Tristram's End Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABACDEEFDFGGHIJKJL JMLNO PQRSRRSTTRUUM VBVWWGGXYY ZA2A2B2ZZZC2D2WE2D2F 2IG2HG2F2IA H2UUH2G2G2UI2TJ2I2TJ 2TJ2K2K2WWL2E2L2G2G2 G2UUKM2IM2N2O2N2O2 AUP2MP2MI2UI2U Q2AUAUR2MR2M UUUUUS2US2U Q2T2GT2GQ2UD2U UMLMLXU2V2U2 Q2B2W2B2W2DWDE2 UJ2X2J2X2P2GP2G Q2UY2UY2Z2A3B3A3 A3L2A3G2A3A3C3A3C3 Q2A3A3A3A3D3E3D3E3 A3H2F3G3F3I2MI2M Q2A3H3A3H3AA3AA3 A3I3A3I3A3H2J3K3J3 Q2L3M3L3M3A3A3A3A3 A3O2A3O2A3N3S2N3S2 Q2F2BF2BA3A3A3A3 A3A3A3A3A3A3A3A3A3 Q2O3MO3MF2A3F2A3 A3A3P3A3P3Q3R3Q3R3 Q2A3O2A3O2NS3NS3 A3A3 Q2N2A3N2 A3EE3EE3 AA3I2A3T3A3I2T3A3A3I 2TI2I2A3TA3A3A3A3LJ2 F2GJ2J2J2 P3I2I2P3I2P3M2M2O2A3 O2U3A3A3A3A3WE2P3WP3 P3U2U2P3P3U2M3M3A3P3 P3A3P3P3R3R3P3P3P3P3 P3P3A3A3P3P3P3P3M3 Z2A3Z2A3R3R3R3B3R3Q2 Q2A3A3A3A3A3A3A3A3R3 R3A3A3H3A3A3H3P3P3P3 CP3CQ2D2CA3P3P3P3A3P 3A3 V3V3L2L2L2F2F2P3P3A3 A3A3A3A3P3F3F3P3A3A3 W3W3A3A3A3P3P3A3A3

I	A
Tristram lies sick to death	B
Dulled is his kingly eye	A
Listless his famed right arm earth weary breath	B
Hath force alone to sigh	A
The one name that re kindles life's low flame	C
Isoult And thou fair moon of Tristram's eve	D
Who with that many memoried name didst take	E
A glory for the sake	E
Of her who shone the sole light of his days and deeds	F
Thou canst no more relieve	D
This heart that inly bleeds	F
With all thy love with all thy tender lore	G
No nor thy white hands soothe him any more	G
Still the day long she hears	H
Kind words that are more sharp to her than spears	I
Ah loved he more he had not been so kind	J
And still with pricking tears	K
She watches him and still must seem resigned	J
Though well she knows what face his eyes require	L
And jealous pangs like coiled snakes in her mind	J
Cling tighter as that voice more earnestly	M
Asks heavy with desire	L
From out that passionate past which is not hers	N
Sweet wife is there no sail upon the sea ''	O
	-
Tenderest hearts by pain grow oft the bitterest	P
And haste to wound the thing they love the best	Q
At evening at sun set to Tristram's bed	R
News on her lips she brings	S
She comes with eyes bright in divining dread	R
Hardening her anguished heart she bends above his head	R
O Tristram '' How her low voice strangely rings	S
There comes a ship ah rise not turn not pale	T
I know not what this means it is a sail	T
Black black as night '' She shot her word and fled	R
But Tristram cried	U
With a great cry and rose upon his side	U
It cannot be it cannot shall not be	M
I will not die until mine own eyes see ''	-
Despair more strong than hope lifts his weak limbs	V
He stands and draws deep effort from his breath	B
He trembles his gaze swims	V
He gropes his steps in pain	W
Nigh fainting till he gain	W
Salt air and brightness from the outer door	G
That opens on the cliff built bastion floor	G
And the wide ocean gleaming far beneath	X
He gazes his lips part	Y
And all the blood pours back upon his heart	Y
	-
Close thine eyes Tristram lest joy blind thee quite	Z
So swift a splendour burns away thy doubt	A2
Nay Tristram gaze gaze lest bright Truth go out	A2
Ere she hath briefly shone	B2
White dazzling white	Z
A sail swells onward filling all his sight	Z
With snowy light	Z
As on a gull's sure wing the ship comes on	C2
She towers upon the wave she speeds for home	D2
Tristram on either doorpost must sustain	W
His arms for strength to gaze his fill again	E2
She shivers off the wind the shining foam	D2
Bursts from her pitching prow	F2
The sail drops as she nears	I
Poised on the joyous swell and Tristram sees	G2
The mariners upon the deck he hears	H
Their eager cries the breeze	G2
Blows a blue cloak and now	F2
Like magic brought to his divining ears	I
A voice that empties all the earth and sky	A
Comes clear across the water It is I ''	-
	-
Isoult is come Victorious saints above	H2
Who suffered anguish ere to bliss you died	U
Have pity on him whom Love so sore hath tried	U
Who sinned yet greatly suffered for his love	H2
That dear renounc d love when now he sees	G2
Heavy with joy he sinks upon his knees	G2
O had she wings to lift her to his side	U
But she is far below	I2
Where the spray breaks upon the rusted rail	T
And rock hewn steps and there	J2
Stands gazing up and lo	I2
Tristram how faint and pale	T
A pity overcomes her like despair	J2
How shall her strength avail	T
