The Lament Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABBCBC DEDEEFEF GHGHHIHI JKJKLMKN OPOPPQPQ RSTSSUSU VWVWVXWX VYVYYVYV ZVZVVVVV VA2VA2DVDB2| O THOU pale orb that silent shines | A |
| While care untroubled mortals sleep | B |
| Thou seest a wretch who inly pines | A |
| And wanders here to wail and weep | B |
| With woe I nightly vigils keep | B |
| Beneath thy wan unwarming beam | C |
| And mourn in lamentation deep | B |
| How life and love are all a dream | C |
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| - | |
| I joyless view thy rays adorn | D |
| The faintly marked distant hill | E |
| I joyless view thy trembling horn | D |
| Reflected in the gurgling rill | E |
| My fondly fluttering heart be still | E |
| Thou busy pow'r remembrance cease | F |
| Ah must the agonizing thrill | E |
| For ever bar returning peace | F |
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| - | |
| No idly feign'd poetic pains | G |
| My sad love lorn lamentings claim | H |
| No shepherd's pipe Arcadian strains | G |
| No fabled tortures quaint and tame | H |
| The plighted faith the mutual flame | H |
| The oft attested pow'rs above | I |
| The promis'd father's tender name | H |
| These were the pledges of my love | I |
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| - | |
| Encircled in her clasping arms | J |
| How have the raptur'd moments flown | K |
| How have I wish'd for fortune's charms | J |
| For her dear sake and her's alone | K |
| And must I think it is she gone | L |
| My secret heart's exulting boast | M |
| And does she heedless hear my groan | K |
| And is she ever ever lost | N |
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| - | |
| Oh can she bear so base a heart | O |
| So lost to honour lost to truth | P |
| As from the fondest lover part | O |
| The plighted husband of her youth | P |
| Alas life's path may be unsmooth | P |
| Her way may lie thro' rough distress | Q |
| Then who her pangs and pains will soothe | P |
| Her sorrows share and make them less | Q |
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| - | |
| Ye wing d hours that o'er us pass'd | R |
| Enraptur'd more the more enjoy'd | S |
| Your dear remembrance in my breast | T |
| My fondly treasur'd thoughts employ'd | S |
| That breast how dreary now and void | S |
| For her too scanty once of room | U |
| Ev'n ev'ry ray of hope destroy'd | S |
| And not a wish to gild the gloom | U |
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| - | |
| The morn that warns th' approaching day | V |
| Awakes me up to toil and woe | W |
| I see the hours in long array | V |
| That I must suffer lingering slow | W |
| Full many a pang and many a throe | V |
| Keen recollection's direful train | X |
| Must wring my soul were Phoebus low | W |
| Shall kiss the distant western main | X |
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| - | |
| And when my nightly couch I try | V |
| Sore harass'd out with care and grief | Y |
| My toil beat nerves and tear worn eye | V |
| Keep watchings with the nightly thief | Y |
| Or if I slumber fancy chief | Y |
| Reigns haggard wild in sore affright | V |
| Ev'n day all bitter brings relief | Y |
| From such a horror breathing night | V |
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| O thou bright queen who o'er th' expanse | Z |
| Now highest reign'st with boundless sway | V |
| Oft has thy silent marking glance | Z |
| Observ'd us fondly wand'ring stray | V |
| The time unheeded sped away | V |
| While love's luxurious pulse beat high | V |
| Beneath thy silver gleaming ray | V |
| To mark the mutual kindling eye | V |
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| - | |
| Oh scenes in strong remembrance set | V |
| Scenes never never to return | A2 |
| Scenes if in stupor I forget | V |
| Again I feel again I burn | A2 |
| From ev'ry joy and pleasure torn | D |
| Life's weary vale I'll wander thro' | V |
| And hopeless comfortless I'll mourn | D |
| A faithless woman's broken vow | B2 |
Robert Burns
(1)
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