Paolo And Francesca Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Richard Le Gallienne

Paolo And Francesca Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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To R K Leather	A
July th	B
	-
PAOLO AND FRANCESCA	C
	-
It happened in that great Italian land	D
Where every bosom heateth with a star	E
At Rimini anigh that crumbling strand	D
The Adriatic filcheth near and far	E
In that same past where Dante's dream days are	E
That one Francesca gave her youthful gold	F
Unto an aged carle to bolt and bar	E
Though all the love which great young hearts can hold	F
How could she give that love unto a miser old	F
	-
Nay but young Paolo was the happy lad	G
A youth of dreaming eye yet dauntless foot	H
Who all Francesca's wealth of loving had	G
One brave to scale a wall and steal the fruit	I
Nor fear because some dotard owned the root	I
Yea one who wore his love like sword on thigh	J
And kept not all his valour for his lute	I
One who could dare as well as sing and sigh	J
Ah then were hearts to love but they are long gone by	J
	-
Ye lily wives so happy in the nest	K
Whose joy within the gates of duty springs	L
Blame not Love's poor who if they would be blest	K
Must steal what comes to you with marriage rings	L
Ye pity the poor lark whose scarce tried wings	L
Faint in the net while still the morning air	M
With brown free throats of all his brethren sings	L
And can it be ye will not pity her	A
Whose youth is as a lark all lost to singing there	M
	-
In opportunity of dear bought joy	N
Rich were this twain for old Lanciotto he	O
Who was her lord was brother of her boy	N
And in one home together dwelt the three	O
With brothers two beside and he and she	O
Sat at one board together in one fane	P
Their voices rose upon one hymn ah me	O
Beneath one roof each night their limbs had lain	P
As now in death they share the one eternal pain	P
	-
As much as common men can love a flower	A
Unto Lanciotto was Francesca dear	Q
'Tis not on such Love wields his jealous power	A
And therefore Paolo moved him not to fear	Q
Though he so green with youth and he so sere	Q
Nor yet indeed was wrong the hidden thing	R
Grew at each heart unknown of each a year	Q
Two eggs still silent in the nest through spring	R
May draws so near to June and not yet time to sing	R
	-
Yet oft indeed through days that gave no sign	S
Had but Francesca turned about and read	T
Paolo's bright eyes that only dared to shine	S
On the dear gold that glorified her head	T
Ere all the light had from their circles fled	T
And the grey Honour darkened all his face	U
They had not come to June and nothing said	T
Day followed day with such an even pace	U
Nor night succeeded night and left no starry trace	U
	-
Or surely had the flower Paolo pressed	K
In some sweet volume when he put it by	J
Told how his mistress drew it to her breast	K
And called upon his name when none was nigh	J
Had but the scarf he kissed with piteous cry	J
But breathed again its secret unto her	A
Or had but one of every little sigh	J
Each left for each been love's true messenger	A
They surely had not kept that winter all the year	Q
	-
Yea love lay hushed and waiting like a seed	V
Some laggard of the season still abed	T
Though the sun calls and gentle zephyrs plead	V
And Hope that waited long must deem it dead	T
Yet lo to morrow sees its shining head	T
Singing at dawn 'mid all the garden throng	W
Ah had it known it had been earlier sped	T
Was it for fear of day it slept so long	W
Or were its dreams of singing sweeter than the song	W
	-
But what poor flower can symbol all the might	X
And all the magnitude great Love of thee	O
Ah is there aught can image thee aright	X
In earth or heaven how great or fair it be	O
We watch the acorn grow into the tree	O
We watch the patient spark surprise the mine	S
But what are oaks to thy Ygdrasil tree	O
What the mad mine's convulsive strength to thine	S
That wrecks a world but bids heaven's soaring steeples shine	S
	-
A god that hath no earthly metaphor	Y
A blinding word that hath no earthly rhyme	Z
Love we can only call and no name more	Y