To conquer that steep stair	J2
Dark terrible and ignorant as Time	K2
Up which her feet must climb	K2
To Tristram His outstretching arms are fain	W
To help her yet are helpless and his pain	W
Is hers and her pain Tristram's with long sighs	L2
She mounts then halts again	E2
Till she have drawn strength from his love dimmed eyes	L2
But when that wasted face anew she sees	G2
Despair anew subdues her knees	G2
She fails yet still she mounts by sad degrees	G2
With all her soul into her gaze upcast	U
Until at last at last	U
What tears are like the wondering tears	K
Of that entranced embrace	M2
When out of desolate and divided years	I
Face meets belov d face	M2
What cry most exquisite of grief or bliss	N2
The too full heart shall tell	O2
When the new recovered kiss	N2
Is the kiss of last farewell	O2
	-
	-
II	A
Isoult	U
O Tristram is this true	P2
Is it thou I see	M
With my own eyes clasp in my arms I knew	P2
I knew that this must be	M
Thou couldst not suffer so	I2
And I not feel the smart	U
Far far away But oh	I2
How pale my love thou art	U
	-
Tristram	Q2
'Tis I Isoult 'tis I	A
That thee enfold	U
I have seen thee my own life and yet I die	A
O for my strength of old	U
O that thy love could heal	R2
This wound that conquers me	M
But the night is come I feel	R2
And the last sun set for me	M
	-
Isoult	U
Tristram 'twas I that healed thy hurt	U
That old fierce wound of Morolt's poisoned sword	U
Stricken to death pale pale as now thou wert	U
Yet was thy strength restored	U
Have I forgot my skill	S2
This wound shall yet be healed	U
Love shall be master still	S2
And Death again shall yield	U
	-
Tristram	Q2
Isoult if Time could bring me back	T2
That eve that first eve and that Irish shore	G
Then should I fear not no nor nothing lack	T2
And life were mine once more	G
But now too late thou art come	Q2
Too long we have dwelt apart	U
I have pined in an alien home	D2
This new joy bursts my heart	U
	-
Isoult	U
Hark Tristram to the breaking sea	M
So sounded the dim waves at such an hour	L
On such an eve when thy voice came to me	M
First in my father's tower	L
I heard thy sad harp from the shore beneath	X
It stirred my soul from sleep	U2
Then it was bliss to breathe	V2
But now but now I weep	U2
	-
Tristram	Q2
Shipwrecked without hope without friend alone	B2
On a strange shore stricken with pang on pang	W2
I stood sad hearted by that tower unknown	B2
Yet soon for joy I sang	W2
For could I see thee and on death believe	D
Ah glad would I die to attain	W
The beat of my heart that eve	D
And the song in my mouth again	E2
	-
Isoult	U
Young was I then and fair	J2
Thou too wast fair and young	X2
How comely the brown hair	J2
Down on thy shoulder hung	X2
O Tristram all grows dark as then it grew	P2
But still I see thee on that surge beat shore	G
Thou camest and all was new	P2
And changed for evermore	G
	-
Tristram	Q2
Isoult dost thou regret	U
Behold my wasted cheek	Y2
With salt tears it is wet	U
My arms how faint how weak	Y2
And thou since that far day what hast thou seen	Z2
Save strife and tears and failure and dismay	A3
Had that hour never been	B3
Peace had been thine this day	A3
	-
Isoult	A3
Look Tristram in my eyes	L2
My own love I could feed	A3
Life well with miseries	G2
So thou wert mine indeed	A3
Proud were the tears I wept	A3
That day that hour I bless	C3
Nor would for peace accept	A3
One single pain the less	C3
	-
Tristram	Q2
Isoult my heart is rent	A3
What pangs our bliss hath bought	A3
Only joy we meant	A3
Yet woe and wrong we have wrought	A3
I vowed a vow in the dark	D3
And thee who wert mine I gave	E3
For a word's sake to King Mark	D3
Words words have digged our grave	E3
	-
Isoult	A3
Tristram despite thy love	H2
King Mark had yet thine oath	F3
Ah surely thy heart strove	G3
How to be true to both	F3
Blame not thyself for woe	I2
'Twixt us was doomed to be	M
One only thing I know	I2
Thou hast been true to me	M
	-
Tristram	Q2
Accurst be still that day	A3
When lightly I vowed the king	H3
Whatever he might pray	A3
Home to his hands I'd bring	H3
Thee thee he asked And I	A
Who never feared man's sword	A3
Yielded my life to a lie	A
To save the truth of a word	A3
	-
Isoult	A3
Think not of that day think	I3
Of the day when our lips desired	A3
Unknowing that cup to drink	I3
The cup with a charm was fired	A3
