello took since where she had been crost | L |
| By Fortune till her native realm was lost | L |
| - | |
| VI | - |
| Now that she this upon her hand surveys | P |
| She is so full of pleasure and surprise | Q |
| She doubts it is a dream and in amaze | P |
| Hardly believes her very hand and eyes | Q |
| Then softly to her mouth the hoop conveys | P |
| And quicker than the flash which cleaves the skies | Q |
| From bold Rogero's sight her beauty shrowds | Q |
| As disappears the sun concealed in clouds | Q |
| - | |
| VII | - |
| Yet still Rogero gazed like wight distraught | L |
| And hurried here and there with fruitless speed | L |
| But when he had recalled the ring to thought | L |
| Foiled and astounded cursed his little heed | L |
| And now the vanished lady whom he sought | L |
| Of that ungrateful and discourteous deed | L |
| Accusing stood wherewith she had repaid | L |
| Unfitting recompense his generous aid | L |
| - | |
| VIII | - |
| 'Ungrateful damsel and is this the pay | N |
| You render for the service done ' said he | D |
| 'Why rather would you steal my ring away | N |
| Than have it as a welcome gift from me | D |
| Not only this but use me as you may | N |
| I and my shield and courser yours shall be | D |
| So you no more conceal your beauteous cheer | E |
| Cruel though answering not I know you hear ' | - |
| - | |
| IX | Q |
| So saying like one blind with bootless care | G |
| Feeling his way about the fount he strayed | L |
| How often he embraced the empty air | G |
| Hoping in this to have embraced the maid | L |
| Meanwhile now far removed the flying fair | G |
| Had halted not till to a cave conveyed | L |
| Formed in a mountain was that harbour rude | L |
| Spacious and for her need supplied with food | L |
| - | |
| X | Q |
| 'Twas here an aged herdsman one who tended | L |
| A numerous troop of mares had made his won | R |
| These seeking pasture through the valley wended | L |
| Where the green grass was fed by freshening run | R |
| While stalls on either side the cave defended | L |
| His charge from the oppressive noon tide sun | R |
| Angelica within that livelong day | L |
| Unseen of prying eyes prolonged her stay | L |
| - | |
| XI | Q |
| And about evening when refreshed with rest | L |
| And food she deemed her course she might renew | C |
| In certain rustic weeds her body dressed | L |
| How different from those robes of red or blue | C |
| Green yellow purple her accustomed vest | L |
| So various in its fashion shape and hue | C |
| Yet her not so that habit misbecame | N |
| But that she looked the fair and noble dame | N |
| - | |
| XII | Q |
| Then Phillis' and Neaera's praise forbear | G |
| And ye who sing of Amaryllis cease | Q |
| Or flying Galataea not so fair | G |
| Tityrus and Melibaeus with your peace | Q |
| 'Twas here the beauteous lady took a mare | G |
| Which liked her best of all that herd's increase | Q |
| Then and then first conceived the thought again | S |
| To seek in the Levant her antient reign | T |
| - | |
| XIII | Q |
| This while Rogero after he had passed | L |
| Long space in hope the maid might re appear | G |
| Awakened from his foolish dream at last | L |
| And found she was not nigh and did not hear | G |
| Then to remount his griffin courser cast | L |
| In earth and air accustomed to career | G |
| But having slipt his bit the winged horse | Q |
| Had towered and soared in air a freer course | Q |
| - | |
| XIV | - |
| To his first ill addition grave and sore | G |
| Was to have lost the bird of rapid wing | U |
| Which he no better than the mockery bore | G |
| Put on him by the maid but deeper sting | U |
| Than this or that implants and pains him more | G |
| The thought of having lost the precious ring | U |
| Not for its power so much esteemed above | - |
| Its worth as given him by his lady love | - |
| - | |
| XV | - |
| Afflicted beyond measure he with shield | L |
| Cast on his shoulder and new cased in mail | V |
| Left the sea side and through a grassy field | L |
| Pursued his way towards a spacious vale | V |
| Where he beheld a path by wood concealed | L |
| The widest and most beaten in the dale | V |
| Nor far had wound the closest shades within | W |
| Ere on his right he heard a mighty din | W |
| - | |
| XVI | - |
| He heard a din and fearful clashing sound | L |
| Of arms and hurrying on with eager pace | Q |
| 'Twixt tree and tree two furious champions found | L |
| Waging fierce fight in close and straightened place | Q |
| Who to each other warring on what ground | L |
| I know not neither showed regard nor grace | Q |
| The one a giant was of haughty cheer | G |
| And one a bold and gallant cavalier | G |
| - | |
| XVII | - |
| Covered with shield and sword one leaping sped | L |
| Now here now there and thus himself defended | L |
| Lest a two handed mace upon his head | L |
| Should fall with which the giant still offended | L |
| On the field lay his horse already dead | L |
| Rogero paused and to the strife attended | L |
| And straight his wishes leant towards the knight | L |
| Whom he would fain see conqueror in the fight | L |
| - | |
| XVIII | - |
| Yet not for this would lend the champion aid | L |
| But to behold the cruel strife stood nigh | - |
| Lo a two handed stroke the giant made | L |
| Upon the lesser warrior's casque and by | - |
| The mighty blow the knight was overlaid | L |
| The other when astound he saw him lie | - |
| To deal the foe his death his helm untied | L |
| So that the warrior's face Rogero spied | L |
| - | |
| XIX | Q |
| Of his sweet lady of his passing fair | G |
| And dearest Bradamant Rogero spies | Q |
| The lovely visage of its helmet bare | G |
| Towards whom to deal her death the giant hies | Q |
| So that advancing with his sword in air | G |
| To sudden battle him the Child defies | Q |
| But he who will not wait for new alarm | N |
| Takes the half lifeless lady in his arm | N |
| - | |
| XX | Q |
| And on his shoulder flings and bears away | L |
| As sometimes wolf a little lamb will bear | G |
| Or eagle in her crooked claws convey | L |
| Pigeon or such like bird through liquid air | G |
| Rogero runs with all the speed he may | L |
| Who sees how needed is his succour there | G |
| But with such strides the giant scours the plain | T |
| Him with his eyes the knight pursues with pain | T |
| - | |
| XXI | Q |
| This flying and that following the two | C |
| Kept a close path which widened still and they | L |
| Piercing that forest issued forth to view | C |
| On a wide meadow which without it lay | L |
| No more of this Orlando I pursue | C |
| That bore Cymosco's thunder bolt away | L |
| And this had in the deepest bottom drowned | L |
| That never more the mischief might be found | L |
| - | |
| XXII | C |
| But with small boot for the impious enemy | N |
| Of human nature taught the bolt to frame | N |
| After the shaft which darting from the sky | - |
| Pierces | C |
Ludovico Ariosto
(1)
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