As the great lonely thunder rolls sublime	Z
As the great sun doth solitary climb	Z
And we have but themselves to know them by	J
Just so Love stands a stranger amid Time	Z
The god is there the great voice speaks on high	J
We pray 'What art thou Lord ' but win us no reply	J
	-
So in the dark grew Love but feared to flower	A
Dreamed to himself but never spake a word	X
Burned like a prisoned fire from hour to hour	A
Sang his dear song like an unheeded bird	X
Waiting the summoning voice so long unheard	X
Waiting with weary eyes the gracious sign	S
To bring his rose and tell the dream he dared	X
The tremulous moment when the star should shine	S
And each should ask of each and each should answer	A
'Thine '	-
	-
Winter to day but lo to morrow spring	R
They waited long but oh at last it came	A2
Came in a silver hush at evening	R
Francesca toyed with threads upon a frame	A2
Hard by young Paolo read of knight and dame	A2
That long ago had loved and passed away	B2
He had no other way to tell his flame	A2
She dare not listen any other way	B2
But even that was bliss to lovers poor as they	B2
	-
The world grew sweet with wonder in the west	X
The while he read and while she listened there	M
And many a dream from out its silken nest	X
Stole like a curling incense through the air	M
Yet looked she not on him nor did he dare	M
But when the lovers kissed in Paradise	C2
His voice sank and he turned his gaze on her	A
Like a young bird that flutters ere it flies	D2
And lo a shining angel called him from her eyes	D2
	-
Then from the silence sprang a kiss like flame	A2
And they hung lost together while around	X
The world was changed no more to be the same	A2
Meadow or sky no little flower or sound	X
Again the same for earth grew holy ground	X
While in the silence of the mounting moon	E2
Infinite love throbbed in the straining bound	X
Of that great kiss the long delaying boon	E2
Granted indeed at last but ended ah so soon	E2
	-
As the great sobbing fulness of the sea	O
Fills to the throat some void and aching cave	F2
Till all its hollows tremble silently	O
Pressed with sweet weight of softly lapping wave	F2
So kissed those mighty lovers glad and brave	F2
And as a sky from which the sun has gone	G2
Trembles all night with all the stars he gave	F2
A firmament of memories of the sun	H2
So thrilled and thrilled each life when that great kiss was done	H2
	-
But coward shame that had no word to say	B2
In passion's hour with sudden icy clang	I2
Slew the bright morn and through the tarnished day	B2
An iron bell from light to darkness rang	I2
She shut her ears because a throstle sang	I2
She dare not hear the little innocent bird	X
And a white flower made her poor head to hang	I2
To be so white once she was white as curd	X
But now 'Alack ' 'Alack ' She speaks no other word	X
	-
The pearly line on yonder hills afar	E
Within the dawn when mounts the lark and sings	L
By the great angel of the morning star	E
That was his love and all free fair fresh things	L
That move and glitter while the daylight springs	L
To thus know love and yet to spoil love thus	J2
To lose the dream O silly beating wings	L
Great dream so splendid and miraculous	J2
O Lord O Lord have mercy have mercy upon us	J2
	-
She turned her mind upon the holy ones	K2
Whose love lost here was love in heaven tenfold	X
She thought of Lucy that most blessed of nuns	K2
Who sent her blue eyes on a plate of gold	X
To him who wooed her daily for her love	L2
'Mine eyes ' 'Mine eyes ' 'Here go in peace they are '	-
But ever love came through the midnight grove	M2
Young Love with wild eyes watching from afar	E
And called and called and called until the morning star	E
	-
Ah poor Francesca 'tis not such as thou	N2
That up the stony steeps of heaven climb	Z
Take thou thy heaven with thy Paolo now	N2
Sweet saint of sin saint of a deathless rhyme	Z
Song shall defend thee at the bar of Time	Z
Dante shall set thy fair young glowing face	U
On the dark background of his theme sublime	Z
And Thou and He in your superb disgrace	U
Still on that golden wind of passion shall embrace	U
	-
	-
	-
So love this twain but whither have they passed	X
