Master Hugues Of Saxe-gotha Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDCD EFGFE CCCCC H CCCCC H IJIJI H KCKCK H HLHLH H MCMCM C NONON C CPCP C QHQHQ C CCCCC C CRCRC H PPPPP H CSCSC H HPHPH H CCCCC H PPPPT C SSSSS C CCCC C CPCPC C HLHLH C ACACA H CPCPC H CUCVC H HAHAH H APAPA H WWWWW C APAPCCCCP PWSAHLSSW

An imaginary composerA
-
I-
-
Hist but a word fair and softB
Forth and be judged Master HuguesC
Answer the question I've put you so oftD
What do you mean by your mountainous fuguesC
See we're alone in the loftD
-
II-
-
I the poor organist hereE
Hugues the composer of noteF
Dead though and done with this many a yearG
Let's have a colloquy something to quoteF
Make the world prick up its earE
-
III-
-
See the church empties apaceC
Fast they extinguish the lightsC
Hallo there sacristan Five minutes' graceC
Here's a crank pedal wants setting to rightsC
Baulks one of holding the baseC
-
IVH
-
See our huge house of the soundsC
Hushing its hundreds at onceC
Bids the last loiterer back to his boundsC
O you may challenge them not a responseC
Get the church saints on their roundsC
-
VH
-
Saints go their rounds who shall doubtI
March with the moon to admireJ
Up nave down chancel turn transept aboutI
Supervise all betwixt pavement and spireJ
Put rats and mice to the routI
-
VIH
-
Aloys and Jurien and JustK
Order things back to their placeC
Have a sharp eye lest the candlesticks rustK
Rub the church plate darn the sacrament laceC
Clear the desk velvet of dustK
-
VIIH
-
Here's your book younger folks shelveH
Played I not off hand and runninglyL
Just now your masterpiece hard number twelveH
Here's what should strike could one handle it cunninglyL
HeIp the axe give it a helveH
-
VIIIH
-
Page after page as I playedM
Every bar's rest where one wipesC
Sweat from one's brow I looked up and surveyedM
O'er my three claviers yon forest of pipesC
Whence you still peeped in the shadeM
-
IXC
-
Sure you were wishful to speakN
You with brow ruled like a scoreO
Yes and eyes buried in pits on each cheekN
Like two great breves as they wrote them of yoreO
Each side that bar your straight beakN
-
XC
-
Sure you said Good the mere notesC
Still couldst thou take my intentP
Know what procured me our Company's votesC
A master were lauded and sciolists shentP
Parted the sheep from the goats ''-
-
XIC
-
Well then speak up never flinchQ
Quick ere my candle's a snuffH
Burnt do you see to its uttermost inchQ
I believe in you but that's not enoughH
Give my conviction a clinchQ
-
XIIC
-
First you deliver your phraseC
Nothing propound that I seeC
Fit in itself for much blame or much praiseC
Answered no less where no answer needs beC
Off start the Two on their waysC
-
XIIIC
-
Straight must a Third interposeC
Volunteer needlessly helpR
In strikes a Fourth a Fifth thrusts in his noseC
So the cry's open the kennel's a yelpR
Argument's hot to the closeC
-
XIVH
-
One dissertates he is candidP
Two must discept has distinguishedP
Three helps the couple if ever yet man didP
Four protests Five makes a dart at the thing wishedP
Back to One goes the case bandiedP
-
XVH
-
One says his say with a differenceC
More of expounding explainingS
All now is wrangle abuse and vociferanceC
Now there's a truce all's subdued self restrainingS
Five though stands out all the stiffer henceC
-
XVIH
-
One is incisive corrosiveH
Two retorts nettled curt crepitantP
Three makes rejoinder expansive explosiveH
Four overbears them all strident and strepitantP
Five O Danaides O SieveH
-
XVIIH
-
Now they ply axes and crowbarsC
Now they prick pins at a tissueC
Fine as a skein of the casuist Escobar'sC
Worked on the bone of a lie To what issueC
Where is our gain at the Two barsC
-
XVIIIH
-
Est fuga volvitur rotaP
On we drift where looms the dim portP
One Two Three Four Five contribute their quotaP
Something is gained if one caught but the importP
Show it us Hugues of Saxe GothaT
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XIXC
-
What with affirming denyingS
Holding risposting subjoiningS
All's like it's like for an instance I'm tryingS
There See our roof its gilt moulding and groiningS
Under those spider webs lyingS
-
XXC
-
So your fugue broadens and thickensC
Greatens and deepens and lengthensC
Till we exclaim But where's music the dickensC
Blot ye the gold while your spider web strengthensC
Blacked to the stoutest of tickens ''-
-
XXIC
-
I for man's effort am zealousC
Prove me such censure unfoundedP
Seems it surprising a lover grows jealousC
Hopes 'twas for something his organ pipes soundedP
Tiring three boys at the bellowsC
-
XXIIC
-
Is it your moral of LifeH
Such a web simple and subtleL
Weave we on earth here in impotent strifeH
Backward and forward each throwing his shuttleL
Death ending all with a knifeH
-
XXIIIC
-
Over our heads truth and natureA
Still our life's zigzags and dodgesC
Ins and outs weaving a new legislatureA
God's gold just shining its last where that lodgesC
Palled beneath man's usurpatureA
-
XXIVH
-
So we o'ershroud stars and rosesC
Cherub and trophy and garlandP
Nothings grow something which quietly closesC
Heaven's earnest eye not a glimpse of the far landP
Gets through our comments and glozesC
-
XXVH
-
Ah but traditions inventionsC
Say we and make up a visageU
So many men with such various intentionsC
Down the past ages must know more than this ageV
Leave we the web its dimensionsC
-
XXVIH
-
Who thinks Hugues wrote for the deafH
Proved a mere mountain in labourA
Better submit try again what's the clefH
'Faith 'tis no trifle for pipe and for taborA
Four flats the minor in FH
-
XXVIIH
-
Friend your fugue taxes the fingerA
Learning it once who would lose itP
Yet all the while a misgiving will lingerA
Truth's golden o'er us although we refuse itP
Nature thro' cobwebs we string herA
-
XXVIIIH
-
Hugues I advise Me PnW
Counterpoint glares like a GorgonW
Bid One Two Three Four Five clear the arenaW
Say the word straight I unstop the full organW
Blare out the mode PalestrinaW
-
XXIXC
-
While in the roof if I'm right thereA
Lo you the wick in the socketP
Hallo you sacristan show us a light thereA
Down it dips gone like a rocketP
What you want do you to come unawaresC
Sweeping the church up for first morning prayersC
And find a poor devil has ended his caresC
At the foot of your rotten runged rat riddled stairsC
Do I carry the moon in my pocketP
-
A fugue is a short melodyP
Keyboard of organW
A note in musicS
The daughters of Danaus condemned to pour waterA
into a sieveH
The Spanish casuist so severely mauled by PascalL
A quick return in fencingS
A closely woven fabricS
Giovanni P da Palestrina celebrated musicianW

Robert Browning



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