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 TTTTTT

He was a Grecian lad who coming homeA
With pulpy figs and wine from SicilyB
Stood at his galley's prow and let the foamA
Blow through his crisp brown curls unconsciouslyB
And holding wave and wind in boy's despiteC
Peered from his dripping seat across the wet and stormy nightC
-
Till with the dawn he saw a burnished spearD
Like a thin thread of gold against the skyE
And hoisted sail and strained the creaking gearD
And bade the pilot head her lustilyB
Against the nor'west gale and all day longF
Held on his way and marked the rowers' time with measured songF
-
And when the faint Corinthian hills were redG
Dropped anchor in a little sandy bayH
And with fresh boughs of olive crowned his headG
And brushed from cheek and throat the hoary sprayH
And washed his limbs with oil and from the holdI
Brought out his linen tunic and his sandals brazen soledI
-
And a rich robe stained with the fishers' juiceJ
Which of some swarthy trader he had boughtI
Upon the sunny quay at SyracuseK
And was with Tyrian broideries inwroughtI
And by the questioning merchants made his wayH
Up through the soft and silver woods and when the labouring dayH
-
Had spun its tangled web of crimson cloudI
Clomb the high hill and with swift silent feetI
Crept to the fane unnoticed by the crowdI
Of busy priests and from some dark retreatI
Watched the young swains his frolic playmates bringL
The firstling of their little flock and the shy shepherd flingL
-
The crackling salt upon the flame or hangM
His studded crook against the temple wallB
To Her who keeps away the ravenous fangM
Of the base wolf from homestead and from stallB
And then the clear voiced maidens 'gan to singL
And to the altar each man brought some goodly offeringL
-
A beechen cup brimming with milky foamA
A fair cloth wrought with cunning imageryB
Of hounds in chase a waxen honey combA
Dripping with oozy gold which scarce the beeB
Had ceased from building a black skin of oilB
Meet for the wrestlers a great boar the fierce and white tuskedI
spoilB
-
Stolen from Artemis that jealous maidI
To please Athena and the dappled hideI
Of a tall stag who in some mountain gladeI
Had met the shaft and then the herald criedI
And from the pillared precinct one by oneN
Went the glad Greeks well pleased that they their simple vows hadI
doneN
-
And the old priest put out the waning firesO
Save that one lamp whose restless ruby glowedI
For ever in the cell and the shrill lyresO
Came fainter on the wind as down the roadI
In joyous dance these country folk did passO
And with stout hands the warder closed the gates of polished brassO
-
Long time he lay and hardly dared to breatheP
And heard the cadenced drip of spilt out wineQ
And the rose petals falling from the wreathR
As the night breezes wandered through the shrineQ
And seemed to be in some entranced swoonS
Till through the open roof above the full and brimming moonS
-
Flooded with sheeny waves the marble floorT
When from his nook up leapt the venturous ladI
And flinging wide the cedar carven doorT
Beheld an awful image saffron cladI
And armed for battle the gaunt Griffin glaredI
From the huge helm and the long lance of wreck and ruin flaredI
-
Like a red rod of flame stony and steeledI
The Gorgon's head its leaden eyeballs rolledI
And writhed its snaky horrors through the shieldI
And gaped aghast with bloodless lips and coldI
In passion impotent while with blind gazeO
The blinking owl between the feet hooted in shrill amazeO
-
The lonely fisher as he trimmed his lampU
Far out at sea off Sunium or castI
The net for tunnies heard a brazen trampU
Of horses smite the waves and a wild blastI
Divide the folded curtains of the nightI
And knelt upon the little poop and prayed in holy frightI
-
And guilty lovers in their veneryT
Forgat a little while their stolen sweetsO
Deeming they heard dread Dian's bitter cryT
And the grim watchmen on their lofty seatsO
Ran to their shields in haste precipitateI
Or strained black bearded throats across the dusky parapetI
-
For round the temple rolled the clang of armsO
And the twelve Gods leapt up in marble fearT
And the air quaked with dissonant alarumsO
Till huge Poseidon shook his mighty spearT
And on the frieze the prancing horses neighedI
And the low tread of hurrying feet rang from the cavalcadeI
-
Ready for death with parted lips he stoodI
And well content at such a price to seeO
That calm wide brow that terrible maidenhoodI
The marvel of that pitiless chastityI
Ah well content indeed for never wightI