From thee to beguile my love	H2
But now in my soul it shall burn	J3
For ever nor turn nor remove	K3
Till the sun in his course shall turn	J3
	-
Tristram	Q2
Or ever that draught we drank	L3
Thy heart Isoult was mine	M3
My heart was thine I thank	L3
God's grace no wizard wine	M3
No stealth of a drop distilled	A3
By a spell in the night no art	A3
No charm could have ever filled	A3
With aught but thee my heart	A3
	-
Isoult	A3
When last we said farewell	O2
Remember how we dreamed	A3
Wild love to have learned to quell	O2
Our hearts grown wise we deemed	A3
Tender parted friends	N3
We vowed to be but the will	S2
Of Love meant other ends	N3
Words fool us Tristram still	S2
	-
Tristram	Q2
Not now Isoult not now	F2
I am thine while I have breath	B
Words part us not nor vow	F2
No nor King Mark but death	B
I hold thee to my breast	A3
Our sins our woes are past	A3
Thy lips were the first I prest	A3
Thou art mine thou art mine at the last	A3
	-
Isoult	A3
O Tristram all grows old	A3
Enfold me closer yet	A3
The night grows vast and cold	A3
And the dew on thy hair falls wet	A3
And never shall Time rebuild	A3
The places of our delight	A3
Those towers and gardens are filled	A3
With emptiness now and night	A3
	-
Tristram	Q2
Isoult let it all be a dream	O3
The days and the deeds let them be	M
As the bough that I cast on the stream	O3
And that lived but to bring thee to me	M
As the leaves that I broke from the bough	F2
To float by thy window and say	A3
That I waited thy coming O now	F2
Thou art come let the world be as they	A3
	-
Isoult	A3
How dark is the strong waves' sound	A3
Tristram they fill me with fear	P3
We two are but spent waves drowned	A3
In the coming of year upon year	P3
Long dead are our friends and our foes	Q3
Old Rual Brangian all	R3
That helped us or wrought us woes	Q3
And we the last we fall	R3
	-
Tristram	Q2
God and his great saints guard	A3
True friends that loved us well	O2
And all false foes be barred	A3
In the fiery gates of hell	O2
But broken be all those towers	N
And sunken be all those ships	S3
Shut out those old dead hours	N
Life life is on thy lips	S3
	-
Isoult	A3
Tristram my soul is afraid	A3
	-
Tristram	Q2
Isoult Isoult thy kiss	N2
To sorrow though I was made	A3
I die in bliss in bliss	N2
	-
Isoult	A3
Tristram my heart must break	E
O leave me not in the grave	E3
Of the dark world Me too take	E
Save me O Tristram save	E3
	-
	-
III	A
Calm calm the moving waters all the night	A3
On to that shore roll slow	I2
Fade into foam against the cliff's dim height	A3
And fall in a soft thunder and upsurge	T3
For ever out of unexhausted might	A3
Lifting their voice below	I2
Tuned to no human dirge	T3
Nor from their majesty of music bend	A3
To wail for beauty's end	A3
Or towering spirit's most fiery overthrow	I2
Nor tarrieth the dawn though she unveil	T
To weeping eyes their woe	I2
The dawn that doth not know	I2
What the dark night hath wrought	A3
And over the far wave comes pacing pale	T
Of all that she reveals regarding nought	A3
But ere the dawn there comes a faltering tread	A3
Isoult the young wife stealing from her bed	A3
Sleepless with dread	A3
Creeps by still wall and blinded corridor	L
Till from afar the salt scent of the air	J2
Blows on her brow and now	F2
In that pale space beyond the open door	G
What mute clasped shadow dulls her to despair	J2
By keen degrees aware	J2
That with the dawn her widowhood is there	J2
	-
Is it wild envy or remorseful fear	P3
Transfixes her young heart unused to woe	I2
Crying to meet wrath hatred any foe	I2
Not silence drear	P3
Not to be vanquished so	I2
By silence on the lips that were so dear	P3
Ah sharpest stab it is another face	M2
That leans to Tristram's piteous embrace	M2
Another face she knows not yet knows well	O2
Whose hands are clasped about his helpless head	A3
Propping it where it fell	O2
In a vain tenderness	U3
But dead her great dream hated rival dead	A3
Invulnerably dead	A3
Dead as her love and cold	A3
And on her heart a grief heavy as stone is rolled	A3
She bows down stricken in accusing pain	W
And love long baffled surges back again	E2
Over her heart she wails a shuddering cry	P3
While the tears blindly rain	W
I I have killed him I that loved him I	P3
That for his dear sake had been glad to die	P3
