The Naulahka Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABAACD EAFA GHIAHJKAHLMADNOAPADD QDEAQA RARADJSJ JJTJJJUJ AEAEHHAA AKAAK AVAAAWXAAV DDDAA AADDYYAAXWJJLLZZRR DDAD YAAA AA2AA2 OB2OB2EB2C2D2C2D2QD2

There was a strife 'twixt man and maidA
Oh that was at the birth of timeB
But what befell 'twixt man and maidA
Oh that's beyond the grip of rhymeB
'Twas quot Sweet I must not bide with you quotA
And quot Love I cannot bide alone quotA
For both were young and both were trueC
And both were hard as the nether stoneD
-
Beware the man who's crossed in loveE
For pent up steam must find its ventA
Stand back when he is on the moveF
And lend him all the ContinentA
-
Your patience Sirs The Devil took me upG
To the burned mountain over SicilyH
Fit place for me and thence I saw my EarthI
Not all Earth's splendour 'twas beyond my needA
And that one spot I love all Earth to meH
And her I love my Heaven What said IJ
My love was safe from all the powers of HellK
For you e'en you acquit her of my guiltA
But Sula nestling by our sail specked seaH
My city child of mine my heart my homeL
Mine and my pride evil might visit thereM
It was for Sula and her naked portA
Prey to the galleys of the AlgerineD
Our city Sula that I drove my priceN
For love of Sula and for love of herO
The twain were woven gold on sackcloth twinedA
Past any sundering till God shall judgeP
The evil and the goodA
Now it is not good for the Christian's health to hustle the AryanD
brownD
For the Christian riles and the Aryan smiles and he weareth theQ
Christian downD
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white with the name ofE
the late deceasedA
And the epitaph drear quot A Fool lies here who tried to hustle theQ
East quotA
-
There is pleasure in the wet wet clayR
When the artist's hand is potting itA
There is pleasure in the wet wet layR
When the poet's pad is blotting itA
There is pleasure in the shine of your picture on the lineD
At the Royal Acade myJ
But the pleasure felt in these is as chalk to Cheddar cheeseS
When it comes to a well made LieJ
-
To a quite unwreckable LieJ
To a most impeccable LieJ
To a water right fire proof angle iron sunk hinge time lockT
steel faced LieJ
Not a private handsome LieJ
But a pair and brougham LieJ
Not a little place at Tooting but a country house with shootingU
And a ring fence deer park LieJ
-
When a lover hies abroadA
Looking for his loveE
Azrael smiling sheathes his swordA
Heaven smiles aboveE
Earth and seaH
His servants beH
And to lesser compass roundA
That his love be sooner foundA
-
We meet in an evil landA
That is near to the gates of HellK
I wait for thy commandA
To serve to speed or withstandA
And thou sayest I do not wellK
-
Oh Love the flowers so redA
Are only tongues of flameV
The earth is full of the deadA
The new killed restless deadA
There is danger beneath and o'erheadA
And I guard thy gates in fearW
Of words thou canst not hearX
Of peril and jeopardyA
Of signs thou canst not seeA
And thou sayest 'tis ill that I cameV
-
This I saw when the rites were doneD
And the lamps were dead and the Gods aloneD
And the grey snake coiled on the altar stoneD
Ere I fled from a Fear that I could not seeA
And the Gods of the East made mouths at meA
-
Beat off in our last fight were weA
The greater need to seek the seaA
For Fortune changeth as the moonD
To caravel and picaroonD
Then Eastward Ho or Westward HoY
Whichever wind may meetest blowY
Our quarry sails on either seaA
Fat prey for such bold lads as weA
And every sun dried buccaneerX
Must hand and reef and watch and steerW
And bear great wrath of sea and skyJ
Before the plate ships wallow byJ
Now as our tall bows take the foamL
Let no man turn his heart to homeL
Save to desire plunder moreZ
And larger warehouse for his storeZ
When treasure won from Santos BayR
Shall make our sea washed village gayR
-
Because I sought it far from menD
In deserts and aloneD
I found it burning overheadA
The jewel of a ThroneD
-
Because I sought I sought it soY
And spent my days to findA
It blazed one moment ere it leftA
The blacker night behindA
-
We be the Gods of the EastA
Older than allA2
Masters of Mourning and FeastA
How shall we fallA2
-
Will they gape for the husks that ye profferO
Or yearn to your songB2
And we have we nothing to offerO
Who ruled them so longB2
In the fume of incense the clash of the cymbals the blare ofE
the conch and the gongB2
Over the strife of the schoolsC2
Low the day burnsD2
Back with the kine from the poolsC2
Each one returnsD2
To the life that he knows where the altar flame glows and theQ
tulsi is trimmed in the urnsD2

Rudyard Kipling



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