Since Troy's young shepherd prince had seen so wonderful a sightI
-
Ready for death he stood but lo the airT
Grew silent and the horses ceased to neighV
And off his brow he tossed the clustering hairT
And from his limbs he throw the cloak awayH
For whom would not such love make desperateI
And nigher came and touched her throat and with hands violateI
-
Undid the cuirass and the crocus gownW
And bared the breasts of polished ivoryI
Till from the waist the peplos falling downW
Left visible the secret mysteryI
Which to no lover will Athena showX
The grand cool flanks the crescent thighs the bossy hills ofV
snowX
-
Those who have never known a lover's sinY
Let them not read my ditty it will beI
To their dull ears so musicless and thinY
That they will have no joy of it but yeI
To whose wan cheeks now creeps the lingering smileB
Ye who have learned who Eros is O listen yet awhileB
-
A little space he let his greedy eyesO
Rest on the burnished image till mere sightI
Half swooned for surfeit of such luxuriesO
And then his lips in hungering delightI
Fed on her lips and round the towered neckZ
He flung his arms nor cared at all his passion's will to checkZ
-
Never I ween did lover hold such trystI
For all night long he murmured honeyed wordI
And saw her sweet unravished limbs and kissedI
Her pale and argent body undisturbedI
And paddled with the polished throat and pressedI
His hot and beating heart upon her chill and icy breastI
-
It was as if Numidian javelinsO
Pierced through and through his wild and whirling brainA2
And his nerves thrilled like throbbing violinsO
In exquisite pulsation and the painA2
Was such sweet anguish that he never drewT
His lips from hers till overhead the lark of warning flewT
-
They who have never seen the daylight peerT
Into a darkened room and drawn the curtainN
And with dull eyes and wearied from some dearT
And worshipped body risen they for certainN
Will never know of what I try to singL
How long the last kiss was how fond and late his lingeringL
-
The moon was girdled with a crystal rimB2
The sign which shipmen say is ominousO
Of wrath in heaven the wan stars were dimB2
And the low lightening east was tremulousO
With the faint fluttering wings of flying dawnC2
Ere from the silent sombre shrine his lover had withdrawnC2
-
Down the steep rock with hurried feet and fastI
Clomb the brave lad and reached the cave of PanD2
And heard the goat foot snoring as he passedI
And leapt upon a grassy knoll and ranD2
Like a young fawn unto an olive woodI
Which in a shady valley by the well built city stoodI
-
And sought a little stream which well he knewT
For oftentimes with boyish careless shoutI
The green and crested grebe he would pursueT
Or snare in woven net the silver troutI
And down amid the startled reeds he layH
Panting in breathless sweet affright and waited for the dayH
-
On the green bank he lay and let one handI
Dip in the cool dark eddies listlesslyI
And soon the breath of morning came and fannedI
His hot flushed cheeks or lifted wantonlyI
The tangled curls from off his forehead whileB
He on the running water gazed with strange and secret smileB
-
And soon the shepherd in rough woollen cloakE2
With his long crook undid the wattled cotesO
And from the stack a thin blue wreath of smokeE2
Curled through the air across the ripening oatsO
And on the hill the yellow house dog bayedI
As through the crisp and rustling fern the heavy cattle strayedI
-
And when the light foot mower went afieldI
Across the meadows laced with threaded dewT
And the sheep bleated on the misty wealdT
And from its nest the waking corncrake flewT
Some woodmen saw him lying by the streamF2
And marvelled much that any lad so beautiful could seemF2
-
Nor deemed him born of mortals and one saidT
'It is young Hylas that false runawayH
Who with a Naiad now would make his bedT
Forgetting Herakles ' but others 'NayT
It is Narcissus his own paramourT
Those are the fond and crimson lips no woman can allure '-
-
And when they nearer came a third one criedT
'It is young Dionysos who has hidT
His spear and fawnskin by the river sideT
Weary of hunting with the BassaridT
And wise indeed were we away to flyT
They live not long who on the gods immortal come to spy '-
-
So turned they back and feared to look behindT
And told the timid swain how they had seenT
Amid the reeds some woodland god reclinedT
And no man dared to cross the open greenT
And on that day no olive tree was slainT
Nor rushes cut but all deserted was the fair domainT
-
Save when the neat herd's lad his empty pailB
