Charmides I Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCC DEDBFF GHGHII JIKIHH IIIILL MBMBLL ABABBIB IIIININ OIOIOO PQRQSS TITIII IIIIOO UIUIII TOTOII OTOTII IOIIII TVTHII WIWIXVX YIYIBB OIOIZZ IIIIII OA2OA2TT TNTNLL B2OB2OC2C2 ID2ID2II TITIHH IIIIBB E2OE2OII ITTTF2F2 THTTT TTTTT TTTTTT BTBTTT G2OG2OTT OTOTBB TTTTH2I2V OOOOTT LTLTTT OTOTTT OHOTTLT OTOTJ2J2 OTOTK2K2 L2M2L2M2TT OTOTTT TOTOG2G2 TTTTL2L2 TTTTG2G2 TTTTTTHe was a Grecian lad who coming home | A |
With pulpy figs and wine from Sicily | B |
Stood at his galley's prow and let the foam | A |
Blow through his crisp brown curls unconsciously | B |
And holding wave and wind in boy's despite | C |
Peered from his dripping seat across the wet and stormy night | C |
- | |
Till with the dawn he saw a burnished spear | D |
Like a thin thread of gold against the sky | E |
And hoisted sail and strained the creaking gear | D |
And bade the pilot head her lustily | B |
Against the nor'west gale and all day long | F |
Held on his way and marked the rowers' time with measured song | F |
- | |
And when the faint Corinthian hills were red | G |
Dropped anchor in a little sandy bay | H |
And with fresh boughs of olive crowned his head | G |
And brushed from cheek and throat the hoary spray | H |
And washed his limbs with oil and from the hold | I |
Brought out his linen tunic and his sandals brazen soled | I |
- | |
And a rich robe stained with the fishers' juice | J |
Which of some swarthy trader he had bought | I |
Upon the sunny quay at Syracuse | K |
And was with Tyrian broideries inwrought | I |
And by the questioning merchants made his way | H |
Up through the soft and silver woods and when the labouring day | H |
- | |
Had spun its tangled web of crimson cloud | I |
Clomb the high hill and with swift silent feet | I |
Crept to the fane unnoticed by the crowd | I |
Of busy priests and from some dark retreat | I |
Watched the young swains his frolic playmates bring | L |
The firstling of their little flock and the shy shepherd fling | L |
- | |
The crackling salt upon the flame or hang | M |
His studded crook against the temple wall | B |
To Her who keeps away the ravenous fang | M |
Of the base wolf from homestead and from stall | B |
And then the clear voiced maidens 'gan to sing | L |
And to the altar each man brought some goodly offering | L |
- | |
A beechen cup brimming with milky foam | A |
A fair cloth wrought with cunning imagery | B |
Of hounds in chase a waxen honey comb | A |
Dripping with oozy gold which scarce the bee | B |
Had ceased from building a black skin of oil | B |
Meet for the wrestlers a great boar the fierce and white tusked | I |
spoil | B |
- | |
Stolen from Artemis that jealous maid | I |
To please Athena and the dappled hide | I |
Of a tall stag who in some mountain glade | I |
Had met the shaft and then the herald cried | I |
And from the pillared precinct one by one | N |
Went the glad Greeks well pleased that they their simple vows had | I |
done | N |
- | |
And the old priest put out the waning fires | O |
Save that one lamp whose restless ruby glowed | I |
For ever in the cell and the shrill lyres | O |
Came fainter on the wind as down the road | I |
In joyous dance these country folk did pass | O |
And with stout hands the warder closed the gates of polished brass | O |
- | |
Long time he lay and hardly dared to breathe | P |
And heard the cadenced drip of spilt out wine | Q |
And the rose petals falling from the wreath | R |
As the night breezes wandered through the shrine | Q |
And seemed to be in some entranced swoon | S |
Till through the open roof above the full and brimming moon | S |
- | |
Flooded with sheeny waves the marble floor | T |
When from his nook up leapt the venturous lad | I |
And flinging wide the cedar carven door | T |
Beheld an awful image saffron clad | I |
And armed for battle the gaunt Griffin glared | I |
From the huge helm and the long lance of wreck and ruin flared | I |
- | |
Like a red rod of flame stony and steeled | I |
The Gorgon's head its leaden eyeballs rolled | I |
And writhed its snaky horrors through the shield | I |
And gaped aghast with bloodless lips and cold | I |
In passion impotent while with blind gaze | O |
The blinking owl between the feet hooted in shrill amaze | O |
- | |
The lonely fisher as he trimmed his lamp | U |
Far out at sea off Sunium or cast | I |
The net for tunnies heard a brazen tramp | U |
Of horses smite the waves and a wild blast | I |
Divide the folded curtains of the night | I |
And knelt upon the little poop and prayed in holy fright | I |
- | |
And guilty lovers in their venery | T |
Forgat a little while their stolen sweets | O |
Deeming they heard dread Dian's bitter cry | T |
And the grim watchmen on their lofty seats | O |
Ran to their shields in haste precipitate | I |
Or strained black bearded throats across the dusky parapet | I |
- | |
For round the temple rolled the clang of arms | O |
And the twelve Gods leapt up in marble fear | T |
And the air quaked with dissonant alarums | O |
Till huge Poseidon shook his mighty spear | T |
And on the frieze the prancing horses neighed | I |
And the low tread of hurrying feet rang from the cavalcade | I |
- | |
