Birth-night Of The Humming Birds Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDD A BBEFAAGGHHIIBB A JJKKIILLMMEENNOOPPGG QQRR S GGTTUU UPVPWSXSYSZSA2B2C2B2 D2GE2GF2G2SG2H2FI2F F J2J2K2L2M2M2BBDDN2N2 S DDBBSSDDPP S O2O2GGP2P2IIGGQ2Q2DD MM S GGMM DDGGEEHH H R2R2L2L2GGDDGGSSCMHH DDCCI | A |
- | |
I'll tell you a Fairy Tale that's new | B |
How the merry Elves o'er the ocean flew | B |
From the Emerald isle to this far off shore | C |
As they were wont in the days of yore | C |
And played their pranks one moonlit night | D |
Where the zephyrs alone could see the sight | D |
- | |
II | A |
- | |
Ere the Old world yet had found the New | B |
The fairies oft in their frolics flew | B |
To the fragrant isles of the Caribbee | E |
Bright bosom gems of a golden sea | F |
Too dark was the film of the Indian's eye | A |
These gossamer sprites to suspect or spy | A |
So they danced 'mid the spicy groves unseen | G |
And mad were their merry pranks I ween | G |
For the fairies like other discreet little elves | H |
Are freest and fondest when all by themselves | H |
No thought had they that in after time | I |
The Muse would echo their deeds in rhyme | I |
So gayly doffing light stocking and shoe | B |
They tripped o'er the meadow all dappled in dew | B |
- | |
III | A |
- | |
I could tell if I would some right merry tales | J |
Of unslippered fairies that danced in the vales | J |
But the lovers of scandal I leave in the lurch | K |
And beside these elves don't belong to the church | K |
If they danced be it known 'twas not in the clime | I |
Of your Mathers and Hookers where laughter was crime | I |
Where sentinel virtue kept guard o'er the lip | L |
Though witchcraft stole into the heart by a slip | L |
Oh no 'twas the land of the fruit and the flower | M |
Where Summer and Spring both dwelt in one bower | M |
Where one hung the citron all ripe from the bough | E |
And the other with blossoms encircled her brow | E |
Where the mountains embosomed rich tissues of gold | N |
And the rivers o'er rubies and emeralds rolled | N |
It was there where the seasons came only to bless | O |
And the fashions of Eden still lingered in dress | O |
That these gay little fairies were wont as I say | P |
To steal in their merriest gambols away | P |
But dropping the curtain o'er frolic and fun | G |
Too good to be told or too bad to be done | G |
I give you a legend from Fancy's own sketch | Q |
Though I warn you he's given to fibbing the wretch | Q |
Yet I learn by the legends of breezes and brooks | R |
'Tis as true as the fairy tales told in the books | R |
- | |
IV | S |
- | |
One night when the moon shone fair on the main | G |
Choice spirits were gathered from meadow and plain | G |
And lightly embarking from Erin's bold cliffs | T |
They slid o'er the wave in their moonbeam skiffs | T |
A ray for a rudder a thought for a sail | U |
Swift swift was each bark as the wing of the gale | U |
- | |
Yet long were the tale | U |
Should I linger to say | P |
What gambol and frolic | V |
Enlivened the way | P |
How they flirted with bubbles | W |
That danced on the wave | S |
Or listened to mermaids | X |
That sang from the cave | S |
Or slid with the moonbeams | Y |
Down deep to the grove | S |
Of coral where mullet | Z |
And goldfish rove | S |
How there in long vistas | A2 |
Of silence and sleep | B2 |
They waltzed as if mocking | C2 |
The death of the deep | B2 |
How oft where the wreck | D2 |
Lay scattered and torn | G |
They peeped in the skull | E2 |
All ghastly and lorn | G |
Or deep 'mid wild rocks | F2 |
Quizzed the goggling shark | G2 |
And mouthed at the sea wolf | S |
So solemn and stark | G2 |
Each seeming to think | H2 |
That the earth and the sea | F |
Were made but for fairies | I2 |
For gambol and glee | F |
- | |
V | F |
- | |
Enough that at last they came to the Isle | J2 |