Well slung upon his back with leap and boundT
Raced on the other side and stopped to hailB
Hoping that he some comrade new had foundT
And gat no answer and then half afraidT
Passed on his simple way or down the still and silent gladeT
-
A little girl ran laughing from the farmG2
Not thinking of love's secret mysteriesO
And when she saw the white and gleaming armG2
And all his manlihood with longing eyesO
Whose passion mocked her sweet virginityT
Watched him awhile and then stole back sadly and wearilyT
-
Far off he heard the city's hum and noiseO
And now and then the shriller laughter whereT
The passionate purity of brown limbed boysO
Wrestled or raced in the clear healthful airT
And now and then a little tinkling bellB
As the shorn wether led the sheep down to the mossy wellB
-
Through the grey willows danced the fretful gnatT
The grasshopper chirped idly from the treeT
In sleek and oily coat the water ratT
Breasting the little ripples manfullyT
Made for the wild duck's nest from bough to boughH2
Hopped the shy finch and the huge tortoise crept across theI2
sloughV
-
On the faint wind floated the silky seedsO
As the bright scythe swept through the waving grassO
The ouzel cock splashed circles in the reedsO
And flecked with silver whorls the forest's glassO
Which scarce had caught again its imageryT
Ere from its bed the dusky tench leapt at the dragon flyT
-
But little care had he for any thingL
Though up and down the beech the squirrel playedT
And from the copse the linnet 'gan to singL
To its brown mate its sweetest serenadeT
Ah little care indeed for he had seenT
The breasts of Pallas and the naked wonder of the QueenT
-
But when the herdsman called his straggling goatsO
With whistling pipe across the rocky roadT
And the shard beetle with its trumpet notesO
Boomed through the darkening woods and seemed to bodeT
Of coming storm and the belated craneT
Passed homeward like a shadow and the dull big drops of rainT
-
Fell on the pattering fig leaves up he roseO
And from the gloomy forest went his wayH
Past sombre homestead and wet orchard closeO
And came at last unto a little quayT
And called his mates aboard and took his seatT
On the high poop and pushed from land and loosed the drippingL
sheetT
-
And steered across the bay and when nine sunsO
Passed down the long and laddered way of goldT
And nine pale moons had breathed their orisonsO
To the chaste stars their confessors or toldT
Their dearest secret to the downy mothJ2
That will not fly at noonday through the foam and surging frothJ2
-
Came a great owl with yellow sulphurous eyesO
And lit upon the ship whose timbers creakedT
As though the lading of three argosiesO
Were in the hold and flapped its wings and shriekedT
And darkness straightway stole across the deepK2
Sheathed was Orion's sword dread Mars himself fled down the steepK2
-
And the moon hid behind a tawny maskL2
Of drifting cloud and from the ocean's margeM2
Rose the red plume the huge and horned casqueL2
The seven cubit spear the brazen targeM2
And clad in bright and burnished panoplyT
Athena strode across the stretch of sick and shivering seaT
-
To the dull sailors' sight her loosened looksO
Seemed like the jagged storm rack and her feetT
Only the spume that floats on hidden rocksO
And marking how the rising waters beatT
Against the rolling ship the pilot criedT
To the young helmsman at the stern to luff to windward sideT
-
But he the overbold adultererT
A dear profaner of great mysteriesO
An ardent amorous idolaterT
When he beheld those grand relentless eyesO
Laughed loud for joy and crying out 'I come'G2
Leapt from the lofty poop into the chill and churning foamG2
-
Then fell from the high heaven one bright starT
One dancer left the circling galaxyT
And back to Athens on her clattering carT
In all the pride of venged divinityT
Pale Pallas swept with shrill and steely clankL2
And a few gurgling bubbles rose where her boy lover sankL2
-
And the mast shuddered as the gaunt owl flewT
With mocking hoots after the wrathful QueenT
And the old pilot bade the trembling crewT
Hoist the big sail and told how he had seenT
Close to the stern a dim and giant formG2
And like a dipping swallow the stout ship dashed through the stormG2
-
And no man dared to speak of CharmidesT
Deeming that he some evil thing had wroughtT
And when they reached the strait SymplegadesT
They beached their galley on the shore and soughtT
The toll gate of the city hastilyT
And in the market showed their brown and pictured potteryT

Oscar Wilde



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