The King's Task Poem Rhyme Scheme

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After the sack of the City when Rome was sunk to a name	A
In the years that the lights were darkened or ever St Wilfrid	B
came	A
Low on the borders of Britain the ancient poets sing	C
Between the Cliff and the Forest there ruled a Saxon King	C
Stubborn all were his people from cottar to overlord	D
Not to be cowed by the cudgel scarce to be schooled by the	E
sword	D
Quick to turn at their pleasure cruel to cross in their mood	F
And set on paths of their choosing as the hogs of Andred's Wood	G
Laws they made in the Witan the laws of flaying and fine	H
Common loppage and pannage the theft and the track of kine	H
Statutes of tun and of market for the fish and the malt and the	E
meal	I
The tax on the Bramber packhorse and the tax on the Hastings	J
keel	I
Over the graves of the Druids and under the wreck of Rome	K
Rudely but surely they bedded the plinth of the days to come	L
Behind the feet of the Legions and before the Norseman's ire	M
Rudely but greatly begat they the framing of State and Shire	M
Rudely but deeply they laboured and their labour stands till now	H
If we trace on our ancient headlands the twist of their eight ox	N
plough	H
There came a king from Hamlun by Bosenham he came	A
He filled Use with slaughter and Lewes he gave to flame	A
He smote while they sat in the Witan sudden he smote and sore	O
That his fleet was gathered at Selsea ere they mustered at Cymen's	N
Ore	O
Blithe went the Saxons to battle by down and wood and mere	P
But thrice the acorns ripened ere the western mark was clear	P
Thrice was the beechmast gathered and the Beltane fires burned	Q
Thrice and the beeves were salted thrice ere the host returned	Q
They drove that king from Hamtun by Bosenhame o'erthrown	H
Our of Rugnor to Wilton they made his land their own	H
Camps they builded at Gilling at Basing and Alresford	Q
But wrath abode in the Saxons from cottar to overlord	Q
Wrath at the weary war game at the foe that snapped and ran	H
Wolf wise feigning and flying and wolf wise snatching his man	H
Wrath for their spears unready their levies new to the blade	Q
Shame for the helpless sieges and the scornful ambuscade	Q
At hearth and tavern and market wherever the tale was told	Q
Shame and wrath had the Saxons because of their boasts of old	Q
And some would drink and deny it and some would pray and	Q
atone	H
But the most part after their anger avouched that the sin was	N
their own	H
Wherefore girding together up to the Witan they came	A
And as they had shouldered their bucklers so did they shoulder	R
their blame	A
For that was the wont of the Saxons the ancient poets sing	C
And first they spoke in the Witan and then they spoke to the	E
King	C
quot Edward King of the Saxons thou knowest from sire to son	H
quot One is the King and his People in gain and ungain one	H
quot Count we the gain together With doubtings and spread dismays	N
quot We have broken a foolish people but after many days	N
quot Count we the loss together Warlocks hampered our arms	N
quot We were tricked as by magic we were turned as by charms	N
quot We went down to the battle and the road was plain to keep	S
quot But our angry eyes ever holden and we struck as they strike	T
in sleep	S
quot Men new shaken from slumber sweating with eyes a stare	U
quot Little blows uncertain dealt on the useless air	U
quot Also a vision betrayed us and a lying tale made bold	Q
quot That we looked to hold what we had not and to have what we	V
did not hold	Q
That a shield should give us shelter that a sword should give us	N
power	R
A shield snatched up at a venture and a hilt scarce handled an	H
hour	R
quot That being rich in the open we should be strong in the close	N
quot And the Gods would sell us a cunning for the day that we met	Q
our foes	N
quot This was the work of wizards but not with our foe they bide	Q
quot In our own camp we took them and their names are Sloth and	Q
Pride	Q
quot Our pride was before the battle our sloth ere we lifted spear	P
quot But hid in the heart of the people as the fever hides in the mere	P
quot Waiting only the war game the heat of the strife to rise	N
quot As the ague fumes round Oxeney when the rotting reed bed	Q
dries	N
quot But now we are purged of that fever cleansed by the letting	C
of blood	Q
quot Something leaner of body something keener of mood	Q
quot And the men new freed from the levies return to the fields again	H
quot Matching a hundred battles cottar and lord and thane	H
quot And they talk loud in the temples where the ancient war	O
gods are	W
quot They thumb and mock and belittle the holy harness of war	O
quot They jest at the sacred chariots the robes and the gilded staff	X
quot These things fill them with laughter they lean on their spears	N
and laugh	X
quot The men grown old in the war game hither and thither they	Y
range	Z
quot And scorn and laughter together are sire and dam of change	Z
quot And change may be good or evil but we know not what it will	A2
bring	C
quot Therefore our King must teach us That is thy task O King quot	Q

Rudyard Kipling

The King's Task Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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