From Eclogue Viij Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCDBEEFFFBAAGBDGAA BAAEHDDEEDIIEGGEFFJG GEDDDGGDAAKEEEGGFAAF GGEBBEDGEDDEGGADDDAA EDDEJJDEEDDDDAADDDAD DADDADDADDFAAFAADLHDFarre in the countrey of Arden | A |
There wond a knight hight Cassemen | A |
as bolde as Isenbras | B |
Fell was he and eger bent | C |
In battell and in Tournament | D |
as was the good sir Topas | B |
He had as antique stories tell | E |
A daughter cleaped Dowsabell | E |
a mayden fayre and free | F |
And for she was her fathers heire | F |
Full well she was ycond the leyre | F |
of mickle curtesie | B |
The silke wel couth she twist and twine | A |
And make the fine Marchpine | A |
and with the needle werke | G |
And she couth helpe the priest to say | B |
His Mattens on a holyday | D |
and sing a Psalme in Kirke | G |
She ware a frocke of frolicke greene | A |
Might well beseeme a mayden Queene | A |
which seemly was to see | B |
A hood to that so neat and fine | A |
In colour like the colombine | A |
ywrought full featously | E |
Her feature all as fresh aboue | H |
As is the grasse that grows by Doue | D |
as lyth as lasse of Kent | D |
Her skin as soft as Lemster wooll | E |
As white as snow on peakish hull | E |
or Swanne that swims in Trent | D |
This mayden in a morne betime | I |
Went forth when May was in her prime | I |
to get sweet Cetywall | E |
The hony suckle the Harlocke | G |
The Lilly and the Lady smocke | G |
to decke her summer hall | E |
Thus as she wandred here and there | F |
Ypicking of the bloomed Breere | F |
she chanced to espie | J |
A shepheard sitting on a bancke | G |
Like Chanteclere he crowed crancke | G |
and pip'd with merrie glee | E |
He leard his sheepe as he him list | D |
When he would whistle in his fist | D |
to feede about him round | D |
Whilst he full many a caroll sung | G |
Vntill the fields and medowes rung | G |
and that the woods did sound | D |
In fauour this same shepheards swayne | A |
Was like the bedlam Tamburlayne | A |
which helde prowd Kings in awe | K |
But meeke he was as Lamb mought be | E |
Ylike that gentle Abel he | E |
whom his lewd brother slaw | E |
This shepheard ware a sheepe gray cloke | G |
Which was of the finest loke | G |
that could be cut with sheere | F |
His mittens were of Bauzens skinne | A |
His cockers were of Cordiwin | A |
his hood of Meniueere | F |
His aule and lingell in a thong | G |
His tar boxe on his broad belt hong | G |
his breech of Coyntrie blew | E |
Full crispe and curled were his lockes | B |
His browes as white as Albion rockes | B |
so like a louer true | E |
And pyping still he spent the day | D |
So mery as the Popingay | G |
which liked Dowsabell | E |
That would she ought or would she nought | D |
This lad would neuer from her thought | D |
she in loue longing fell | E |
At length she tucked vp her frocke | G |
White as the Lilly was her smocke | G |
she drew the shepheard nie | A |
But then the shepheard pyp'd a good | D |
That all his sheepe forsooke their foode | D |
to heare his melodie | D |
Thy sheepe quoth she cannot be leane | A |
That haue a iolly shepheards swayne | A |
the which can pipe so well | E |
Yea but sayth he their shepheard may | D |
Jf pyping thus he pine away | D |
in loue of Dowsabell | E |
Of loue fond boy take thou no keepe | J |
Quoth she looke well vnto thy sheepe | J |
lest they should hap to stray | D |
Quoth he so had I done full well | E |
Had I not seene fayre Dowsabell | E |
come forth to gather Maye | D |
With that she gan to vaile her head | D |
Her cheekes were like the Roses red | D |
but not a word she sayd | D |
With that the shepheard gan to frowne | A |
He threw his pretie pypes adowne | A |
and on the ground him layd | D |
Sayth she I may not stay till night | D |
And leaue my summer hall vndight | D |
and all for long of thee | A |
My Coate sayth he nor yet my foulde | D |
Shall neither sheepe nor shepheard hould | D |
except thou fauour me | A |
Sayth she yet leuer I were dead | D |
Then I should lose my maydenhead | D |
and all for loue of men | A |
Sayth he yet are you too vnkind | D |
If in your heart you cannot finde | D |
to loue vs now and then | A |
And J to thee will be as kinde | D |
As Colin was to Rosalinde | D |
of curtesie the flower | F |
Then will I be as true quoth she | A |
As euer mayden yet might be | A |
vnto her Paramour | F |
With that she bent her snowe white knee | A |
Downe by the shepheard kneeled shee | A |
and him she sweetely kist | D |
With that the shepheard whoop'd for ioy | L |
Quoth he ther's neuer shepheards boy | H |
that euer was so blist | D |
Michael Drayton
(1)
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