The Shepherd's Dog Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCDDEE ABFBFGGGG ABHBHCCGG IBGBGJJGG BBEBEGGGG IBKBKLMGG IBNBNHOGG IBGBGGGLL PBGBGEEGG PBGBGQQGG BBGBGHHGG BBBBBGGRS BBQBQGGHH IBGBGTEII IIUIUVVH IBGBGGGWW IBGBGXXYY IBZBZGGGG BBA2BA2WWGG BGGGGQQBBI | A |
A Shepherd's Dog there was and he | B |
Was faithful to his master's will | C |
For well he lov'd his company | B |
Along the plain or up the hill | C |
All Seasons were to him the same | D |
Beneath the Sun's meridian flame | D |
Or when the wintry wind blew shrill and keen | E |
Still the Old Shepherd's Dog was with his Master seen | E |
- | |
II | A |
His form was shaggy clothed yet he | B |
Was of a bold and faithful breed | F |
And kept his master company | B |
In smiling days and days of need | F |
When the long Ev'ning slowly clos'd | G |
When ev'ry living thing repos'd | G |
When e'en the breeze slept on the woodlands round | G |
The Shepherd's watchful Dog was ever waking found | G |
- | |
III | A |
All night upon the cold turf he | B |
Contented lay with list'ning care | H |
And though no stranger company | B |
Or lonely traveller rested there | H |
Old Trim was pleas'd to guard it still | C |
For 'twas his aged master's will | C |
And so pass'd on the chearful night and day | G |
'Till the poor Shepherd's Dog was very old and grey | G |
- | |
IV | I |
Among the villagers was he | B |
Belov'd by all the young and old | G |
For he was chearful company | B |
When the north wind blew keen and cold | G |
And when the cottage scarce was warm | J |
While round it flew the midnight storm | J |
When loudly fiercely roll'd the swelling tide | G |
The Shepherd's faithful Dog crept closely by his side | G |
- | |
V | B |
When Spring in gaudy dress would be | B |
Sporting across the meadows green | E |
He kept his master company | B |
And all amid the flow'rs was seen | E |
Now barking loud now pacing fast | G |
Now backward he a look would cast | G |
And now subdu'd and weak with wanton play | G |
Amid the waving grass the Shepherd's Dog would stay | G |
- | |
VI | I |
Now up the rugged path would he | B |
The steep hill's summit slowly gain | K |
And still be chearful company | B |
Though shiv'ring in the pelting rain | K |
And when the brook was frozen o'er | L |
Or the deep snow conceal'd the moor | M |
When the pale moon beams scarcely shed a ray | G |
The Shepherd's faithful Dog would mark the dang'rous way | G |
- | |
VII | I |
On Sunday at the old Yew Tree | B |
Which canopies the church yard stile | N |
Forc'd from his master's company | B |
The faithful TRIM would mope awhile | N |
For then his master's only care | H |
Was the loud Psalm or fervent Pray'r | O |
And 'till the throng the church yard path retrod | G |
The Shepherd's patient guard lay silent on the sod | G |
- | |
VIII | I |
Near their small hovel stood a tree | B |
Where TRIM was ev'ry morning found | G |
Waiting his master's company | B |
And looking wistfully around | G |
And if along the upland mead | G |
He heard him tune the merry reed | G |
O then o'er hedge and ditch thro' brake and briar | L |
The Shepherd's dog would haste with eyes that seem'd on fire | L |
- | |
IX | P |
And now he pac'd the valley free | B |
And now he bounded o'er the dew | G |
For well his master's company | B |
Would recompence his toil he knew | G |
And where a rippling rill was seen | E |
Flashing the woody brakes between | E |
Fearless of danger thro' the lucid tide | G |
The Shepherd's eager dog yelping with joy would glide | G |
- | |
X | P |
Full many a year the same was he | B |
His love still stronger every day | G |
For in his master's company | B |
He had grown old and very grey | G |
And now his sight grew dim and slow | Q |
Up the rough mountain he would go | Q |
