Tristram Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBDE F E A G F H A G IHHHIHHJHHHHJHJ GGKKHHHHIIJJGLMGNJLG JHHOPJPPJJOJ PPQRRHHHHJJQSSTTGGHH UURRRHH DCDMVNMVJVI A JJSSSJJJWWS XXSTSTYYSSPPCCJJSSPP JSSJISSSSIJGSJSGSJZS JZJA2JA2DCJJSSJJRR A RRSSSSSSS OSSOSQIIQSSSDXXCSDDB 2SSCSCSJJRRSSJSSROOJ JRJJSSRRSSJSJSCCSSB2 B2JJJJJ A JJC2C2SSJJS CCSSSSSJJCCRRJRRJRSB 2SISSJJISSICCC A SSRRSSSSSCCS IISSSSD2D2JJ A RSSB2B2RFFRRSE2JJE2S S JSJSJSSJCJJCSSSRSRSS JJSSSSRRSCCSSCCIICSS SSJCJCCJJSSCSCSJJ RR

Tristram	A
	-
Is she not come The messenger was sure	B
Prop me upon the pillows once again	C
Raise me my page this cannot long endure	B
Christ what a night how the sleet whips the pane	D
What lights will those out to the northward be	E
	-
The Page	F
	-
The lanterns of the fishing boats at sea	E
	-
Tristram	A
	-
Soft who is that stands by the dying fire	G
	-
The Page	F
	-
Iseult	H
	-
Tristram	A
	-
Ah not the Iseult I desire	G
	-
What Knight is this so weak and pale	I
Though the locks are yet brown on his noble head	H
Propt on pillows in his bed	H
Gazing seaward for the light	H
Of some ship that fights the gale	I
On this wild December night	H
Over the sick man's feet is spread	H
A dark green forest dress	J
A gold harp leans against the bed	H
Ruddy in the fire's light	H
I know him by his harp of gold	H
Famous in Arthur's court of old	H
I know him by his forest dress	J
The peerless hunter harper knight	H
Tristram of Lyoness	J
	-
What Lady is this whose silk attire	G
Gleams so rich in the light of the fire	G
The ringlets on her shoulders lying	K
In their flitting lustre vying	K
With the clasp of burnish'd gold	H
Which her heavy robe doth hold	H
Her looks are mild her fingers slight	H
As the driven snow are white	H
But her cheeks are sunk and pale	I
Is it that the bleak sea gale	I
Beating from the Atlantic sea	J
On this coast of Brittany	J
Nips too keenly the sweet flower	G
Is it that a deep fatigue	L
Hath come on her a chilly fear	M
Passing all her youthful hour	G
Spinning with her maidens here	N
Listlessly through the window bars	J
Gazing seawards many a league	L
From her lonely shore built tower	G
While the knights are at the wars	J
Or perhaps has her young heart	H
Felt already some deeper smart	H
Of those that in secret the heart strings rive	O
Leaving her sunk and pale though fair	P
Who is this snowdrop by the sea	J
I know her by her mildness rare	P
Her snow white hands her golden hair	P
I know her by her rich silk dress	J
And her fragile loveliness	J
The sweetest Christian soul alive	O
Iseult of Brittany	J
	-
Iseult of Brittany but where	P
Is that other Iseult fair	P
That proud first Iseult Cornwall's queen	Q
She whom Tristram's ship of yore	R
From Ireland to Cornwall bore	R
To Tyntagel to the side	H
Of King Marc to be his bride	H
She who as they voyaged quaff'd	H
With Tristram that spiced magic draught	H
Which since then for ever rolls	J
Through their blood and binds their souls	J
Working love but working teen	Q
There were two Iseults who did sway	S
Each her hour of Tristram's day	S
But one possess'd his waning time	T
The other his resplendent prime	T
Behold her here the patient flower	G
Who possess'd his darker hour	G
Iseult of the Snow White Hand	H
Watches pale by Tristram's bed	H
She is here who had his gloom	U
Where art thou who hadst his bloom	U
One such kiss as those of yore	R
Might thy dying knight restore	R
Does the love draught work no more	R
Art thou cold or false or dead	H
Iseult of Ireland	H
	-
Loud howls the wind sharp patters the rain	D
And the knight sinks back on his pillows again	C
He is weak with fever and pain	D
And his spirit is not clear	M
Hark he mutters in his sleep	V
As he wanders far from here	N
Changes place and time of year	M
And his clos d eye doth sweep	V
O'er some fair unwintry sea	J
Not this fierce Atlantic deep	V
While he mutters brokenly	I
	-
Tristram	A
	-
The calm sea shines loose hang the vessel's sails	J
Before us are the sweet green fields of Wales	J
And overhead the cloudless sky of May	S
Ah would I were in those green fields at play	S
Not pent on ship board this delicious day	S
Tristram I pray thee of thy courtesy	J
Reach me my golden phial stands by thee	J
But pledge me in it first for courtesy	J
Ha dost thou start are thy lips blanch'd like mine	W
Child 'tis no true draught this 'tis poison'd wine	W
Iseult	S
	-
Ah sweet angels let him dream	X
Keep his eyelids let him seem	X
Not this fever wasted wight	S
Thinn'd and paled before his time	T
But the brilliant youthful knight	S
In the glory of his prime	T
Sitting in the gilded barge	Y
At thy side thou lovely charge	Y
Bending gaily o'er thy hand	S
Iseult of Ireland	S
And she too that princess fair	P
