Julian And Maddalo (excerpt) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEEFGHHIIJJK LMMNNOOOOPPQQRAIMSSA AIITTAAOOOOOOAAIIPPU UAVOOMMOOWMMMOOMMXXY ZQQOOA2A2B2B2C2C2A2A 2AMAAA2A2AAD2D2D2OOM MAAMMMAAAE2E2WIA2A2A AAMF2F2AAMMAAA2A2IIA M E2E2OOG2G2C2C2IIOOAA AOOOOIIH2H2G2G2IIMMA AAAG2G2MMAAA

I rode one evening with Count MaddaloA
Upon the bank of land which breaks the flowA
Of Adria towards Venice a bare strandB
Of hillocks heap'd from ever shifting sandB
Matted with thistles and amphibious weedsC
Such as from earth's embrace the salt ooze breedsC
Is this an uninhabited sea sideD
Which the lone fisher when his nets are driedD
Abandons and no other object breaksE
The waste but one dwarf tree and some few stakesE
Broken and unrepair'd and the tide makesE
A narrow space of level sand thereonF
Where 'twas our wont to ride while day went downG
This ride was my delight I love all wasteH
And solitary places where we tasteH
The pleasure of believing what we seeI
Is boundless as we wish our souls to beI
And such was this wide ocean and this shoreJ
More barren than its billows and yet moreJ
Than all with a remember'd friend I loveK
To ride as then I rode for the winds droveL
The living spray along the sunny airM
Into our faces the blue heavens were bareM
Stripp'd to their depths by the awakening northN
And from the waves sound like delight broke forthN
Harmonizing with solitude and sentO
Into our hearts a euml real merrimentO
So as we rode we talk'd and the swift thoughtO
Winging itself with laughter linger'd notO
But flew from brain to brain such glee was oursP
Charg'd with light memories of remember'd hoursP
None slow enough for sadness till we cameQ
Homeward which always makes the spirit tameQ
This day had been cheerful but cold and nowR
The sun was sinking and the wind alsoA
Our talk grew somewhat serious as may beI
Talk interrupted with such railleryM
As mocks itself because it cannot scornS
The thoughts it would extinguish 'twas forlornS
Yet pleasing such as once so poets tellA
The devils held within the dales of HellA
Concerning God freewill and destinyI
Of all that earth has been or yet may beI
All that vain men imagine or believeT
Or hope can paint or suffering may achieveT
We descanted and I for ever stillA
Is it not wise to make the best of illA
Argu'd against despondency but prideO
Made my companion take the darker sideO
The sense that he was greater than his kindO
Had struck methinks his eagle spirit blindO
By gazing on its own exceeding lightO
Meanwhile the sun paus'd ere it should alightO
Over the horizon of the mountains OhA
How beautiful is sunset when the glowA
Of Heaven descends upon a land like theeI
Thou Paradise of exiles ItalyI
Thy mountains seas and vineyards and the towersP
Of cities they encircle It was oursP
To stand on thee beholding it and thenU
Just where we had dismounted the Count's menU
Were waiting for us with the gondolaA
As those who pause on some delightful wayV
Though bent on pleasant pilgrimage we stoodO
Looking upon the evening and the floodO
Which lay between the city and the shoreM
Pav'd with the image of the sky The hoarM
And a euml ry Alps towards the North appear'dO
Through mist an heaven sustaining bulwark rear'dO
Between the East and West and half the skyW
Was roof'd with clouds of rich emblazonryM
Dark purple at the zenith which still grewM
Down the steep West into a wondrous hueM
Brighter than burning gold even to the rentO
Where the swift sun yet paus'd in his descentO
Among the many folded hills they wereM
Those famous Euganean hills which bearM
As seen from Lido thro' the harbour pilesX
The likeness of a clump of peak egrave d islesX
And then as if the Earth and Sea had beenY
Dissolv'd into one lake of fire were seenZ
Those mountains towering as from waves of flameQ
Around the vaporous sun from which there cameQ
The inmost purple spirit of light and madeO
Their very peaks transparent Ere it fadeO
Said my companion I will show you soonA2