And his loud bark which all the village knew | G |
With ev'ry wasting hour more faint and peevish grew | G |
- | |
XI | B |
One morn to the low mead went he | B |
Rous'd from his threshold bed to meet | G |
A gay and lordly company | B |
The Sun was bright the air was sweet | G |
Old TRIM was watchful of his care | H |
His master's flocks were feeding there | H |
And fearful of the hounds he yelping stood | G |
Beneath a willow Tree that wav'd across the flood | G |
- | |
XII | B |
Old TRIM was urg'd to wrath for he | B |
Was guardian of the meadow bounds | B |
And heedless of the company | B |
With angry snarl attack'd the hounds | B |
Some felt his teeth though they were old | G |
For still his ire was fierce and bold | G |
And ne'er did valiant chieftain feel more strong | R |
Than the Old Shepherd's dog when daring foes among | S |
- | |
XIII | B |
The Sun was setting o'er the Sea | B |
The breezes murmuring sad and slow | Q |
When a gay lordly company | B |
Came to the Shepherd's hovel low | Q |
Their arm'd associates stood around | G |
The sheep cote fence's narrow bound | G |
While its poor master heard with fix'd despair | H |
That TRIM his friend deem'd MAD was doom'd to perish there | H |
- | |
XIV | I |
The kind old Shepherd wept for he | B |
Had no such guide to mark his way | G |
And kneeling pray'd the company | B |
To let him live his little day | G |
'For many a year my Dog has been | T |
'The only friend these eyes have seen | E |
'We both are old and feeble he and I | I |
'Together we have liv'd together let us die | I |
- | |
XV | I |
'Behold his dim yet speaking eye | I |
'Which ill befits his visage grim | U |
'He cannot from your anger fly | I |
'For slow and feeble is old TRIM | U |
'He looks as though he fain would speak | V |
'His beard is white his voice is weak | V |
'He IS NOT MAD O then in pity spare | H |
'The only watchful friend of my small fleecy care ' | - |
- | |
XVI | I |
The Shepherd ceas'd to speak for He | B |
Leant on his maple staff subdu'd | G |
While pity touch'd the company | B |
And all poor TRIM with sorrow view'd | G |
Nine days upon a willow bed | G |
Old TRIM was doom'd to lay his head | G |
Oppress'd and sever'd from his master's door | W |
Enough to make him MAD were he not so before | W |
- | |
XVII | I |
But not forsaken yet was he | B |
For ev'ry morn at peep of day | G |
To keep his old friend company | B |
The lonely Shepherd bent his way | G |
A little boat across the stream | X |
Which glitter'd in the sunny beam | X |
Bore him where foes no longer could annoy | Y |
Where TRIM stood yelping loud and ALMOST MAD with joy | Y |
- | |
XVIII | I |
Six days had pass'd and still was he | B |
Upon the island left to roam | Z |
When on the stream a wither'd tree | B |
Was gliding rapid midst the foam | Z |
The little Boat now onward prest | G |
Danc'd o'er the river's bounding breast | G |
Till dash'd impetuous 'gainst the old tree's side | G |
The Shepherd plung'd and groan'd then sunk amid the tide | G |
- | |
XIX | B |
Old TRIM now doom'd his friend to see | B |
Beating the foam with wasted breath | A2 |
Resolv'd to bear him company | B |
E'en in the icy arms of death | A2 |
Soon with exulting cries he bore | W |
His feeble master to the shore | W |
And standing o'er him howl'd in cadence sad | G |
For fear and fondness now had nearly made him MAD | G |
- | |
XX | B |
Together still their flocks they tend | G |
More happy than the proudly great | G |
The Shepherd has no other friend | G |
No Lordly home no bed of state | G |
But on a pallet clean and low | Q |
They hear unmov'd the wild winds blow | Q |
And though they ne'er another spring may see | B |
The Shepherd and his Dog are chearful company | B |
Mary Darby Robinson
(1)
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