The Shepheards Sirena Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCDEEEEEEEEFEGE HIHJKGKGELELMEMENONO BKBKENENPNLNQKQKERER EKEKBGKGEEEENENEENEN EEEEEQEQQEQEKNKNQOQO QQQQNBNBKQOQOLBLELQL ONONEOEONQNQALALBBBB NMBMLELEEEEENEPEPEPE EMEM EQEQEOEONLNLMMLML OLOLELELQPQPMMLML PLPLQLQLMQMQMMLML QLQLLLNLEEEEMMLML QNQNOQOQELELMMLML EPEPELELEOEOMMLML EMEMOOOONQNQMM MLMLAMAMELELMMLML LOLOQOQONQNQMMLML OLOLELELELELMMLML MMMMEEEEMEMEQOQOEMEM EQEQQOQOEEEEEQEQQMQM EEEEOEOENONO ODORILVS in sorrowes deepe | A |
Autumne waxing olde and chill | B |
As he sate his Flocks to keepe | A |
Vnderneath an easie hill | B |
Chanc'd to cast his eye aside | C |
On those fields where he had scene | D |
Bright SIRENA Natures pride | C |
Sporting on the pleasant greene | D |
To whose walkes the Shepheards oft | E |
Came her god like foote to finde | E |
And in places that were soft | E |
Kist the print there left behinde | E |
Where the path which she had troad | E |
Hath thereby more glory gayn'd | E |
Then in heau'n that milky rode | E |
Which with Nectar Hebe stayn'd | E |
But bleake Winters boystrous blasts | F |
Now their fading pleasures chid | E |
And so fill'd them with his wastes | G |
That from sight her steps were hid | E |
Silly Shepheard sad the while | H |
For his sweet SIRENA gone | I |
All his pleasures in exile | H |
Layd on the colde earth alone | J |
Whilst his gamesome cut tayld Curre | K |
With his mirthlesse Master playes | G |
Striuing him with sport to stirre | K |
As in his more youthfull dayes | G |
DORILVS his Dogge doth chide | E |
Layes his well tun'd Bagpype by | L |
And his Sheep hooke casts aside | E |
There quoth he together lye | L |
When a Letter forth he tooke | M |
Which to him SIRENA writ | E |
With a deadly down cast looke | M |
And thus fell to reading it | E |
DORILVS my deare quoth she | N |
Kinde Companion of my woe | O |
Though we thus diuided be | N |
Death cannot diuorce vs so | O |
Thou whose bosome hath beene still | B |
Th' onely Closet of my care | K |
And in all my good and ill | B |
Euer had thy equall share | K |
Might I winne thee from thy Fold | E |
Thou shouldst come to visite me | N |
But the Winter is so cold | E |
That I feare to hazard thee | N |
The wilde waters are waxt hie | P |
So they are both deafe and dumbe | N |
Lou'd they thee so well as I | L |
They would ebbe when thou shouldst come | N |
Then my coate with light should shine | Q |
Purer then the Vestall fire | K |
Nothing here but should be thine | Q |
That thy heart can well desire | K |
Where at large we will relate | E |
From what cause our friendship grewe | R |
And in that the varying Fate | E |
Since we first each other knewe | R |
Of my heauie passed plight | E |
As of many a future feare | K |
Which except the silent night | E |
None but onely thou shalt heare | K |
My sad hurt it shall releeue | B |
When my thoughts I shall disclose | G |
For thou canst not chuse but greeue | K |
When I shall recount my woes | G |
There is nothing to that friend | E |
To whose close vncranied brest | E |
We our secret thoughts may send | E |
And there safely let it rest | E |
And thy faithfull counsell may | N |
My distressed case assist | E |
Sad affliction else may sway | N |
Me a woman as it list | E |
Hither I would haue thee haste | E |
Yet would gladly haue thee stay | N |
When those dangers I forecast | E |
That may meet thee by the way | N |
Doe as thou shalt thinke it best | E |
Let thy knowledge be thy guide | E |
Liue thou in my constant breast | E |
Whatsoeuer shall betide | E |
He her Letter hauing red | E |
Puts it in his Scrip againe | Q |
Looking like a man halfe dead | E |
By her kindenesse strangely slaine | Q |
And as one who inly knew | Q |
Her distressed present state | E |
And to her had still been true | Q |
Thus doth with himselfe debate | E |
I will not thy face admire | K |
Admirable though it bee | N |
Nor thine eyes whose subtile fire | K |
So much wonder winne in me | N |
But my maruell shall be now | Q |
And of long it hath bene so | O |
Of all Woman kind that thou | Q |
Wert ordain'd to taste of woe | O |
To a Beauty so diuine | Q |
Paradise in little done | Q |
O that Fortune should assigne | Q |
Ought but what thou well mightst shun | Q |
But my counsailes such must bee | N |
Though as yet I them conceale | B |
By their deadly wound in me | N |
They thy hurt must onely heale | B |
Could I giue what thou do'st craue | K |