Ready for death with parted lips he stood | I |
And well content at such a price to see | O |
That calm wide brow that terrible maidenhood | I |
The marvel of that pitiless chastity | I |
Ah well content indeed for never wight | I |
Since Troy's young shepherd prince had seen so wonderful a sight | I |
- | |
Ready for death he stood but lo the air | T |
Grew silent and the horses ceased to neigh | V |
And off his brow he tossed the clustering hair | T |
And from his limbs he throw the cloak away | H |
For whom would not such love make desperate | I |
And nigher came and touched her throat and with hands violate | I |
- | |
Undid the cuirass and the crocus gown | W |
And bared the breasts of polished ivory | I |
Till from the waist the peplos falling down | W |
Left visible the secret mystery | I |
Which to no lover will Athena show | X |
The grand cool flanks the crescent thighs the bossy hills of | V |
snow | X |
- | |
Those who have never known a lover's sin | Y |
Let them not read my ditty it will be | I |
To their dull ears so musicless and thin | Y |
That they will have no joy of it but ye | I |
To whose wan cheeks now creeps the lingering smile | B |
Ye who have learned who Eros is O listen yet awhile | B |
- | |
A little space he let his greedy eyes | O |
Rest on the burnished image till mere sight | I |
Half swooned for surfeit of such luxuries | O |
And then his lips in hungering delight | I |
Fed on her lips and round the towered neck | Z |
He flung his arms nor cared at all his passion's will to check | Z |
- | |
Never I ween did lover hold such tryst | I |
For all night long he murmured honeyed word | I |
And saw her sweet unravished limbs and kissed | I |
Her pale and argent body undisturbed | I |
And paddled with the polished throat and pressed | I |
His hot and beating heart upon her chill and icy breast | I |
- | |
It was as if Numidian javelins | O |
Pierced through and through his wild and whirling brain | A2 |
And his nerves thrilled like throbbing violins | O |
In exquisite pulsation and the pain | A2 |
Was such sweet anguish that he never drew | T |
His lips from hers till overhead the lark of warning flew | T |
- | |
They who have never seen the daylight peer | T |
Into a darkened room and drawn the curtain | N |
And with dull eyes and wearied from some dear | T |
And worshipped body risen they for certain | N |
Will never know of what I try to sing | L |
How long the last kiss was how fond and late his lingering | L |
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The moon was girdled with a crystal rim | B2 |
The sign which shipmen say is ominous | O |
Of wrath in heaven the wan stars were dim | B2 |
And the low lightening east was tremulous | O |
With the faint fluttering wings of flying dawn | C2 |
Ere from the silent sombre shrine his lover had withdrawn | C2 |
- | |
Down the steep rock with hurried feet and fast | I |
Clomb the brave lad and reached the cave of Pan | D2 |
And heard the goat foot snoring as he passed | I |
And leapt upon a grassy knoll and ran | D2 |
Like a young fawn unto an olive wood | I |
Which in a shady valley by the well built city stood | I |
- | |
And sought a little stream which well he knew | T |
For oftentimes with boyish careless shout | I |
The green and crested grebe he would pursue | T |
Or snare in woven net the silver trout | I |
And down amid the startled reeds he lay | H |
Panting in breathless sweet affright and waited for the day | H |
- | |
On the green bank he lay and let one hand | I |
Dip in the cool dark eddies listlessly | I |
And soon the breath of morning came and fanned | I |
His hot flushed cheeks or lifted wantonly | I |
The tangled curls from off his forehead while | B |
He on the running water gazed with strange and secret smile | B |
- | |
And soon the shepherd in rough woollen cloak | E2 |
With his long crook undid the wattled cotes | O |
And from the stack a thin blue wreath of smoke | E2 |
Curled through the air across the ripening oats | O |
And on the hill the yellow house dog bayed | I |
As through the crisp and rustling fern the heavy cattle strayed | I |
- | |
And when the light foot mower went afield | I |
Across the meadows laced with threaded dew | T |
And the sheep bleated on the misty weald | T |
And from its nest the waking corncrake flew | T |
Some woodmen saw him lying by the stream | F2 |
And marvelled much that any lad so beautiful could seem | F2 |
- | |
Nor deemed him born of mortals and one said | T |
'It is young Hylas that false runaway | H |
Who with a Naiad now would make his bed | T |
Forgetting Herakles ' but others 'Nay | T |
It is Narcissus his own paramour | T |
Those are the fond and crimson lips no woman can allure ' | - |
- | |
And when they nearer came a third one cried | T |
'It is young Dionysos who has hid | T |
His spear and fawnskin by the river side | T |
Weary of hunting with the Bassarid | T |
And wise indeed were we away to fly | T |
They live not long who on the gods immortal come to spy ' | - |
- | |
So turned they back and feared to look behind | T |
And told the timid swain how they had seen | T |
Amid the reeds some woodland god reclined | T |
And no man dared to cross the open green | T |
And on that day no olive tree was slain | T |