If her bloom be now less rare	P
Let her have her youth again	C
Let her be as she was then	C
Let her have her proud dark eyes	J
And her petulant quick replies	J
Let her sweep her dazzling hand	S
With its gesture of command	S
And shake back her raven hair	P
With the old imperious air	P
As of old so let her be	J
That first Iseult princess bright	S
Chatting with her youthful knight	S
As he steers her o'er the sea	J
Quitting at her father's will	I
The green isle where she was bred	S
And her bower in Ireland	S
For the surge beat Cornish strand	S
Where the prince whom she must wed	S
Dwells on loud Tyntagel's hill	I
High above the sounding sea	J
And that potion rare her mother	G
Gave her that her future lord	S
Gave her that King Marc and she	J
Might drink it on their marriage day	S
And for ever love each other	G
Let her as she sits on board	S
Ah sweet saints unwittingly	J
See it shine and take it up	Z
And to Tristram laughing say	S
Sir Tristram of thy courtesy	J
Pledge me in my golden cup	Z
Let them drink it let their hands	J
Tremble and their cheeks be flame	A2
As they feel the fatal bands	J
Of a love they dare not name	A2
With a wild delicious pain	D
Twine about their hearts again	C
Let the early summer be	J
Once more round them and the sea	J
Blue and o'er its mirror kind	S
Let the breath of the May wind	S
Wandering through their drooping sails	J
Die on the green fields of Wales	J
Let a dream like this restore	R
What his eye must see no more	R
	-
Tristram	A
	-
Chill blows the wind the pleasaunce walks are drear	R
Madcap what jest was this to meet me here	R
Were feet like those made for so wild a way	S
The southern winter parlour by my fay	S
Had been the likeliest trysting place to day	S
Tristram nay nay thou must not take my hand	S
Tristram sweet love we are betray'd out plann'd	S
Fly save thyself save me I dare not stay	S
One last kiss first 'Tis vain to horse away	S
	-
Ah sweet saints his dream doth move	O
Faster surely than it should	S
From the fever in his blood	S
All the spring time of his love	O
Is already gone and past	S
And instead thereof is seen	Q
Its winter which endureth still	I
Tyntagel on its surge beat hill	I
The pleasaunce walks the weeping queen	Q
The flying leaves the straining blast	S
And that long wild kiss their last	S
And this rough December night	S
And his burning fever pain	D
Mingle with his hurrying dream	X
Till they rule it till he seem	X
The press'd fugitive again	C
The love desperate banish'd knight	S
With a fire in his brain	D
Flying o'er the stormy main	D
Whither does he wander now	B2
Haply in his dreams the wind	S
Wafts him here and lets him find	S
The lovely orphan child again	C
In her castle by the coast	S
The youngest fairest chatelaine	C
Whom this realm of France can boast	S
Our snowdrop by the Atlantic sea	J
Iseult of Brittany	J
And for through the haggard air	R
The stain'd arms the matted hair	R
Of that stranger knight ill starr'd	S
There gleam'd something which recall'd	S
The Tristram who in better days	J
Was Launcelot's guest at Joyous Gard	S
Welcom'd here and here install'd	S
Tended of his fever here	R
Haply he seems again to move	O
His young guardian's heart with love	O
In his exil'd loneliness	J
In his stately deep distress	J
Without a word without a tear	R
Ah 'tis well he should retrace	J
His tranquil life in this lone place	J
His gentle bearing at the side	S
Of his timid youthful bride	S
His long rambles by the shore	R
On winter evenings when the roar	R
Of the near waves came sadly grand	S
Through the dark up the drown'd sand	S
Or his endless reveries	J
In the woods where the gleams play	S
On the grass under the trees	J
Passing the long summer's day	S
Idle as a mossy stone	C
In the forest depths alone	C
The chase neglected and his hound	S
Couch'd beside him on the ground	S
Ah what trouble's on his brow	B2
Hither let him wander now	B2
Hither to the quiet hours	J
Pass'd among these heaths of ours	J
By the grey Atlantic sea	J
Hours if not of ecstasy	J
From violent anguish surely free	J
	-
Tristram	A
	-
All red with blood the whirling river flows	J
The wide plain rings the dazed air throbs with blows	J
Upon us are the chivalry of Rome	C2
Their spears are down their steeds are bathed in foam	C2
Up Tristram up men cry thou moonstruck knight	S
What foul fiend rides thee On into the fight	S
Above the din her voice is in my ears	J
I see her form glide through the crossing spears	J
Iseult	S
	-
Ah he wanders forth again	C
We cannot keep him now as then	C
There's a secret in his breast	S
That will never let him rest	S
These musing fits in the green wood	S
They cloud the brain they dull the blood	S
His sword is sharp his horse is good	S
