The Ballad Of East And West Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Oh East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet	A
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat	A
But there is neither East nor West Border nor Breed nor Birth	B
When two strong men stand face to face	C
tho' they come from the ends of the earth	B
	-
Kamal is out with twenty men to raise the Border side	D
And he has lifted the Colonel's mare that is the Colonel's pride	D
He has lifted her out of the stable door between the dawn and the day	E
And turned the calkins upon her feet and ridden her far away	E
Then up and spoke the Colonel's son that led a troop of the Guides	F
quot Is there never a man of all my men can say where Kamal hides quot	E
Then up and spoke Mahommed Khan the son of the Ressaldar	G
quot If ye know the track of the morning mist ye know where his pickets are	G
At dusk he harries the Abazai at dawn he is into Bonair	G
But he must go by Fort Bukloh to his own place to fare	G
So if ye gallop to Fort Bukloh as fast as a bird can fly	H
By the favour of God ye may cut him off ere he win to the Tongue of Jagai	I
But if he be past the Tongue of Jagai right swiftly turn ye then	J
For the length and the breadth of that grisly plain is sown with Kamal's men	J
There is rock to the left and rock to the right and low lean thorn between	K
And ye may hear a breech bolt snick where never a man is seen quot	E
The Colonel's son has taken a horse and a raw rough dun was he	L
With the mouth of a bell and the heart of Hell	M
and the head of the gallows tree	L
The Colonel's son to the Fort has won they bid him stay to eat	E
Who rides at the tail of a Border thief he sits not long at his meat	E
He's up and away from Fort Bukloh as fast as he can fly	H
Till he was aware of his father's mare in the gut of the Tongue of Jagai	I
Till he was aware of his father's mare with Kamal upon her back	I
And when he could spy the white of her eye he made the pistol crack	I
He has fired once he has fired twice but the whistling ball went wide	E
quot Ye shoot like a soldier quot Kamal said quot Show now if ye can ride quot	E
It's up and over the Tongue of Jagai as blown dustdevils go	I
The dun he fled like a stag of ten but the mare like a barren doe	I
The dun he leaned against the bit and slugged his head above	N
But the red mare played with the snaffle bars as a maiden plays with a glove	N
There was rock to the left and rock to the right and low lean thorn between	K
And thrice he heard a breech bolt snick tho' never a man was seen	K
They have ridden the low moon out of the sky their hoofs drum up the dawn	O
The dun he went like a wounded bull but the mare like a new roused fawn	O
The dun he fell at a water course in a woful heap fell he	L
And Kamal has turned the red mare back and pulled the rider free	L
He has knocked the pistol out of his hand small room was there to strive	P
quot 'Twas only by favour of mine quot quoth he quot ye rode so long alive	P
There was not a rock for twenty mile there was not a clump of tree	L
But covered a man of my own men with his rifle cocked on his knee	L
If I had raised my bridle hand as I have held it low	I
The little jackals that flee so fast were feasting all in a row	I
If I had bowed my head on my breast as I have held it high	H
The kite that whistles above us now were gorged till she could not fly quot	I
Lightly answered the Colonel's son quot Do good to bird and beast	I
But count who come for the broken meats before thou makest a feast	I
If there should follow a thousand swords to carry my bones away	E
Belike the price of a jackal's meal were more than a thief could pay	E
They will feed their horse on the standing crop	Q
their men on the garnered grain	R
The thatch of the byres will serve their fires when all the cattle are slain	R
But if thou thinkest the price be fair thy brethren wait to sup	S
The hound is kin to the jackal spawn howl dog and call them up	S
And if thou thinkest the price be high in steer and gear and stack	I
Give me my father's mare again and I'll fight my own way back quot	I
Kamal has gripped him by the hand and set him upon his feet	I
quot No talk shall be of dogs quot said he quot when wolf and gray wolf meet	I
May I eat dirt if thou hast hurt of me in deed or breath	T
What dam of lances brought thee forth to jest at the dawn with Death quot	I
Lightly answered the Colonel's son quot I hold by the blood of my clan	U
Take up the mare for my father's gift by God she has carried a man quot	I
The red mare ran to the Colonel's son and nuzzled against his breast	I
quot We be two strong men quot said Kamal then quot but she loveth the younger best	I
So she shall go with a lifter's dower my turquoise studded rein	R
My broidered saddle and saddle cloth and silver stirrups twain quot	I
The Colonel's son a pistol drew and held it muzzle end	I
quot Ye have taken the one from a foe quot said he	L
quot will ye take the mate from a friend quot	I
quot A gift for a gift quot said Kamal straight quot a limb for the risk of a limb	V
Thy father has sent his son to me I'll send my son to him quot	I
With that he whistled his only son that dropped from a mountain crest	I
He trod the ling like a buck in spring and he looked like a lance in rest	I
quot Now here is thy master quot Kamal said quot who leads a troop of the Guides	F
And thou must ride at his left side as shield on shoulder rides	F
Till Death or I cut loose the tie at camp and board and bed	I
Thy life is his thy fate it is to guard him with thy head	I
So thou must eat the White Queen's meat and all her foes are thine	W
And thou must harry thy father's hold for the peace of the Border line	W
And thou must make a trooper tough and hack thy way to power	G
Belike they will raise thee to Ressaldar when I am hanged in Peshawur quot	I
	-
They have looked each other between the eyes and there they found no fault	I
They have taken the Oath of the Brother in Blood on leavened bread and salt	I
They have taken the Oath of the Brother in Blood on fire and fresh cut sod	I
On the hilt and the haft of the Khyber knife and the Wondrous Names of God	I
The Colonel's son he rides the mare and Kamal's boy the dun	X
And two have come back to Fort Bukloh where there went forth but one	X
And when they drew to the Quarter Guard full twenty swords flew clear	G
There was not a man but carried his feud with the blood of the mountaineer	G
quot Ha' done ha' done quot said the Colonel's son	X
quot Put up the steel at your sides	F
Last night ye had struck at a Border thief	Y
to night 'tis a man of the Guides quot	I
	-
Oh East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet	I
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat	I
But there is neither East nor West Border nor Breed nor Birth	B
When two strong men stand face to face	C
tho' they come from the ends of the earth	B

Rudyard Kipling

The Ballad Of East And West Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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