Nor rushes cut but all deserted was the fair domain | T |
- | |
Save when the neat herd's lad his empty pail | B |
Well slung upon his back with leap and bound | T |
Raced on the other side and stopped to hail | B |
Hoping that he some comrade new had found | T |
And gat no answer and then half afraid | T |
Passed on his simple way or down the still and silent glade | T |
- | |
A little girl ran laughing from the farm | G2 |
Not thinking of love's secret mysteries | O |
And when she saw the white and gleaming arm | G2 |
And all his manlihood with longing eyes | O |
Whose passion mocked her sweet virginity | T |
Watched him awhile and then stole back sadly and wearily | T |
- | |
Far off he heard the city's hum and noise | O |
And now and then the shriller laughter where | T |
The passionate purity of brown limbed boys | O |
Wrestled or raced in the clear healthful air | T |
And now and then a little tinkling bell | B |
As the shorn wether led the sheep down to the mossy well | B |
- | |
Through the grey willows danced the fretful gnat | T |
The grasshopper chirped idly from the tree | T |
In sleek and oily coat the water rat | T |
Breasting the little ripples manfully | T |
Made for the wild duck's nest from bough to bough | H2 |
Hopped the shy finch and the huge tortoise crept across the | I2 |
slough | V |
- | |
On the faint wind floated the silky seeds | O |
As the bright scythe swept through the waving grass | O |
The ouzel cock splashed circles in the reeds | O |
And flecked with silver whorls the forest's glass | O |
Which scarce had caught again its imagery | T |
Ere from its bed the dusky tench leapt at the dragon fly | T |
- | |
But little care had he for any thing | L |
Though up and down the beech the squirrel played | T |
And from the copse the linnet 'gan to sing | L |
To its brown mate its sweetest serenade | T |
Ah little care indeed for he had seen | T |
The breasts of Pallas and the naked wonder of the Queen | T |
- | |
But when the herdsman called his straggling goats | O |
With whistling pipe across the rocky road | T |
And the shard beetle with its trumpet notes | O |
Boomed through the darkening woods and seemed to bode | T |
Of coming storm and the belated crane | T |
Passed homeward like a shadow and the dull big drops of rain | T |
- | |
Fell on the pattering fig leaves up he rose | O |
And from the gloomy forest went his way | H |
Past sombre homestead and wet orchard close | O |
And came at last unto a little quay | T |
And called his mates aboard and took his seat | T |
On the high poop and pushed from land and loosed the dripping | L |
sheet | T |
- | |
And steered across the bay and when nine suns | O |
Passed down the long and laddered way of gold | T |
And nine pale moons had breathed their orisons | O |
To the chaste stars their confessors or told | T |
Their dearest secret to the downy moth | J2 |
That will not fly at noonday through the foam and surging froth | J2 |
- | |
Came a great owl with yellow sulphurous eyes | O |
And lit upon the ship whose timbers creaked | T |
As though the lading of three argosies | O |
Were in the hold and flapped its wings and shrieked | T |
And darkness straightway stole across the deep | K2 |
Sheathed was Orion's sword dread Mars himself fled down the steep | K2 |
- | |
And the moon hid behind a tawny mask | L2 |
Of drifting cloud and from the ocean's marge | M2 |
Rose the red plume the huge and horned casque | L2 |
The seven cubit spear the brazen targe | M2 |
And clad in bright and burnished panoply | T |
Athena strode across the stretch of sick and shivering sea | T |
- | |
To the dull sailors' sight her loosened looks | O |
Seemed like the jagged storm rack and her feet | T |
Only the spume that floats on hidden rocks | O |
And marking how the rising waters beat | T |
Against the rolling ship the pilot cried | T |
To the young helmsman at the stern to luff to windward side | T |
- | |
But he the overbold adulterer | T |
A dear profaner of great mysteries | O |
An ardent amorous idolater | T |
When he beheld those grand relentless eyes | O |
Laughed loud for joy and crying out 'I come' | G2 |
Leapt from the lofty poop into the chill and churning foam | G2 |
- | |
Then fell from the high heaven one bright star | T |
One dancer left the circling galaxy | T |
And back to Athens on her clattering car | T |
In all the pride of venged divinity | T |
Pale Pallas swept with shrill and steely clank | L2 |
And a few gurgling bubbles rose where her boy lover sank | L2 |
- | |
And the mast shuddered as the gaunt owl flew | T |
With mocking hoots after the wrathful Queen | T |
And the old pilot bade the trembling crew | T |
Hoist the big sail and told how he had seen | T |
Close to the stern a dim and giant form | G2 |
And like a dipping swallow the stout ship dashed through the storm | G2 |
- | |
And no man dared to speak of Charmides | T |
Deeming that he some evil thing had wrought | T |
And when they reached the strait Symplegades | T |
They beached their galley on the shore and sought | T |
The toll gate of the city hastily | T |
And in the market showed their brown and pictured pottery | T |
Oscar Wilde
(1)
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