Orlando Furioso Canto 9 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCBCCC DEDEDEFF GHGHGHII JKJKJKII C C C BB LMLMLMNN I IIIII IDIDIDMM COCOCOOO COJOJOJOO CIOIOIOBB COPOPOPOO COCOCOCOO CQPQPQPO PPPPPPCC COCOCOOO OPOPOPRR IPIPIPII OPOPOPOO CCPOPCPPP COCO OCOO C P P POO COPO| ARGUMENT | A |
| So far Orlando wends he comes to where | B |
| He of old Proteus' hears the cruel use | C |
| But feels such pity for Olympia fair | B |
| Wronged by Cymosco who in prison mews | C |
| Her plighted spouse that ere he makes repair | B |
| Further he gives her hope to venge the abuse | C |
| He does so and departs and with his spouse | C |
| Departs Bireno to repeat his vows | C |
| - | |
| I | - |
| What cannot when he has a heart possess'd | D |
| This false and cruel traitor Love since he | E |
| Can banish from Orlando's faithful breast | D |
| Such tried allegiance and due loyalty | E |
| Wise full of all regards and of the blest | D |
| And glorious church the champion wont to be | E |
| Now little for himself or uncle driven | F |
| By a vain love he cares and less for heaven | F |
| - | |
| II | - |
| But I excuse him well rejoiced to know | G |
| I have like partner in my vice for still | H |
| To seek my good I too am faint and slow | G |
| But sound and nimble in pursuit of ill | H |
| The count departs disguised in sable show | G |
| Nor for so many friends with froward will | H |
| Deserted cares and comes where on the plain | I |
| Are camped the hosts of Afric and of Spain | I |
| - | |
| III | - |
| Rather uncamped for in less troops or more | J |
| Rains under shed and tree had driven the band | K |
| Here ten there twenty seven or eight or four | J |
| Near or further off Orlando scanned | K |
| Each sleeps oppressed with toil and wearied sore | J |
| This stretched on earth that propped upon his hand | K |
| They sleep and many might the count have slain | I |
| Yet never bared his puissant Durindane | I |
| - | |
| IV | - |
| So generous is Orlando's heart he base | C |
| Esteems it were to smite a sleeping foe | - |
| Now this he seeks and now that other place | C |
| Yet cannot track his lady high or low | - |
| If he finds any one in waking case | C |
| Sighing to him he paints her form and show | - |
| Then prays him that for courtesy he where | B |
| The damsel is will reach him to repair | B |
| - | |
| V | - |
| And when the day its shining light displayed | L |
| He wholly searched the Moorish army through | M |
| In that the gentle warrior was arrayed | L |
| In Arab weeds he this might safely do | M |
| And of his purpose came alike in aid | L |
| That other tongues beside the French he knew | M |
| And in the African so well was read | N |
| He seemed in Tripoly one born and bred | N |
| - | |
| VI | - |
| He sojourns there three days the camp to see | - |
| Still seeking nought beside next up and down | I |
| Within without both burgh and city he | - |
| Spies nor surveys the realm of France alone | I |
| But fair Auvergne and even Gascony | I |
| Revisits to its farthest little town | I |
| Roves from Provence to Brittany's domain | I |
| And from the Picards to the bounds of Spain | I |
| - | |
| VII | - |
| Between October and November's moon | I |
| In that dull season when the leafy vest | D |
| Is stript from trembling plant whose limbs are shown | I |
| Of all their mantling foliage dispossess'd | D |
| And in close flights the swarming birds are flown | I |
| Orlando enters on his amorous quest | D |
| This he pursues the livelong winter through | M |
| Nor quits when gladsome spring returns anew | M |
| - | |
| VIII | - |
| As such his wont from land to land he goes | C |
| A river's side he reaches on a day | O |
| Which to the neighbouring sea in quiet flows | C |
| Bretons and Normans parting on its way | O |
| But swoln with mountain rain and melted snows | C |
| Then thundered white with foam and flashing spray | O |
| And with impetuous stream had overtopt | O |
| Its brim and burst the bridge and passage stopt | O |
| - | |
| IX | C |
| The paladin this bank and the other eyed | O |
| Along the river's channel to explore | J |
| Since neither fish nor fowl if from his side | O |
| He could gain footing on the adverse shore | J |
| When with a damsel in the poop he spied | O |
| A ready pinnace that towards him bore | J |
| She steered as if she would approach the strand | O |
| But would not let her shallop make the land | O |
| - | |
| X | C |
| Steered not to land as haply with suspicion | I |
| To take a lading in her own despite | O |
| To her the good Orlando made petition | I |
| To put him o'er the stream and she 'No knight | O |
| Passes this ferry but upon condition | I |
| He shall his faith and promise duly plight | O |
| That he will do a battle at my prayer | B |
| Upon the justest quarrel and most fair | B |
| - | |
| XI | C |
| 'So that if thou on that other shore to land | O |
