The Eve Of St. John Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDED FGHG IJIJ KLCM MGMG NONO NBNB BEB MMMM POPO QBQB MQMQ MRMJ RORO JSJS CBE TBB MBMB MRB MUM MBV MUMB J B WXB MUM NBM MQM UUYU ZBUB MQA2 MRMR MUMU UM GUG MMRM MMB2 UBUB RQRQ M MC2 BBBB MUMU IUJ MM M D2SE2 QMF2M GMGM JBJB BBBBThe baron of Smaylho'me rose with day | A |
He spurr'd his courser on | B |
Without stop or stay down the rocky way | A |
That leads to Brotherstone | B |
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He went not with the bold Buccleuch | C |
His banner broad to rear | D |
He went not 'gainst the English yew | E |
To lift the Scottish spear | D |
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Yet his plate jack was braced and his helmet was laced | F |
And his vaunt brace of proof he wore | G |
At his saddle gerthe was a good steel sperthe | H |
Full ten pound weight and more | G |
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The Baron return'd in three days' space | I |
And his looks were sad and sour | J |
And weary was his courser's pace | I |
As he reach'd his rocky tower | J |
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He came not from where Ancram Moor | K |
Ran red with English blood | L |
Where the Douglas true and the bold Buccleuch | C |
'Gainst keen Lord Evers stood | M |
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Yet was his helmet hack'd and hew'd | M |
His acton pierced and tore | G |
His axe and his dagger with blood inbrued | M |
But it was not English gore | G |
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He lighted at the Chapellage | N |
He held him close and still | O |
And he whistled thrice for his little foot page | N |
His name was English Will | O |
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'Come thou hither my little foot page | N |
Come hither to my knee | B |
Though thou art young and tender of age | N |
I think thou art true to me | B |
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'Come tell me all that thou hast seen | B |
And look thou tell me true | E |
Since I from Smaylho'me tower have been | B |
What did thy lady do ' | - |
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'My lady each night sought the lonely light | M |
That burns on the wild Watchfold | M |
For from height to height the beacons bright | M |
Of the English foemen told | M |
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'The bittern clamour'd from the moss | P |
The wind blew loud and shrill | O |
Yet the craggy pathway she did cross | P |
To the eiry Beacon Hill | O |
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'I watch'd her steps and silent came | Q |
Where she sat her on a stone | B |
No watchman stood by the dreary flame | Q |
It burned all alone | B |
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'The second night I kept her in sight | M |
Till to the fire she came | Q |
And by Mary's might an Armed Knight | M |
Stood by the lonely flame | Q |
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'And many a word that warlike lord | M |
Did speak to my lady there | R |
But the rain fell fast and loud blew the blast | M |
And I heard not what they were | J |
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'The third night there the sky was fair | R |
And the mountain blast was still | O |
As again I watch'd the secret pair | R |
On the lonesome Beacon Hill | O |
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'And I heard her name the midnight hour | J |
And name this holy eve | S |
And say 'Come this night to thy lady's bower | J |
Ask no bold Baron's leave | S |
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'He lifts his spear with the bold Buccleuch | C |
His lady is all alone | B |
The door she'll undo to her knight so true | E |
On the eve of good St John ' | - |
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''I cannot come I must not come | T |
I dare not come to thee | B |
On the eve of St John I must wander alone | B |
In thy bower I may not be ' | - |
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''Now out on thee faint hearted knight | M |
Thou shouldst not say me nay | B |
For the eve is sweet and when lovers meet | M |
Is worth the whole summer's day | B |
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''And I'll chain the blood hound and the warder shall not sound | M |
And rushes shall be strew'd on the stair | R |
So by the black rood stone and by Holy St John | B |
I conjure thee my love to be there ' | - |
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''Though the blood hound be mute and the rush beneath my foot | M |
And the warder his bugle should not blow | U |
Yet there sleepeth a priest in the chamber to the east | M |
And my footstep he would know ' | - |
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''O fear not the priest who sleepeth to the east | M |
For to Dryburgh the way he has ta'en | B |
And there to say mass till three days do pass | V |
For the soul of a knight that is slayne ' | - |
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'He turn'd him around and grimly he frown'd | M |
Then he laugh'd right scornfully | U |
'He who says the mass rite for the soul of that knight | M |
May as well say mass for me | B |
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''At the lone midnight hour when bad spirits have power | J |
In thy chamber will I be ' | - |
With that he was gone and my lady left alone | B |
And no more did I see ' | - |
