On The Tower Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BC DE FGHID JKLM JN OPDQMRST U VWX WYWD Z WA2W B2WQWT WQ C2XD XB2 W WZ D2 TWE2F2WG2Y WLW W D BWXIWC2OH2I2XVJ2K2L2 WSWIDWIWWIM2N2O2III2 C2I2WP2Q2IW C2WXV R2 I C2IDWS2IIIWIW W X WT2 I2IIII W U2V2W2V2 QIQ X2IW QIQI QWQW WWY2 C2W DI P2 WY W S2 Z2W W EA3 Z2W EI QI X

A play in one actA
-
The KnightB
The LadyC
-
Voices of men and women on the ground at the foot of the towerD
The voice of the Knight's PageE
-
-
-
The top of a high battlemented tower of a castle A stone ledgeF
which serves as a seat extends part way around the parapetG
Small clouds float by in the blue sky and occasionally a swallow passesH
Entrance R from an unseen stairway which is supposed to extend aroundI
the outside of the towerD
-
The Lady unseenJ
Oh do not climb so fast for I am faintK
With looking down the tower to where the earthL
Lies dreaming in the sun I fear to fallM
-
The Knight unseenJ
Lean on me love my love and look not downN
-
L-
Call me not love call me your conquered foeO
That now since you have battered down her gatesP
Gives you the keys that lock the highest towerD
And mounts with you to prove her homage trueQ
Oh bid me go no farther lest I fallM
My foot has slipped upon the rain worn stonesR
Why are the stairs so narrow and so steepS
Let us go back my lordT
-
K-
Are you afraidU
Who were so dauntless till the walls gave way-
Courage my sweet I would that I could climbV
A thousand times by wind swept stairs like theseW
That lead so near to heavenX
-
L-
Sir you may-
You are a knight and very valorousW
I am a woman I shall never comeY
This way but onceW
The Knight and the Lady appear on the top of the towerD
-
K-
Kiss me at last my loveZ
-
L-
Oh my sweet lord I am too tired to kissW
Look how the earth is like an emeraldA2
With rivers veined and flawed with fallow fieldsW
-
K Lifting her veilB2
Then I kiss you a thousand thousand kissesW
For all the days ere I had won to youQ
Beyond the walls and gates you barred so closeW
Call me at last your love your castle's lordT
-
L After a pauseW
I love youQ
-
She kisses him Her veil blows away like a white butterflyC2
over the parapet Faint cries and laughter from men and womenX
under the towerD
-
Men and WomenX
The veil the lady's veilB2
-
The knight takes the lady in his armsW
-
L-
My lord I pray you loose me from your armsW
Lest that my people see how much we loveZ
-
K-
May they not see us All of them have lovedD2
-
L-
But you have been an enemy my lordT
With walls between us and with moss grown moatsW
Now on a sudden must I kiss your mouthE2
I who was taught before I learned to speakF2
That all my house was hostile unto yoursW
Now can I put my head against your breastG2
Here in the sight of all who choose to comeY
-
K-
Are we not past the caring for their eyesW
And nearer to the heaven than to earthL
Look up and seeW
-
L-
I only see your faceW
-
She touches his hair with her hands Murmuring under the towerD
-
K-
Why came we here in all the noon day lightB
With only darting swallows over usW
To make a speck of darkness on the sunX
Let us go down where walls will shut us roundI
Your castle has a hundred quiet hallsW
A hundred chambers where the shadows lieC2
On things put by forgotten long agoO
Forgotten lutes with strings that Time has slackenedH2
We two shall draw them close and bid them singI2
Forgotten games forgotten books still openX
Where you had laid them by at vesper timeV
And your embroidery whereon half workedJ2
Weeps Amor wounded by a rose's thornK2
Shall I not see the room in which you sleptL2
Palpitant still and breathing of your thoughtsW
Where maiden dreams adown the ways of sleepS
Swept noiselessly with damosels and knightsW
To tourneys where the trumpet made no soundI
Blow as he might the scarlet trumpeterD
And were the dreams not sometimes brimmed with tearsW
That waked you when the night was loneliestI
Will you not bring me to your oratoryW
Where prayers arose like little birds set freeW
Still upward upward without sound of flightI
Shall I not find your turrets toward the northM2
Where you defied white winter armed for warN2
Your southern casements where the sun blows inO2
Between the leaf bent boughs the wind has liftedI
Shall we not see the sunrise toward the eastI
Watch dawn by dawn the rose of day unfoldingI2
Its golden hearted beauty sovereignlyC2
And toward the west look quietly at eveningI2
Shall I not see all these and all your treasuresW
In carven coffers hidden in the darkP2
Have you not laid a sapphire lit with flameQ2
And amethysts set round with deep wrought goldI
Perhaps a rubyW
-
LC2
All my gems are yoursW
And all my chambers curtained from the sunX
My lord shall see them all in time in timeV
-
-
The sun begins to sinkR2
-
K-
Shall I not see them now To day to nightI
-
LC2
How could I show you in one day my lordI
My castle and my treasures and my towerD
Let all the days to come suffice for thisW
Since all the past days made them what they areS2
You will not be impatient my sweet lordI
Some of the halls have long been locked and barredI
And some have secret doors and hard to findI
Till suddenly you touch them unawaresW
And down a sable way runs silver lightI
We two will search together for the keysW
But not to day Let us sit here to day-
Since all is yours and always will be yoursW
-
The stars appear faintly one by oneX
-
K After a pauseW
I grow a little drowsy with the duskT2
-
L SingingI2
There was a man that loved a maidI
Sleep and take your restI
Over her lips his kiss was laidI
Over her heart his breastI
-
The knight sleepsW
-
All of his vows were sweet to hearU2
Sweet was his kiss to takeV2
Why was her breast so quick to fearW2
Why was her heart to breakV2
-
Why was the man so glad to wooQ
Sleep and take your restI
Why were the maiden's words so fewQ
-
She sees that he is asleep and slipping off her long cloak likeX2
outer garment she pillows his head upon it against the parapetI
and half kneeling at his feet she sings very softlyW
-
I love you I love you I love youQ
I am the flower at your feetI
The birds and the stars are above youQ
My place is more sweetI
-
The birds and the stars are above youQ
They envy the flower in the grassW
For I only I while I love youQ
Can die as you passW
-
Light clouds veil the stars growing denser constantlyW
The castle bell rings for vespers and rising the lady movesW
to a corner of the parapet and kneels thereY2
-
LC2
Ave Maria gratia plena DominusW
-
Voice of the Page from the foot of the towerD
My lord my lord they call for you at courtI
-
The knight wakes It is now quite darkP2
-
There is a tourney toward your enemyW
Has challenged you My lord make haste to comeY
-
The knight rises and gropes his way toward the stairsW
-
K-
I will make haste Await me where you areS2
-
To himselfZ2
There was a lady on this tower with meW
-
He glances around hurriedly but does not see her in the darknessW
-
PageE
My lord has far to ride before the dawnA3
-
K To himselfZ2
Why should I tarryW
-
To the pageE
Bring my horse and shieldI
-
He descends As the noise of his footfall on the stairs dies away-
the lady gropes toward the stairway then turns suddenly and going toQ
the ledge where they have sat she throws herself over the parapetI
-
-
CURTAINX

Sara Teasdale



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