To that passe thy state is growne | Q |
I thereby thy life may saue | O |
But am sure to loose mine owne | Q |
To that ioy thou do'st conceiue | O |
Through my heart the way doth lye | L |
Which in two for thee must claue | B |
Least that thou shouldst goe awry | L |
Thus my death must be a toy | E |
Which my pensiue breast must couer | L |
Thy beloued to enioy | Q |
Must be taught thee by thy Louer | L |
Hard the Choise I haue to chuse | O |
To my selfe if friend I be | N |
I must my SIRENA loose | O |
If not so shee looseth me | N |
Thus whilst he doth cast about | E |
What therein were best to doe | O |
Nor could yet resolue the doubt | E |
Whether he should stay or goe | O |
In those Feilds not farre away | N |
There was many a frolike Swaine | Q |
In fresh Russets day by day | N |
That kept Reuells on the Plaine | Q |
Nimble TOM sirnam'd the Tup | A |
For his Pipe without a Peere | L |
And could tickle Trenchmore vp | A |
As t'would ioy your heart to heare | L |
RALPH as much renown'd for skill | B |
That the Taber touch'd so well | B |
For his Gittern little GILL | B |
That all other did excell | B |
ROCK and ROLLO euery way | N |
Who still led the Rusticke Ging | M |
And could troule a Roundelay | B |
That would make the Feilds to ring | M |
COLLIN on his Shalme so cleare | L |
Many a high pitcht Note that had | E |
And could make the Eechos nere | L |
Shout as they were wexen mad | E |
Many a lusty Swaine beside | E |
That for nought but pleasure car'd | E |
Hauing DORILVS espy'd | E |
And with him knew how it far'd | E |
Thought from him they would remoue | N |
This strong melancholy fitt | E |
Or so should it not behoue | P |
Quite to put him out of 's witt | E |
Hauing learnt a Song which he | P |
Sometime to Sirena sent | E |
Full of Iollity and glee | P |
When the Nimph liu'd neere to Trent | E |
They behinde him softly gott | E |
Lying on the earth along | M |
And when he suspected not | E |
Thus the Iouiall Shepheards song | M |
- | |
Neare to the Siluer Trent | E |
Sirena dwelleth | Q |
Shee to whom Nature lent | E |
All that excelleth | Q |
By which the Muses late | E |
And the neate Graces | O |
Haue for their greater state | E |
Taken their places | O |
Twisting an Anadem | N |
Wherewith to Crowne her | L |
As it belong'd to them | N |
Most to renowne her | L |
Cho On thy Bancke | M |
In a Rancke | M |
Let the Swanes sing her | L |
And with their Musick | M |
Along let them bring her | L |
- | |
Tagus and Pactolus | O |
Are to thee Debter | L |
Nor for their gould to vs | O |
Are they the better | L |
Henceforth of all the rest | E |
Be thou the Riuer | L |
Which as the daintiest | E |
Puts them downe euer | L |
For as my precious one | Q |
O'r thee doth trauell | P |
She to Pearl Parragon | Q |
Turneth thy grauell | P |
Cho On thy Bancke | M |
In a Rancke | M |
Let thy Swanns sing her | L |
And with their Musicke | M |
Along let them bring her | L |
- | |
Our mournefull Philomell | P |
That rarest Tuner | L |
Henceforth in Aperill | P |
Shall wake the sooner | L |
And to her shall complaine | Q |
From the thicke Couer | L |
Redoubling euery straine | Q |
Ouer and ouer | L |
For when my Loue too long | M |
Her Chamber keepeth | Q |
As though it suffered wrong | M |
The Morning weepeth | Q |
Cho On thy Bancke | M |
In a Rancke | M |
Let thy Swanes sing her | L |
And with their Musick | M |
Along let them bring her | L |
- | |
Oft have I seene the Sunne | Q |
To doe her honour | L |
Fix himselfe at his noone | Q |
To look vpon her | L |
And hath guilt euery Groue | L |
Euery Hill neare her | L |
With his flames from aboue | N |
Striuing to cheere her | L |
And when shee from his sight | E |
Hath her selfe turned | E |
He as it had beene night | E |
In Cloudes hath mourned | E |
Cho On thy Bancke | M |
In a Rancke | M |
Let thy Swanns sing her | L |
And with their Musicke | M |
Along let them bring her | L |
- | |
The Verdant Meades are seene | Q |
When she doth view them | N |
In fresh and gallant Greene | Q |
Straight to renewe them | N |
And euery little Grasse | O |
Broad it selfe spreadeth | Q |
Proud that this bonny Lasse | O |
Vpon it treadeth | Q |
Nor flower is so sweete | E |
In this large Cincture | L |
But it upon her feete | E |
Leaueth some Tincture | L |
Cho On thy Bancke | M |
In a Rancke | M |
Let thy Swanes sing her | L |
And with thy Musick | M |
Along let them bring her | L |
- | |