Ah me that dark must always follow day	B2
That Love's last kiss is surely kissed at last	X
Howe'er so wildly the poor lips may pray	B2
Merciful God is there no other way	B2
And pen O must thou of the ending write	X
The hour Lanciotto found them where they lay	B2
Folded together weary with delight	X
Within the sumptuous petals of the rose of night	X
	-
Yea for Lanciotto found them many an hour	A
Ere their dear joy had run its doom d date	X
Had they in silken nook and blossomed bower	A
All unsuspect the blessed apple ate	X
Who now must grind its core predestinate	X
Kiss kiss poor losing lovers nor deny	J
One little tremor of its bliss for Fate	X
Cometh upon you and the dark is nigh	J
Where all unkissed unkissing learn at length to lie	J
	-
Bent on some journey of the state's concern	O2
They deemed him and indeed he rode thereon	G2
But questioned Paolo 'What if he return '	-
'Nay love indeed he is securely gone	G2
As thou art surely here beloved one	H2
He went ere sundown and our moon is here	P2
A fear love in this heart that yet knew none '	-
How could he fright that little velvet ear	P2
With last night's dream and all its ghostly fear	Q
	-
So did he yield him to her eager breast	X
And half forgot but could not quite forget	X
No sweetest kiss could put that fear to rest	X
And all its haggard vision chilled him yet	X
Their warder moon in nameless trouble set	X
There seemed a traitor echo in the place	U
A moaning wind that moaned for lovers met	X
And once above her head's deep sunk embrace	U
He saw Death at the window with his yellow face	U
	-
Had that same dream caught old Lanciotto's reins	Q2
Bent in a weary huddle on his steed	X
In darkling haste along the blindfold lanes	Q2
Making a clattering halt in all that speed	X
'Fool fool ' he cried 'O dotard fool indeed	X
So ho they wanton while the old man rides '	-
And on the night flashed pictures of the deed	X
'Come ' and he dug his charger's panting sides	R2
And all the homeward dark tore by in roaring tides	R2
	-
As some great lord of acres when a thief	S2
Steals from his park some flower he never sees	T2
Calls it a lily fair beyond belief	S2
Prisons the wretch and fines before he frees	T2
Such jealous madness did Lanciotto seize	T2
All in an instant is Francesca dear	Q
He claims the wife he never cared to please	T2
All in an instant seems his castle near	Q
And those poor lovers sleep forgot at last their fear	Q
	-
His horse left steaming at his journey's end	X
Up through his palace stairs with springing tread	X
He strode the silence met him like a friend	X
Fain to dissuade him from that deed of dread	X
Making a breeze about his burning head	X
Laying large hands of comfort on his soul	U2
Within the ashes of his cheek burned red	X
A long shut rose of youth as to the goal	U2
Of death he sped as once to love's own tryst he stole	U2
	-
He caught a sound as of a rose's breath	V2
He caught another breath of deeper lung	W2
Rose leaves and oak leaves on the wind of death	V2
He drew aside the arras where they clung	W2
In the dim light so lovely and so young	W2
They lay in sin as in a cradle there	M
Twin babes that in one bosom nestling hung	W2
Even Lanciotto paused ah will he spare	M
Who could not quite forgive a wrong that is so fair	M
	-
The grave old clock ticked somewhere in the gloom	X2
A dozen waiting seconds rose and fell	Y2
Ere his pale dagger flickered in the room	X2
Then quenched its corpse light in their bosoms' swell	Y2
'Thus dears I mate you evermore in hell '	-
Their blood ran warm about them and they sighed	X
For the mad smiter did his work too well	Y2
Just drew together softly and so died	X
Fell very still and strange and moved not side by side	X
	-
Yea moved not though two hours he watched the twain	P
And heard their blood drip drip upon the floor	Y
Twice with stern voice he spake to them again	Z2
And then a little tenderly once more	Y
'Thus dears in hell I mate you evermore '	-
And when the curious fingers of the day	X
Unravelled all the dark and morning wore	Y
And the young light played round them where they lay	X
The souls were many leagues upon the hellward way	X