The Black Knight Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Madison Julius Cawein

The Black Knight Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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I had not found the road too short	A
As once I had in days of youth	B
In that old forest of long ruth	B
Where my young knighthood broke its heart	C
Ere love and it had come to part	C
And lies made mockery of truth	B
I had not found the road too short	A
	-
A blind man by the nightmare way	D
Had set me right when I was wrong	E
I had been blind my whole life long	E
What wonder then that on this day	D
The blind should show me how astray	D
My strength had gone my heart once strong	E
A blind man pointed me the way	D
	-
The road had been a heartbreak one	F
Of roots and rocks and tortured trees	G
And pools above my horse's knees	G
And wandering paths where spiders spun	F
'Twixt boughs that never saw the sun	F
And silence of lost centuries	G
The road had been a heartbreak one	F
	-
It seemed long years since that black hour	H
When she had fled and I took horse	I
To follow and without remorse	I
To slay her and her paramour	H
In that old keep that ruined tower	H
From whence was borne her father's corse	I
It seemed long years since that black hour	H
	-
And now my horse was starved and spent	J
My gallant destrier old and spare	H
The vile road's mire in mane and hair	H
I felt him totter as he went	J
Such hungry woods were never meant	J
For pasture hate had reaped them bare	H
Aye my poor beast was old and spent	J
	-
I too had naught to stay me with	K
And like my horse was starved and lean	L
My armor gone my raiment mean	L
Bare haired I rode uneasy sith	K
The way I'd lost and some dark myth	K
Far in the woods had laughed obscene	L
I had had naught to stay me with	K
	-
Then I dismounted Better so	M
And found that blind man at my rein	N
And there the path stretched straight and plain	N
I saw at once the way to go	M
The forest road I used to know	M
In days when life had less of pain	N
Then I dismounted Better so	M
	-
I had but little time to spare	H
Since evening now was drawing near	H
And then I thought I saw a sneer	H
Enter into that blind man's stare	H
And suddenly a thought leapt bare	H
What if the Fiend had set him here	H
I still might smite him or might spare	H
	-
I braced my sword then turned to look	O
For I had heard an evil laugh	P
The blind man leaning on his staff	P
Still stood there where my leave I took	O
What did he mock me Would I brook	O
A blind fool's scorn My sword was half	P
Out of its sheath I turned to look	O
	-
And he was gone And to my side	Q
My horse came nickering as afraid	R
Did he too fear to be betrayed	R
What use for him I might not ride	Q
So to a great bough there I tied	Q
And left him in the forest glade	R
My spear and shield I left beside	Q
	-
My sword was all I needed there	H
It would suffice to right my wrongs	S
To cut the knot of all those thongs	S
With which she'd bound me to despair	H
That woman with her midnight hair	H
Her Circe snares and Siren songs	S
My sword was all I needed there	H
	-
And then that laugh again I heard	T
Evil as Hell and darkness are	H
It shook my heart behind its bar	H
Of purpose like some ghastly word	T
But then it may have been a bird	T
An owlet in the forest far	H
A raven croaking that I heard	T
	-
I loosed my sword within its sheath	K
My sword disuse and dews of night	U
Had fouled with rust and iron blight	U
I seemed to hear the forest breathe	K
A menace at me through its teeth	K
Of thorns 'mid which the way lay white	U
I loosed my sword within its sheath	K
	-
I had not noticed until now	V
The sun was gone and gray the moon	W
Hung staring pale as marble hewn	W
Like some old malice bleak of brow	V
It glared at me through leaf and bough	V
With which the tattered way was strewn	W
I had not noticed until now	V
	-
And then all unexpected vast	X
Above the tops of ragged pines	S
I saw a ruin dark with vines	S
Against the blood red sunset massed	X
My perilous tower of the past	X
Round which the woods thrust giant spines	S
I never knew it was so vast	X
	-
Long while I stood considering	Y
This was the place and this the night	U
The blind man then had set me right	U
Here she had come for sheltering	Y
That ruin held her that dark wing	Y
Which flashed a momentary light	U
Some time I stood considering	Y
	-
Deep darkness fell The somber glare	H
Of sunset that made cavernous eyes	S
Of those gaunt casements 'gainst the skies	S
Had burnt to ashes everywhere	H
Before my feet there rose a stair	H
Of oozy stone of giant size	S
On which the gray moon flung its glare	H
	-
Then I went forward sword in hand	Z
Until the slimy causeway loomed	A2
And huge beyond it yawned and gloomed	A2
The gateway where one seemed to stand	A2
In armor like a burning brand	A2
Sword drawn his visor barred and plumed	A2
And I went toward him sword in hand	A2
	-
He should not stay revenge from me	B2
Whatever lord or knight he were	H
He should not keep me long from her	H
That woman dyed in infamy	B2
No matter God or devil he	B2
His sword should prove no barrier	H
Fool who would keep revenge from me	B2
	-
And then I heard harsh over all	C2
That demon laughter filled with scorn	D2
It woke the echoes wild forlorn	D2
Dark in the ivy of that wall	C2
As when within a mighty hall	C2
One blows a giant battle horn	D2
Loud loud that laugh rang over all	C2
	-
And then I struck him where he towered	A2
I struck him struck with all my hate	A2
Black plumed he loomed before the gate	A2
I struck and found his sword that showered	A2
Fierce flame on mine while black he glowered	A2
Behind his visor's wolfish grate	A2
I struck and taller still he towered	A2
	-
A year meseemed we battled there	H
A year ten years a century	B2
My blade was snapped his lay in three	B2
His mail was hewn and everywhere	H
Was blood it streaked my face and hair	H
And still he towered over me	B2
A year meseemed we battled there	H
	-
'Unmask ' I cried 'Yea doff thy casque	Y
Put up thy visor fight me fair	H
I have no mail my head is bare	H
Take off thy helm is all I ask	Y
Why dost thou hide thy face Unmask '	-
My eyes were blind with blood and hair	H
And still I cried 'Take off thy casque '	-
	-
And then once more that laugh rang out	A2
Like madness in the caves of Hell	E2
It hooted like some monster well	E2
The haunt of owls or some mad rout	A2
Of witches And with battle shout	A2
Once more upon that knight I fell	E2
While wild again that laugh rang out	A2
	-
Like Death's own eyes his glared in mine	F2
As with the fragment of my blade	A2
I smote him helmwise huge he swayed	A2
Then crashed like some cadaverous pine	F2
Uncasqued his face in full moonshine	F2
And I I saw and shrank afraid	A2
For lo behold the face was mine	F2
	-
What devil's work was here What jest	A2
For fiends to laugh at demons hiss	S
To slay myself and so to miss	S
My hate's reward revenge confessed	A2
Was this knight I My brain I pressed	A2
Then who was he who gazed on this	S
What devil's work was here What jest	A2
	-
It was myself on whom I gazed	A2
My darker self With fear I rose	S
I was right weak from those great blows	S
I stood bewildered stunned and dazed	A2
And looked around with eyes amazed	A2
I could not slay her now God knows	S
Around me there a while I gazed	A2
	-
Then turned and fled into the night	A2
While overhead once more I heard	A2
That laughter like some demon bird	A2
Wailing in darkness Then a light	A2
Made clear a woman by that knight	A2
I saw 'twas she but said no word	A2
And silent fled into the night	A2