The Fishes in the Flood | E |
When she doth Angle | P |
For the Hooke striue a good | E |
Them to intangle | P |
And leaping on the Land | E |
From the cleare water | L |
Their Scales vpon the sand | E |
Lauishly scatter | L |
Therewith to paue the mould | E |
Whereon she passes | O |
So her selfe to behold | E |
As in her glasses | O |
Cho On thy Bancke | M |
In a Ranke | M |
Let thy Swanns sing her | L |
And with their Musicke | M |
Along let them bring her | L |
- | |
When shee lookes out by night | E |
The Starres stand gazing | M |
Like Commets to our sight | E |
Fearefully blazing | M |
As wondring at her eyes | O |
With their much brightnesse | O |
Which to amaze the skies | O |
Dimming their lightnesse | O |
The raging Tempests are Calme | N |
When shee speaketh | Q |
Such most delightsome balme | N |
From her lips breaketh | Q |
Cho On thy Banke | M |
In a Rancke c | M |
- | |
In all our Brittany | M |
Ther's not a fayrer | L |
Nor can you fitt any | M |
Should you compare her | L |
Angels her eye lids keepe | A |
All harts surprizing | M |
Which looke whilst she doth sleepe | A |
Like the Sunnes rising | M |
She alone of her kinde | E |
Knoweth true measure | L |
And her vnmatched mind | E |
Is Heauens treasure | L |
Cho On thy Bancke | M |
In a Rancke | M |
Let thy Swanes sing her | L |
And with their Musick | M |
Along let them bring her | L |
- | |
Fayre Doue and Darwine cleere | L |
Boast yee your beauties | O |
To Trent your Mistres here | L |
Yet pay your duties | O |
My Loue was higher borne | Q |
Tow'rds the full Fountaines | O |
Yet she doth Moorland scorne | Q |
And the Peake Mountaines | O |
Nor would she none should dreame | N |
Where she abideth | Q |
Humble as is the streame | N |
Which by her slydeth | Q |
Cho On thy Bancke | M |
In a Rancke | M |
Let thy Swannes sing her | L |
And with their Musicke | M |
Along let them bring her | L |
- | |
Yet my poore Rusticke Muse | O |
Nothing can moue her | L |
Nor the means I can vse | O |
Though her true Louer | L |
Many a long Winters night | E |
Haue I wak'd for her | L |
Yet this my piteous plight | E |
Nothing can stirre her | L |
All thy Sands siluer Trent | E |
Downe to the Humber | L |
The sighes I haue spent | E |
Neuer can number | L |
Cho On thy Banke | M |
In a Ranke | M |
Let thy Swans sing her | L |
And with their Musicke | M |
Along let them bring her | L |
- | |
Taken with this suddaine Song | M |
Least for mirth when he doth look | M |
His sad heart more deeply stong | M |
Then the former care he tooke | M |
At their laughter and amaz'd | E |
For a while he sat aghast | E |
But a little hauing gaz'd | E |
Thus he them bespake at last | E |
Is this time for mirth quoth he | M |
To a man with griefe opprest | E |
Sinfull wretches as you be | M |
May the sorrowes in my breast | E |
Light vpon you one by one | Q |
And as now you mocke my woe | O |
When your mirth is turn'd to moane | Q |
May your like then serue you so | O |
When one Swaine among the rest | E |
Thus him merrily bespake | M |
Get thee vp thou arrant beast | E |
Fits this season loue to make | M |
Take thy Sheephooke in thy hand | E |
Clap thy Curre and set him on | Q |
For our fields 'tis time to stand | E |
Or they quickly will be gon | Q |
Rougish Swinheards that repine | Q |
At our Flocks like beastly Clownes | O |
Sweare that they will bring their Swine | Q |
And will wroote vp all our Downes | O |
They their Holly whips haue brac'd | E |
And tough Hazell goades haue gott | E |
Soundly they your sides will baste | E |
If their courage faile them not | E |
Of their purpose if they speed | E |
Then your Bagpypes you may burne | Q |
It is neither Droane nor Reed | E |
Shepheard that will serue your turne | Q |
Angry OLCON sets them on | Q |
And against vs part doth take | M |
Euer since he was out gone | Q |
Offring Rymes with us to make | M |
Yet if so our Sheepe hookes hold | E |
Dearely shall our Downes be bought | E |
For it neuer shall be told | E |
We our Sheep walkes sold for naught | E |
And we here haue got vs Dogges | O |
Best of all the Westerne breed | E |
Which though Whelps shall lug their Hogges | O |
Till they make their eares to bleed | E |
Therefore Shepheard come away | N |
When as DORILVS arose | O |
Whistles Cut tayle from his play | N |
And along with them he goes | O |
- | |
FINIS | O |
Michael Drayton
(1)
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