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Then changed I trow was that bold Baron's brow | W |
From the dark to the blood red high | X |
'Now tell me the mien of the knight thou hast seen | B |
For by Mary he shall die ' | - |
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'His arms shone full bright in the beacon's red light | M |
His plume it was scarlet and blue | U |
On his shield was a hound in a silver leash bound | M |
And his crest was a branch of the yew ' | - |
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'Thou liest thou liest thou little foot page | N |
Loud dost thou lie to me | B |
For that knight is cold and low laid in the mould | M |
All under the Eildon tree ' | - |
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'Yet hear but my word my noble lord | M |
For I heard her name his name | Q |
And that lady bright she called the knight | M |
Sir Richard of Coldinghame ' | - |
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The bold Baron's brow then changed I trow | U |
From high blood red to pale | U |
'The grave is deep and dark and the corpse is stiff and stark | Y |
So I may not trust thy tale | U |
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'Where fair Tweed flows round holy Melrose | Z |
And Eildon slopes to the plain | B |
Full three nights ago by some secret foe | U |
That gay gallant was slain | B |
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'The varying light deceived thy sight | M |
And the wild winds drown'd the name | Q |
For the Dryburgh bells ring and the white monks do sing | A2 |
For Sir Richard of Coldinghame ' | - |
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He pass'd the court gate and he oped the tower gate | M |
And he mounted the narow stair | R |
To the bartizan seat where with maids that on her wait | M |
He found his lady fair | R |
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That lady sat in mournful mood | M |
Look'd over hill and vale | U |
Over Tweed's fair flod and Mertoun's wood | M |
And all down Teviotdale | U |
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'Now hail now hail thou lady bright ' | - |
'Now hail thou Baron true | U |
What news what news from Ancram fight | M |
What news from the bold Buccleuch ' | - |
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'The Ancram Moor is red with gore | G |
For many a southron fell | U |
And Buccleuch has charged us evermore | G |
To watch our beacons well ' | - |
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The lady blush'd red but nothing she said | M |
Nor added the Baron a word | M |
Then she stepp'd down the stair to her chamber fair | R |
And so did her moody lord | M |
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In sleep the lady mourn'd and the Baron toss'd and turn'd | M |
And oft to himself he said | M |
'The worms around him creep and his bloody grave is deep | B2 |
It cannot give up the dead ' | - |
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It was near the ringing of matin bell | U |
The night was wellnigh done | B |
When a heavy sleep on that Baron fell | U |
On the eve of good St John | B |
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The lady look'd through the chamber fair | R |
By the light of a dying flame | Q |
And she was aware of a knight stood there | R |
Sir Richard of Coldinghame | Q |
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'Alas away away ' she cried | M |
'For the holy Virgin's sake ' | - |
'Lady I know who sleeps by thy side | M |
But lady he will not awake | C2 |
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'By Eildon tree for long nights three | B |
In bloody grave have I lain | B |
The mass and the death prayer are said for me | B |
But lady they are said in vain | B |
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'By the Baron's brand near Tweed's fair strand | M |
Most foully slain I fell | U |
And my restless sprite on the beacon's height | M |
For a space is doom'd to dwell | U |
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'At our trysting place for a certain space | I |
I must wander to and fro | U |
But I had not had power to come to thy bower | J |
Had'st thou not conjured me so ' | - |
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Love master'd fear her brow she cross'd | M |
'How Richard hast thou sped | M |
And art thou saved or art thou lost ' | - |
The vision shook his head | M |
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'Who spilleth life shall forfeit life | D2 |
So bid thy lord believe | S |
That lawless love is guilt above | E2 |
This awful sign receive ' | - |
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He laid his left palm on an oaken beam | Q |
His right upon her hand | M |
The lady shrunk and fainting sunk | F2 |
For it scorch'd like a fiery brand | M |
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The sable score of fingers four | G |
Remains on that board impress'd | M |
And for evermore that lady wore | G |
A covering on her wrist | M |
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There is a nun in Dryburgh bower | J |
Ne'er looks upon the sun | B |
There is a monk in Melrose tower | J |
He speaketh word to none | B |
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That nun who ne'er beholds the day | B |
That monk who speaks to none | B |
That nun was Smaylho'me's Lady gay | B |
That monk the bold Baron | B |
Sir Walter Scott
(1)
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