A better station so o'er the laguneA2
We glided and from that funereal barkB2
I lean'd and saw the city and could markB2
How from their many isles in evening's gleamC2
Its temples and its palaces did seemC2
Like fabrics of enchantment pil'd to HeavenA2
I was about to speak when We are evenA2
Now at the point I meant said MaddaloA
And bade the gondolieri cease to rowM
Look Julian on the west and listen wellA
If you hear not a deep and heavy bellA
I look'd and saw between us and the sunA2
A building on an island such a oneA2
As age to age might add for uses vileA
A windowless deform'd and dreary pileA
And on the top an open tower where hungD2
A bell which in the radiance sway'd and swungD2
We could just hear its hoarse and iron tongueD2
The broad sun sunk behind it and it toll'dO
In strong and black relief What we beholdO
Shall be the madhouse and its belfry towerM
Said Maddalo and ever at this hourM
Those who may cross the water hear that bellA
Which calls the maniacs each one from his cellA
To vespers As much skill as need to prayM
In thanks or hope for their dark lot have theyM
To their stern Maker I replied O hoM
You talk as in years past said MaddaloA
'Tis strange men change not You were ever stillA
Among Christ's flock a perilous infidelA
A wolf for the meek lambs if you can't swimE2
Beware of Providence I look'd on himE2
But the gay smile had faded in his eyeW
And such he cried is our mortalityI
And this must be the emblem and the signA2
Of what should be eternal and divineA2
And like that black and dreary bell the soulA
Hung in a heaven illumin'd tower must tollA
Our thoughts and our desires to meet belowA
Round the rent heart and pray as madmen doM
For what they know not till the night of deathF2
As sunset that strange vision severethF2
Our memory from itself and us from allA
We sought and yet were baffled I recallA
The sense of what he said although I marM
The force of his expressions The broad starM
Of day meanwhile had sunk behind the hillA
And the black bell became invisibleA
And the red tower look'd gray and all betweenA2
The churches ships and palaces were seenA2
Huddled in gloom into the purple seaI
The orange hues of heaven sunk silentlyI
We hardly spoke and soon the gondolaA
Convey'd me to my lodgings by the wayM
-
The following morn was rainy cold and dimE2
Ere Maddalo arose I call'd on himE2
And whilst I waited with his child I play'dO
A lovelier toy sweet Nature never madeO
A serious subtle wild yet gentle beingG2
Graceful without design and unforeseeingG2
With eyes Oh speak not of her eyes which seemC2
Twin mirrors of Italian Heaven yet gleamC2
With such deep meaning as we never seeI
But in the human countenance with meI
She was a special favourite I had nurs'dO
Her fine and feeble limbs when she came firstO
To this bleak world and she yet seem'd to knowA
On second sight her ancient playfellowA
Less chang'd than she was by six months or soA
For after her first shyness was worn outO
We sate there rolling billiard balls aboutO
When the Count enter'd Salutations pastO
The word you spoke last night might well have castO
A darkness on my spirit if man beI
The passive thing you say I should not seeI
Much harm in the religions and old sawsH2
Though I may never own such leaden lawsH2
Which break a teachless nature to the yokeG2
Mine is another faith thus much I spokeG2
And noting he replied not added SeeI
This lovely child blithe innocent and freeI
She spends a happy time with little careM
While we to such sick thoughts subjected areM
As came on you last night It is our willA
That thus enchains us to permitted illA
We might be otherwise We might be allA
We dream of happy high majesticalA
Where is the love beauty and truth we seekG2
But in our mind and if we were not weakG2
Should we be less in deed than in desireM
Ay if we were not weak and we aspireM
How vainly to be strong said MaddaloA
You talk Utopia It remains to knowA
I theA

Percy Bysshe Shelley



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