Rokeby: Canto V. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCDEEFFGGHHBBIIDJ AKKLLMMNNFFOOPPQQRRL LSTUUVV AWWGGXXGGYBZZJJA2A2A AB2B2 TC2C2D2D2E2E2D2D2DJF 2F2G2G2XXH2I2YYTTJJJ 2J2GGGB2B2NNK2L2 TM2M2N2O2P2P2AAH2H2E 2E2Q2Q2D2D2R2R2S2S2T 2C2XXD2 AQQU2U2V2V2UUH2H2A2A 2IIW2W2NNIIAAH2H2J2J 2PP AH2H2X2X2Y2Y2 Z2 WWGGA3 TTI C2T2 B3C3C3D3D3E3 PPY2 TV2V2EEF3G3H3H3HHP2 W2W2D2D2DDI3I3T2 I3B3 NND2D2GG M2M2TTA3A3 O2O2Y2Y2TI | A |
The sultry summer day is done | B |
The western hills have hid the sun | B |
But mountain peak and village spire | C |
Retain reflection of his fire | D |
Old Barnard's towers are purple still | E |
To those that gaze from Toller hill | E |
Distant and high the tower of Bowes | F |
Like steel upon the anvil glows | F |
And Stanmore's ridge behind that lay | G |
Rich with the spoils of parting day | G |
In crimson and in gold array'd | H |
Streaks yet awhile the closing shade | H |
Then slow resigns to darkening heaven | B |
The tints which brighter hours had given | B |
Thus aged men full loth and slow | I |
The vanities of life forego | I |
And count their youthful follies o'er | D |
Till Memory lends her light no more | J |
- | |
II | A |
The eve that slow on upland fades | K |
Has darker closed on Rokeby's glades | K |
Where sunk within their banks profound | L |
Her guardian streams to meeting wound | L |
The stately oaks whose sombre frown | M |
Of noontide made a twilight brown | M |
Impervious now to fainter light | N |
Of twilight make an early night | N |
Hoarse into middle air arose | F |
The vespers of the roosting crows | F |
And with congenial murmurs seem | O |
To wake the Genii of the stream | O |
For louder clamour'd Greta's tide | P |
And Tees in deeper voice replied | P |
And fitful waked the evening wind | Q |
Fitful in sighs its breath resign'd | Q |
Wilfrid whose fancy nurtured soul | R |
Felt in the scene a soft control | R |
With lighter footstep press'd the ground | L |
And often paused to look around | L |
And though his path was to his love | S |
Could not but linger in the grove | T |
To drink the thrilling interest dear | U |
Of awful pleasure check'd by fear | U |
Such inconsistent moods have we | V |
Even when our passions strike the key | V |
- | |
III | A |
Now through the wood's dark mazes past | W |
The opening lawn he reach'd at last | W |
Where silver'd by the moonlight ray | G |
The ancient Hall before him lay | G |
Those martial terrors long were fled | X |
That frown'd of old around its head | X |
The battlements the turrets gray | G |
Seem'd half abandon'd to decay | G |
On barbican and keep of stone | Y |
Stern Time the foeman's work had done | B |
Where banners the invader braved | Z |
The harebell now and wallflower waved | Z |
In the rude guard room where of yore | J |
Their weary hours the warders wore | J |
Now while the cheerful fagots blaze | A2 |
On the paved floor the spindle plays | A2 |
The flanking guns dismounted lie | A |
The moat is ruinous and dry | A |
The grim portcullis gone and all | B2 |
The fortress turn'd to peaceful Hall | B2 |
- | |
IV | T |
But yet precautions lately ta'en | C2 |
Show'd danger's day revived again | C2 |
The court yard wall show'd marks of care | D2 |
The fall'n defences to repair | D2 |
Lending such strength as might withstand | E2 |
The insult of marauding band | E2 |
The beams once more were taught to bear | D2 |
The trembling drawbridge into air | D2 |
And not till question'd o'er and o'er | D |
For Wilfrid oped the jealous door | J |
And when he entered bolt and bar | F2 |
Resumed their place with sullen jar | F2 |
Then as he cross'd the vaulted porch | G2 |
The old grey porter raised his torch | G2 |
And view'd him o'er from foot to head | X |
Ere to the hall his steps he led | X |
That huge old hall of nightly state | H2 |
Dismantled seem'd and desolate | I2 |
The moon through transom shafts of stone | Y |
Which cross'd the latticed oriels shone | Y |
And by the mournful light she gave | T |
The Gothic vault seem'd funeral cave | T |
Pennon and banner waved no more | J |
O'er beams of stag and tusks of boar | J |
Nor glimmering arms were marshall'd seen | J2 |
To glance those sylvan spoils between | J2 |
Those arms those ensigns borne away | G |
Accomplish'd Rokeby's brave array | G |
But all were lost on Marston's day | G |
Yet here and there the moonbeams fall | B2 |
Where armour yet adorns the wall | B2 |
Cumbrous of size uncouth to sight | N |
And useless in the modern fight | N |
Like veteran relic of the wars | K2 |
Known only by neglected scars | L2 |
- | |
V | T |
Matilda soon to greet him came | M2 |
And bade them light the evening flame | M2 |
Said all for parting was prepared | N2 |
And tarried but for Wilfrid's guard | O2 |
But then reluctant to unfold | P2 |
His father's avarice of gold | P2 |
