Orpheus Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKLMKGNOPBQ GRSSGLTUVWSXSYG S ZA2S A GB2SC2GS S B2D2S A E2F2G2H2I2J2K2GL2I2S SM2SSSN2SO2P2SQ2R2S2 T2B2K2U2SU2V2SGGNKK2 SSW2X2R2Y2Z2SH2SSA3S FB3SWU2GSSS2T2SSC3SD 3SGE2E3F3G3H3SI3GI2S SJ3SA | A |
Not far from hence From yonder pointed hill | B |
Crowned with a ring of oaks you may behold | C |
A dark and barren field through which there flows | D |
Sluggish and black a deep but narrow stream | E |
Which the wind ripples not and the fair moon | F |
Gazes in vain and finds no mirror there | G |
Follow the herbless banks of that strange brook | H |
Until you pause beside a darksome pond | I |
The fountain of this rivulet whose gush | J |
Cannot be seen hid by a rayless night | K |
That lives beneath the overhanging rock | L |
That shades the pool an endless spring of gloom | M |
Upon whose edge hovers the tender light | K |
Trembling to mingle with its paramour | G |
But as Syrinx fled Pan so night flies day | N |
Or with most sullen and regardless hate | O |
Refuses stern her heaven born embrace | P |
On one side of this jagged and shapeless hill | B |
There is a cave from which there eddies up | Q |
A pale mist like aereal gossamer | G |
Whose breath destroys all life awhile it veils | R |
The rock then scattered by the wind it flies | S |
Along the stream or lingers on the clefts | S |
Killing the sleepy worms if aught bide there | G |
Upon the beetling edge of that dark rock | L |
There stands a group of cypresses not such | T |
As with a graceful spire and stirring life | U |
Pierce the pure heaven of your native vale | V |
Whose branches the air plays among but not | W |
Disturbs fearing to spoil their solemn grace | S |
But blasted and all wearily they stand | X |
One to another clinging their weak boughs | S |
Sigh as the wind buffets them and they shake | Y |
Beneath its blasts a weatherbeaten crew | G |
- | |
CHORUS | S |
- | |
What wondrous sound is that mournful and faint | Z |
But more melodious than the murmuring wind | A2 |
Which through the columns of a temple glides | S |
- | |
A | A |
- | |
It is the wandering voice of Orpheus lyre | G |
Borne by the winds who sigh that their rude king | B2 |
Hurries them fast from these air feeding notes | S |
But in their speed they bear along with them | C2 |
The waning sound scattering it like dew | G |
Upon the startled sense | S |
- | |
CHORUS | S |
- | |
Does he still sing | B2 |
Methought he rashly cast away his harp | D2 |
When he had lost Eurydice | S |
- | |
A | A |
- | |
Ah no | E2 |
Awhile he paused As a poor hunted stag | F2 |
A moment shudders on the fearful brink | G2 |
Of a swift stream the cruel hounds press on | H2 |
With deafening yell the arrows glance and wound | I2 |
He plunges in so Orpheus seized and torn | J2 |
By the sharp fangs of an insatiate grief | K2 |
Maenad like waved his lyre in the bright air | G |
And wildly shrieked Where she is it is dark | L2 |
And then he struck from forth the strings a sound | I2 |
Of deep and fearful melody Alas | S |
In times long past when fair Eurydice | S |
With her bright eyes sat listening by his side | M2 |
He gently sang of high and heavenly themes | S |
As in a brook fretted with little waves | S |
By the light airs of spring each riplet makes | S |
A many sided mirror for the sun | N2 |
While it flows musically through green banks | S |
Ceaseless and pauseless ever clear and fresh | O2 |
So flowed his song reflecting the deep joy | P2 |
And tender love that fed those sweetest notes | S |
The heavenly offspring of ambrosial food | Q2 |
But that is past Returning from drear Hell | R2 |
He chose a lonely seat of unhewn stone | S2 |
Blackened with lichens on a herbless plain | T2 |
Then from the deep and overflowing spring | B2 |
Of his eternal ever moving grief | K2 |
There rose to Heaven a sound of angry song | U2 |
Tis as a mighty cataract that parts | S |
Two sister rocks with waters swift and strong | U2 |
And casts itself with horrid roar and din | V2 |
Adown a steep from a perennial source | S |
It ever flows and falls and breaks the air | G |
With loud and fierce but most harmonious roar | G |
And as it falls casts up a vaporous spray | N |
Which the sun clothes in hues of Iris light | K |
Thus the tempestuous torrent of his grief | K2 |
Is clothed in sweetest sounds and varying words | S |
Of poesy Unlike all human works | S |
It never slackens and through every change | W2 |
Wisdom and beauty and the power divine | X2 |
Of mighty poesy together dwell | R2 |
Mingling in sweet accord As I have seen | Y2 |
A fierce south blast tear through the darkened sky | Z2 |
Driving along a rack of winged clouds | S |
Which may not pause but ever hurry on | H2 |
As their wild shepherd wills them while the stars | S |
Twinkling and dim peep from between the plumes | S |
Anon the sky is cleared and the high dome | A3 |
Of serene Heaven starred with fiery flowers | S |
Shuts in the shaken earth or the still moon | F |
Swiftly yet gracefully begins her walk | B3 |
Rising all bright behind the eastern hills | S |
I talk of moon and wind and stars and not | W |
Of song but would I echo his high song | U2 |
Nature must lend me words ne er used before | G |
Or I must borrow from her perfect works | S |
To picture forth his perfect attributes | S |
He does no longer sit upon his throne | S2 |
Of rock upon a desert herbless plain | T2 |
For the evergreen and knotted ilexes | S |
And cypresses that seldom wave their boughs | S |
And sea green olives with their grateful fruit | C3 |
And elms dragging along the twisted vines | S |
Which drop their berries as they follow fast | D3 |
And blackthorn bushes with their infant race | S |
Of blushing rose blooms beeches to lovers dear | G |
And weeping willow trees all swift or slow | E2 |
As their huge boughs or lighter dress permit | E3 |
Have circled in his throne and Earth herself | F3 |
Has sent from her maternal breast a growth | G3 |
Of starlike flowers and herbs of odour sweet | H3 |
To pave the temple that his poesy | S |
Has framed while near his feet grim lions couch | I3 |
And kids fearless from love creep near his lair | G |
Even the blind worms seem to feel the sound | I2 |
The birds are silent hanging down their heads | S |
Perched on the lowest branches of the trees | S |
Not even the nightingale intrudes a note | J3 |
In rivalry but all entranced she listens | S |
Percy Bysshe Shelley
(1)
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