I loved him not enough I could not keep	U2
His heart and yet I loved him O how deep	U2
I cannot touch him Will none set him free	P3
From those those other arms and give him me	P3
Alas I may not vex him from that sleep	U2
He is thine in the end thou proud one he is thine	M3
Not mine not mine	M3
I loved him not enough I could not hold	A3
My tongue from stabbing and forsook him there	P3
I had not any care	P3
To keep him from the darkness and the cold	A3
O all my wretched servants where were ye	P3
Hath none in my house tended him but she	P3
Where are ye now Can ye not hear my call	R3
Come hither laggards all	R3
Nay hush not so affrighted nor so stare	P3
Upon your lord 'tis he	P3
Put out your torches for the dawn grows clear	P3
And set me out within the hall a bier	P3
And wedding robes the costliest that are	P3
In all my house prepare	P3
And lay upon the silks these princely dead	A3
And bid the sailors take that funeral bed	A3
And set it in the ship and put to sea	P3
And north to Cornwall steer	P3
Farewell my lord thy home is far from here	P3
Farewell my great love dead and doubly dear	P3
Carry him hence proud queen for he is thine	M3
Not mine not mine not mine ''	-
	-
Within Tintagel walls King Mark awaits his queen	Z2
The south wind blows surely she comes to day	A3
No light hath his eye seen	Z2
Since she is gone no pleasure he grows gray	A3
His knights apart make merry and wassail	R3
With dice and chessboard hound at knee they play	R3
But he sits solitary all the day	R3
Thinking of what hath been	B3
And now through all the castle rings a wail	R3
The king arises all his knights are dumb	Q2
The queen the queen is come	Q2
Not as she came of old	A3
Sweeping with gesture proud	A3
To meet her wronged lord royally arrayed	A3
And music ushered her and tongues were stayed	A3
And all hearts beat her beauty to behold	A3
But mute she comes and cold	A3
Borne on a bier apparelled in a shroud	A3
Daisies about her sprinkled and now bowed	A3
Is her lord's head and hushing upon all	R3
Thoughts of sorrow fall	R3
As the snow softly without any word	A3
And every breast is stirred	A3
With wonder in its weeping	H3
For by her sleeping side	A3
In that long sleep no morning shall divide	A3
Is Tristram sleeping	H3
Tristram who wept farewell and fled and swore	P3
That he would clasp his dear love never more	P3
And sailed far over sea	P3
Far from his bliss and shame	C
And dreamed to die at peace in Brittany	P3
And to uncloud at last the glory of his name	C
Yet lo with fingers clasping both are come	Q2
Come again home	D2
In all men's sight as when of old they came	C
And Tristram led Isoult another's bride	A3
True to his vow but to his heart untrue	P3
And silver trumpets blew	P3
To greet them stepping o'er the flower strewn floor	P3
And King Mark smiled upon them and men cried	A3
On Tristram's name anew	P3
Tristram the king's strong champion and great pride	A3
	-
Silently gazing long	V3
On them that wrought him wrong	V3
Still stands the stricken king and to his eyes	L2
Such tears as old men weep yet shed not rise	L2
Lifting his head at last as from a trance he sighs	L2
Beautiful ever O Isoult wast thou	F2
And beautiful art thou now	F2
Though never again shall I reproaching thee	P3
Make thy proud head more beautiful to me	P3
But this is the last reproach and this the last	A3
Forgiveness that thou hast	A3
Lost is the lost Isoult and past the past	A3
O Tristram no more shalt thou need to hide	A3
Thy thought from my thought sitting at my side	A3
Nor need to wrestle sore	P3
With thy great love and with thy fix d oath	F3
For now Death leaves thee loyal unto both	F3
Even as thou wouldst have been for evermore	P3
Now after all thy pain thy brow looks glad	A3
But I lack all things that I ever had	A3
My wife my friend yea even my jealous rage	W3
And empty is the house of my old age	W3
Behold I have laboured all my days to part	A3
These two that were the dearest to my heart	A3
Isoult I would have fenced thee from men's sight	A3
My treasure that I found so very fair	P3
The treasure I had taken with a snare	P3
To keep thee mine this was my life's delight	A3
And now the end is come alone I stand	A3
And the hand that lies in thine is not my hand ''	-

Robert Laurence Binyon

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