Where moonlight and fragrance were rivals the while | J2 |
Not yet had those vessels from Palos been here | K2 |
To turn the bright gem to the blood mingled tear | L2 |
Oh no still blissful and peaceful the land | M2 |
And the merry elves flew from the sea to the strand | M2 |
Right happy and joyous seemed now the fond crew | B |
As they tripped 'mid the orange groves flashing in dew | B |
For they were to hold a revel that night | D |
A gay fancy ball and each to be dight | D |
In the gem or the flower that fancy might choose | N2 |
From mountain or vale for its fragrance or hues | N2 |
- | |
VI | S |
- | |
Away sped the maskers like arrows of light | D |
To gather their gear for the revel bright | D |
To the dazzling peaks of far off Peru | B |
In emulous speed some sportively flew | B |
And deep in the mine or 'mid glaciers on high | S |
For ruby and sapphire searched heedful and sly | S |
For diamonds rare that gleam in the bed | D |
Of Brazilian streams some merrily sped | D |
While others for topaz and emerald stray | P |
'Mid the cradle cliffs of the Paraguay | P |
- | |
VII | S |
- | |
As these are gathering the rarest of gems | O2 |
Others are plucking the rarest of stems | O2 |
They range wild dells where the zephyr alone | G |
To the blushing blossoms before was known | G |
Through forests they fly whose branches are hung | P2 |
By creeping plants with fair flowerets strung | P2 |
Where temples of nature with arches of bloom | I |
Are lit by the moonlight and faint with perfume | I |
They stray where the mangrove and clematis twine | G |
Where azalia and laurel in rivalry shine | G |
Where tall as the oak the passion tree glows | Q2 |
And jasmine is blent with rhodora and rose | Q2 |
O'er blooming savannas and meadows of light | D |
'Mid regions of summer they sweep in their flight | D |
And gathering the fairest they speed to their bower | M |
Each one with his favorite brilliant or flower | M |
- | |
VIII | S |
- | |
The hour is come and the fairies are seen | G |
In their plunder arrayed on the moonlit green | G |
The music is breathed 'tis a soft strain of pleasure | M |
And the light giddy throng whirl into the measure | M |
- | |
'Twas a joyous dance and the dresses were bright | D |
Such as never were known till that famous night | D |
For the gems and the flowers that shone in the scene | G |
O'ermatched the regalia of princess and queen | G |
No gaudy slave to a fair one's brow | E |
Was the rose or the ruby or emerald now | E |
But lighted with souls by the playful elves | H |
The brilliants and blossoms seemed dancing themselves | H |
- | |
- | |
IX | H |
- | |
Of all that did chance 'twere a long tale to tell | R2 |
Of the dresses and waltzes and who was the belle | R2 |
But each was so happy and all were so fair | L2 |
That night stole away and the dawn caught them there | L2 |
Such a scampering never before was seen | G |
As the fairies' flight on that island green | G |
They rushed to the bay with twinkling feet | D |
But vain was their haste for the moonlight fleet | D |
Had passed with the dawn and never again | G |
Were those fairies permitted to traverse the main | G |
But 'mid the groves when the sun was high | S |
The Indian marked with a worshipping eye | S |
The HUMMING BIRDS all unknown before | C |
Glancing like thoughts from flower to flower | M |
And seeming as if earth's loveliest things | H |
The brilliants and blossoms had taken wings | H |
And Fancy hath whispered in numbers light | D |
That these are the fairies who danced that night | D |
And linger yet in the garb they wore | C |
Content in our clime and more blest than before | C |
Sam G. Goodrich
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Birth-night Of The Humming Birds poem by Sam G. Goodrich
Best Poems of Sam G. Goodrich