The Burial Of William - The Conqueror Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFGF HIHI JKJK LMLM NONO IPIP IQIQ MRM ISIS TQTQ JUJU DVWV DQXQ PYPY ZRZR| Oh who may this dead warrior be | A |
| That to his grave they bring | B |
| Tis William Duke of Normandy | A |
| The conqueror and king | B |
| - | |
| Across the sea with fire and sword | C |
| The English crown he won | D |
| The lawless Scots they owned him lord | C |
| But now his rule is done | D |
| - | |
| A king should die from length of years | E |
| A conqueror in the field | F |
| A king amid his people's tears | G |
| A conqueror on his shield | F |
| - | |
| But he who ruled by sword and flame | H |
| Who swore to ravage France | I |
| Like some poor serf without a name | H |
| Has died by mere mischance | I |
| - | |
| To Caen now he comes to sleep | J |
| The minster bells they toll | K |
| A solemn sound it is and deep | J |
| May God receive his soul | K |
| - | |
| With priests that chant a wailing hymn | L |
| He slowly comes this way | M |
| To where the painted windows dim | L |
| The lively light of day | M |
| - | |
| He enters in The townsfolk stand | N |
| In reverent silence round | O |
| To see the lord of all the land | N |
| Take house in narrow ground | O |
| - | |
| While in the dwelling place he seeks | I |
| To lay him they prepare | P |
| One Asselin FitzArthur speaks | I |
| And bids the priests forbear | P |
| - | |
| The ground whereon this abbey stands | I |
| Is mine ' he cries by right | Q |
| Twas wrested from my father's hands | I |
| By lawlessness and might | Q |
| - | |
| Duke William took the land away | M |
| To build this minster high | R |
| Bury the robber where ye may | M |
| But here he shall not lie ' | - |
| - | |
| The holy brethren bid him cease | I |
| But he will not be stilled | S |
| And soon the house of God's own peace | I |
| With noise and strife is filled | S |
| - | |
| And some cry shame on Asselin | T |
| Such tumult to excite | Q |
| Some say it was Duke William's sin | T |
| And Asselin does right | Q |
| - | |
| But he round whom their quarrels keep | J |
| Lies still and takes no heed | U |
| No strife can mar a dead man's sleep | J |
| And this is rest indeed | U |
| - | |
| Now Asselin at length is won | D |
| The land's full price to take | V |
| And let the burial rites go on | W |
| And so a peace they make | V |
| - | |
| When Harold king of Englishmen | D |
| Was killed in Senlac fight | Q |
| Duke William would not yield him then | X |
| A Christian grave or rite | Q |
| - | |
| Because he fought for keeping free | P |
| His kingdom and his throne | Y |
| No Christian rite nor grave had he | P |
| In land that was his own | Y |
| - | |
| And just it is this Duke unkind | Z |
| Now he has come to die | R |
| In plundered land should hardly find | Z |
| Sufficient space to lie | R |
Robert Fuller Murray
(1)
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The Burial Of William - The Conqueror is a poem by Robert Fuller Murray. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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