The Italian In England Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ KKLLMMNNOOPPQQRRSSTT UUVVWW XXAAYYZZHHCCA2B2C2C2 D2D2E2E2F2F2LLG2G2GG H2H2I2J2K2K2L2L2M2M2 N2N2O2 O2P2P2KKJ2J2Q2Q2PPA2 A2R2R2S2S2XXAAT2T2 U2U2AU2V2V2U2U2AAW2W 2U2U2U2U2U2U2X2X2U2U 2HHU2U2OOU2U2Y2Y2U2U 2U2U2Z2Z2A3A3B3B3U2U 2C3C3U2U2HH D3D3

That second time they hunted meA
From hill to plain from shore to seaA
And Austria hounding far and wideB
Her blood hounds through the countrysideB
Breathed hot and instant on my traceC
I made six days a hiding placeC
Of that dry green old aqueductD
Where I and Charles when boys have pluckedD
The fire flies from the roof aboveE
Bright creeping throuoh the moss they loveE
How long it seems since Charles was lostF
Six days the soldiers crossed and crossedF
The country in my very sightG
And when that peril ceased at nightG
The sky broke out in red dismayH
With signal fires well there I layH
Close covered o'er in my recessI
Up to the neck in ferns and cressI
Thinking on Metternich our friendJ
And Charles's miserable endJ
And much beside two days the thirdK
Hunger o'ercame me when I heardK
The peasants from the village goL
To work among the maize you knowL
With us in Lombardy they bringM
Provisions packed on mules a stringM
With little bells that cheer their taskN
And casks and boughs on every caskN
To keep the sun's heat from the wineO
These I let pass in jingling lineO
And close on them dear noisy crewP
The peasants from the village tooP
For at the very rear would troopQ
Their wives and sisters in a groupQ
To help I knew when these had passedR
I threw my glove to strike the lastR
Taking the chance she did not startS
Much less cry out but stooped apartS
One instant rapidly glanced roundT
And saw me beckon from the groundT
A wild bush grows and hides my cryptU
She picked my glove up while she strippedU
A branch off then rejoined the restV
With that my glove lay in her breastV
Then I drew breath they disappearedW
It was for Italy I fearedW
-
An hour and she returned aloneX
Exactly where my glove was thrownX
Meanwhile come many thoughts on meA
Rested the hopes of ItalyA
I had devised a certain taleY
Which when 'twas told her could not failY
Persuade a peasant of its truthZ
I meant to call a freak of youthZ
This hiding and give hopes of payH
And no temptation to betrayH
But when I saw that woman's faceC
Its calm simplicity of graceC
Our Italy's own attitudeA2
In which she walked thus far and stoodB2
Planting each naked foot so firmC2
To crush the snake and spare the wormC2
At first sight of her eyes I saidD2
I am that man upon whose headD2
They fix the price because I hateE2
The Austrians over us the StateE2
Will give you gold oh gold so muchF2
If you betray me to their clutchF2
And be your death for aught I knowL
If once they find you saved their foeL
Now you must bring me food and drinkG2
And also paper pen and inkG2
And carry safe what I shall writeG
To Padua which you'll reach at nightG
Before the Duomo shuts go inH2
And wait till Tenebrae beginH2
Walk to the Third ConfessionalI2
Between the pillar and the wallJ2
And Kneeling whisper whence comes peaceK2
Say it a second time then ceaseK2
And if the voice inside returnsL2
From Christ and Freedom what concernsL2
The cause of Peace for answer slipM2
My letter where you placed your lipM2
Then come back happy we have doneN2
Our mother service I the sonN2
As you daughter of our landO2
-
Three mornings more she took her standO2
In the same place with the same eyesP2
I was no surer of sunriseP2
Than of her coming we conferredK
Of her own prospects and I heardK
She had a lover stout and tallJ2
She said then let her eyelids fallJ2
He could do much as if some doubtQ2
Entered her heart then passing outQ2
She could not speak for others whoP
Had other thoughts herself she knewP
And so she brought me drink and foodA2
After four days the scouts pursuedA2
Another path at last arrivedR2
The help my Paduan friends contrivedR2
To furnish me she brought the newsS2
For the first time I could not chooseS2
But kiss her hand and lay my ownX
Upon her head This faith was shownX
To Italy our mother sheA
Uses my hand and blesses theeA
She followed down to the seashoreT2
I left and never saw her moreT2
-
How very long since I have thoughtU2
Concerning much less wished for aughtU2
Beside the good of ItalyA
For which I live and mean to dieU2
I never was in love and sinceV2
Charles proved false nothing could convinceV2
My inmost heart I had a friendU2
However if I pleased to spendU2
Real wishes on myself say ThreeA
I know at least what one should beA
I would grasp Metternich untilW2
I felt his red wet throat distilW2
In blood through these two hands and nextU2
Nor much for that am I perplexedU2
Charles perjured traitor for his partU2
Should die slow of a broken heartU2
Under his new employers lastU2
Ah there what should I wish For fastU2
Do I grow old and out of strengthX2
If I resolved to seek at lengthX2
My father's house again how scaredU2
They all would look and unpreparedU2
My brothers live in Austria's payH
Disowned me long ago men sayH
And all my early mates who usedU2
To praise me so perhaps inducedU2
More than one early step of mineO
Are turning wise while some opineO
Freedom grows License some suspectU2
Haste breeds Delay and recollectU2
They always said such prematureY2
Beginnings never could endureY2
So with a sullen All's for bestU2
The land seems settling to its restU2
I think then I should wish to standU2
This evening in that dear lost landU2
Over the sea the thousand milesZ2
And know if yet that woman smilesZ2
With the calm smile some little farmA3
She lives in there no doubt what harmA3
If I sate on the door side benchB3
And while her spindle made a trenchB3
Fantastically in the dustU2
Inquired of all her fortunes justU2
Her children's ages and their namesC3
And what may be the husband's aimsC3
For each of them I'd talk this outU2
And sit there for and hour aboutU2
Then kiss her hand once more and layH
Mine on her head and go my wayH
-
So much for idle wishing howD3
It steals the time To business nowD3

Robert Browning



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