He hinted that lest jealous eye | A |
Should on their precious burden pry | A |
He judged it best the castle gate | H2 |
To enter when the night wore late | H2 |
And therefore he had left command | E2 |
With those he trusted of his band | E2 |
That they should be at Rokeby met | Q2 |
What time the midnight watch was set | Q2 |
Now Redmond came whose anxious care | D2 |
Till then was busied to prepare | D2 |
All needful meetly to arrange | R2 |
The mansion for its mournful change | R2 |
With Wilfrid's care and kindness pleased | S2 |
His cold unready hand he seized | S2 |
And press'd it till his kindly strain | T2 |
The gentle youth return'd again | C2 |
Seem'd as between them this was said | X |
'Awhile let jealousy be dead | X |
And let our contest be whose care | D2 |
Shall best assist this helpless fair ' | - |
- | |
VI | A |
There was no speech the truce to bind | Q |
It was a compact of the mind | Q |
A generous thought at once impress'd | U2 |
On either rival's generous breast | U2 |
Matilda well the secret took | V2 |
From sudden change of mien and look | V2 |
And for not small had been her fear | U |
Of jealous ire and danger near | U |
Felt even in her dejected state | H2 |
A joy beyond the reach of fate | H2 |
They closed beside the chimney's blaze | A2 |
And talk'd and hoped for happier days | A2 |
And lent their spirits' rising glow | I |
Awhile to gild impending woe | I |
High privilege of youthful time | W2 |
Worth all the pleasures of our prime | W2 |
The bickering fagot sparkled bright | N |
And gave the scene of love to sight | N |
Bade Wilfrid's cheek more lively glow | I |
Play'd on Matilda's neck of snow | I |
Her nut brown curls and forehead high | A |
And laugh'd in Redmond's azure eye | A |
Two lovers by the maiden sate | H2 |
Without a glance of jealous hate | H2 |
The maid her lovers sat between | J2 |
With open brow and equal mien | J2 |
It is a sight but rarely spied | P |
Thanks to man's wrath and woman's pride | P |
- | |
VI | A |
While thus in peaceful guise they sate | H2 |
A knock alarm'd the outer gate | H2 |
And ere the tardy porter stirr'd | X2 |
The tinkling of a harp was heard | X2 |
A manly voice of mellow swell | Y2 |
Bore burden to the music well | Y2 |
- | |
SONG | Z2 |
- | |
'Summer eve is gone and past | W |
Summer dew is falling fast | W |
I have wander'd all the day | G |
Do not bid me farther stray | G |
Gentle hearts of gentle kin | A3 |
Take the wandering harper in ' | - |
- | |
But the stern porter answer gave | T |
With 'Get thee hence thou strolling knave | T |
The king wants soldiers war I trow | I |
Were meeter trade for such as thou ' | - |
At this unkind reproof again | C2 |
Answer'd the ready Minstrel's strain | T2 |
- | |
SONG RESUMED | B3 |
Bid not me in battle field | C3 |
Buckler lift or broadsword wield | C3 |
All my strength and all my art | D3 |
Is to touch the gentle heart | D3 |
With the wizard notes that ring | E3 |
From the peaceful minstrel string ' | - |
- | |
The porter all unmoved replied | P |
'Depart in peace with Heaven to guide | P |
If longer by the gate thou dwell | Y2 |
Trust me thou shalt not part so well ' | - |
- | |
VIII | T |
With somewhat of appealing look | V2 |
The harper's part young Wilfrid took | V2 |
'These notes so wild and ready thrill | E |
They show no vulgar minstrel's skill | E |
Hard were his task to seek a home | F3 |
More distant since the night is come | G3 |
And for his faith I dare engage | H3 |
Your Harpool's blood is sour'd by age | H3 |
His gate once readily display'd | H |
To greet the friend the poor to aid | H |
Now even to me though known of old | P2 |
Did but reluctantly unfold ' | - |
' blame not as poor Harpool's crime | W2 |
An evil of this evil time | W2 |
He deems dependent on his care | D2 |
The safety of his patron's heir | D2 |
Nor judges meet to ope the tower | D |
To guest unknown at parting hour | D |
Urging his duty to excess | I3 |
Of rough and stubborn faithfulness | I3 |
For this poor harper I would fain | T2 |
He may relax Hark to his strain ' | - |
- | |
IX | I3 |
SONG RESUMED | B3 |
- | |
'I have song of war for knight | N |
Lay of love for lady bright | N |
Fairy tale to lull the heir | D2 |
Goblin grim the maids to scare | D2 |
Dark the night and long till day | G |
Do not bid me farther stray | G |
- | |
'Rokeby's lords of martial fame | M2 |
I can count them name by name | M2 |
Legends of their line there be | T |
Known to few but known to me | T |
If you honour Rokeby's kin | A3 |
Take the wandering harper in | A3 |
- | |
'Rokeby's lords had fair regard | O2 |
For the harp and for the bard | O2 |
Baron's race throve never well | Y2 |
Where the curse of minstrel fell | Y2 |
If you love that nob | T |
Sir Walter Scott
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