| Dost by my aid Sir cavalier desire | P |
| Promise me ere the month which is at hand' | O |
| The damsel so pursued her speech 'expire | P |
| That thou wilt join the Hibernian monarch's hand | O |
| Who forms a fair armada in his ire | P |
| To sack Ebuda's isle of all compress'd | O |
| By ocean's circling waves the cruellest | O |
| - | |
| XII | C |
| 'Know beyond Ireland in the briny flood | O |
| An island amid many others lies | C |
| Ebuda is its name whose people rude | O |
| Such is their law in search of plunder hies | C |
| And all the women that it takes for food | O |
| To a voracious animal supplies | C |
| Which every day to shore for this does speed | O |
| And finds new wife or maid whereon to feed | O |
| - | |
| XIII | C |
| 'For of these merchant still and Corsair sell | Q |
| A large supply and most of those most fair | P |
| Reckoning one slain a day you thus may well | Q |
| Compute what wives and maids have perished there | P |
| But if compassion in your bosom dwell | Q |
| Nor you to Love an utter rebel are | P |
| Be you contented with this band to wend | O |
| United for such profitable end ' | - |
| - | |
| XIV | - |
| To hear the whole Orlando scarce could bear | P |
| Ere to be first in that emprize he swore | P |
| As one who evil deed misliked to hear | P |
| And with impatience like relation bore | P |
| Hence first induced to think and next to fear | P |
| Angelica is captive on that shore | P |
| Since he so long the missing maid pursues | C |
| Nor of the damsel yet can gather news | C |
| - | |
| XV | - |
| Breaking his every scheme this phantasy | C |
| The troubled cavalier did so confound | O |
| That will all speed to that fell island he | C |
| Resolved to navigate nor yet the round | O |
| Of a new sun was buried in the sea | C |
| Ere he a vessel at St Malo's found | O |
| In which embarking on his quest the count | O |
| Put forth and cleared that night St Michael's Mount | O |
| - | |
| XVI | - |
| Breac and Landriglier past on the left hand | O |
| Orlando's vessel skims the Breton shore | P |
| Then shapes her course towards the chalky strand | O |
| Whence England's isle the name of Albion bore | P |
| But the south wind which had her canvas fanned | O |
| Shifts to north west and freshening blows so sore | P |
| The mariners are fain to strike all sail | R |
| And wear and scud before the boisterous gale | R |
| - | |
| XVII | - |
| A distance traversed in four days in one | I |
| Backwards the ceaseless wind the frigate bore | P |
| The helmsman kept the sea lest she should run | I |
| Aground and break like glass upon the shore | P |
| The wind upon the fifth day changed its tune | I |
| So loud and furious through the other four | P |
| And let without more strife the vessel gain | I |
| A port where Antwerp's river met the main | I |
| - | |
| XVIII | - |
| As soon as harboured there in shattered plight | O |
| The weary mariners their frigate moor | P |
| Out of a city seated on the right | O |
| Of that fair stream descends upon the shore | P |
| As his gray hairs may warrant him a wight | O |
| Stricken in years who full of courteous lore | P |
| Turns to the county after greetings due | O |
| Reputing him the leader of that crew | O |
| - | |
| XIX | C |
| And prays him on a damsel's part that he | C |
| To her would think not irksome to repair | P |
| Whom of unequalled affability | O |
| And sweetness he would find as well as fair | P |
| Or otherwise would be content that she | C |
| Should to his bark resort to seek him there | P |
| Nor prove less pliant than had been before | P |
| All the knights errant who had sought that shore | P |
| - | |
| XX | C |
| For hitherto by land or sea conveyed | O |
| No cavalier had journeyed to that place | C |
| That had refused to parlay with the maid | O |
| And give her counsel in a cruel case ' | - |
| Orlando hearing this no more delayed | O |
| But issued from the bark with hurried pace | C |
| And in all kind and courteous usage bred | O |
| His way directed where the ancient led | O |
| - | |
| XXI | C |
| With him did Roland to the city go | - |
| And at the bottom of a palace stair | P |
| Conducted by that elder full of woe | - |
| A lady found if face may grief declare | P |
| And sable cloth with which a mournful show | - |
| Chamber and hall and gallery furnished were | P |
| Who after honourable welcome paid | O |
| Seated the paladin and sadly said | O |
| - | |
| XXII | C |
| 'The daughter of the Count of Holland ' cried | O |
| The Lady 'know in me Sir cavalier | P |
| Though not his only offspring for beside | O |
| Myself two brothers were to h | - |
Ludovico Ariosto
(1)
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Orlando Furioso Canto 9 is a poem by Ludovico Ariosto. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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