Beyond the mountains will he see	J
The famous towns of Italy	J
And label with the blessed sign	C
The heathen Saxons on the Rhine	C
At Arthur's side he fights once more	R
With the Roman Emperor	R
There's many a gay knight where he goes	J
Will help him to forget his care	R
The march the leaguer Heaven's blithe air	R
The neighing steeds the ringing blows	J
Sick pining comes not where these are	R
Ah what boots it that the jest	S
Lightens every other brow	B2
What that every other breast	S
Dances as the trumpets blow	I
If one's own heart beats not light	S
On the waves of the toss'd fight	S
If oneself cannot get free	J
From the clog of misery	J
Thy lovely youthful Wife grows pale	I
Watching by the salt sea tide	S
With her children at her side	S
For the gleam of thy white sail	I
Home Tristram to thy halls again	C
To our lonely sea complain	C
To our forests tell thy pain	C
	-
Tristram	A
	-
All round the forest sweeps off black in shade	S
But it is moonlight in the open glade	S
And in the bottom of the glade shine clear	R
The forest chapel and the fountain near	R
I think I have a fever in my blood	S
Come let me leave the shadow of this wood	S
Ride down and bathe my hot brow in the flood	S
Mild shines the cold spring in the moon's clear light	S
God 'tis her face plays in the waters bright	S
Fair love she says canst thou forget so soon	C
At this soft hour under this sweet moon	C
Iseult	S
	-
Ah poor soul if this be so	I
Only death can balm thy woe	I
The solitudes of the green wood	S
Had no medicine for thy mood	S
The rushing battle clear'd thy blood	S
As little as did solitude	S
Ah his eyelids slowly break	D2
Their hot seals and let him wake	D2
What new change shall we now see	J
A happier Worse it cannot be	J
	-
Tristram	A
	-
Is my page here Come turn me to the fire	R
Upon the window panes the moon shines bright	S
The wind is down but she'll not come to night	S
Ah no she is asleep in Cornwall now	B2
Far hence her dreams are fair smooth is her brow	B2
Of me she recks not nor my vain desire	R
I have had dreams I have had dreams my page	F
Would take a score years from a strong man's age	F
And with a blood like mine will leave I fear	R
Scant leisure for a second messenger	R
My princess art thou there Sweet 'tis too wait	S
To bed and sleep my fever is gone by	E2
To night my page shall keep me company	J
Where do the children sleep kiss them for me	J
Poor child thou art almost as pale as I	E2
This comes of nursing long and watching late	S
To bed good night	S
	-
She left the gleam lit fireplace	J
She came to the bed side	S
She took his hands in hers her tears	J
Down on his wasted fingers rain'd	S
She raised her eyes upon his face	J
Not with a look of wounded pride	S
A look as if the heart complained	S
Her look was like a sad embrace	J
The gaze of one who can divine	C
A grief and sympathise	J
Sweet flower thy children's eyes	J
Are not more innocent than thine	C
But they sleep in shelter'd rest	S
Like helpless birds in the warm nest	S
On the castle's southern side	S
Where feebly comes the mournful roar	R
Of buffeting wind and surging tide	S
Through many a room and corridor	R
Full on their window the Moon's ray	S
Makes their chamber as bright as day	S
It shines upon the blank white walls	J
And on the snowy pillow falls	J
And on two angel heads doth play	S
Turn'd to each other the eyes clos'd	S
The lashes on the cheeks repos'd	S
Round each sweet brow the cap close set	S
Hardly lets peep the golden hair	R
Through the soft open'd lips the air	R
Scarcely moves the coverlet	S
One little wandering arm is thrown	C
At random on the counterpane	C
And often the fingers close in haste	S
As if their baby owner chased	S
The butterflies again	C
This stir they have and this alone	C
But else they are so still	I
Ah tired madcaps you lie still	I
But were you at the window now	C
To look forth on the fairy sight	S
Of your illumined haunts by night	S
To see the park glades where you play	S
Far lovelier than they are by day	S
To see the sparkle on the eaves	J
And upon every giant bough	C
Of those old oaks whose wet red leaves	J
Are jewell'd with bright drops of rain	C
How would your voices run again	C
And far beyond the sparkling trees	J
Of the castle park one sees	J
The bare heaths spreading clear as day	S
Moor behind moor far far away	S
Into the heart of Brittany	C
And here and there lock'd by the land	S
Long inlets of smooth glittering sea	C
And many a stretch of watery sand	S
All shining in the white moon beams	J
But you see fairer in your dreams	J
	-
What voices are these on the clear night air	R
What lights in the court what steps on the stair	R

Matthew Arnold

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