The Field Of Waterloo Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCDECFFGHHGAAIJJIK KLMNNL AOOOHPQHRRHIISTTS AAAFFKKUVWXXWYIHGGHM MMGZZGA2A2 AHB2AIIIIAGGC2D2D2D2 AE2E2F2G2G2H2I2I2I2I KKKI AJ2J2J2K2L2L2L2M2N2N 2O2O2GZZG AP2P2Q2R2R2R2Q2AAAQ2 KKKKQ2KQ2 AAAAS2T2T2S2K2K2U2AA U2MMMKV2V2KKKK ATTD2KKD2W2W2U2U2IIX 2X2Y2Y2Y2Y2IZ2A3Y AD2D2K2AAA R2R2KKB3B3B3U2AA AS2S2C3C3KD3D3KKKKKK E3E3D2D2D2 ALF3Z2Z2NMKKIII | A |
Fair Brussels thou art far behind | B |
Though lingering on the morning wind | B |
We yet may hear the hour | C |
Pealed over orchard and canal | D |
With voice prolonged and measured fall | E |
From proud St Michael's tower | C |
Thy wood dark Soignies holds us now | F |
Where the tall beeches' glossy bough | F |
For many a league around | G |
With birch and darksome oak between | H |
Spreads deep and far a pathless screen | H |
Of tangled forest ground | G |
Stems planted close by stems defy | A |
The adventurous foot the curious eye | A |
For access seeks in vain | I |
And the brown tapestry of leaves | J |
Strewed on the blighted ground receives | J |
Nor sun nor air nor rain | I |
No opening glade dawns on our way | K |
No streamlet glancing to the ray | K |
Our woodland path has crossed | L |
And the straight causeway which we tread | M |
Prolongs a line of dull arcade | N |
Unvarying through the unvaried shade | N |
Until in distance lost | L |
- | |
II | A |
A brighter livelier scene succeeds | O |
In groups the scattering wood recedes | O |
Hedge rows and huts and sunny meads | O |
And corn fields glance between | H |
The peasant at his labour blithe | P |
Plies the hooked staff and shortened scythe | Q |
But when these ears were green | H |
Placed close within destruction's scope | R |
Full little was that rustic's hope | R |
Their ripening to have seen | H |
And lo a hamlet and its fane | I |
Let not the gazer with disdain | I |
Their architecture view | S |
For yonder rude ungraceful shrine | T |
And disproportioned spire are thine | T |
Immortal WATERLOO | S |
- | |
III | A |
Fear not the heat though full and high | A |
The sun has scorched the autumn sky | A |
And scarce a forest straggler now | F |
To shade us spreads a greenwood bough | F |
These fields have seen a hotter day | K |
Than e'er was fired by sunny ray | K |
Yet one mile on yon shattered hedge | U |
Crests the soft hill whose long smooth ridge | V |
Looks on the field below | W |
And sinks so gently on the dale | X |
That not the folds of Beauty's veil | X |
In easier curves can flow | W |
Brief space from thence the ground again | Y |
Ascending slowly from the plain | I |
Forms an opposing screen | H |
Which with its crest of upland ground | G |
Shuts the horizon all around | G |
The softened vale between | H |
Slopes smooth and fair for courser's tread | M |
Not the most timid maid need dread | M |
To give her snow white palfrey head | M |
On that wide stubble ground | G |
Nor wood nor tree nor bush are there | Z |
Her course to intercept or scare | Z |
Nor fosse nor fence are found | G |
Save where from out her shattered bowers | A2 |
Rise Hougomont's dismantled towers | A2 |
- | |
IV | A |
Now see'st thou aught in this lone scene | H |
Can tell of that which late hath been | B2 |
A stranger might reply | A |
'The bare extent of stubble plain | I |
Seems lately lightened of its grain | I |
And yonder sable tracks remain | I |
Marks of the peasant's ponderous wain | I |
When harvest home was nigh | A |
On these broad spots of trampled ground | G |
Perchance the rustics danced such round | G |
As Teniers loved to draw | C2 |
And where the earth seems scorched by flame | D2 |
To dress the homely feast they came | D2 |
And toiled the kerchiefed village dame | D2 |
Around her fire of straw ' | - |
- | |
V | A |
So deem'st thou so each mortal deems | E2 |
Of that which is from that which seems | E2 |
But other harvest here | F2 |
Than that which peasant's scythe demands | G2 |
Was gathered in by sterner hands | G2 |
With bayonet blade and spear | H2 |
No vulgar crop was theirs to reap | I2 |
No stinted harvest thin and cheap | I2 |
Heroes before each fatal sweep | I2 |
Fell thick as ripened grain | I |
And ere the darkening of the day | K |
Piled high as autumn shocks there lay | K |
The ghastly harvest of the fray | K |
The corpses of the slain | I |
- | |
VI | A |
Ay look again that line so black | J2 |
And trampled marks the bivouac | J2 |
Yon deep graved ruts the artillery's track | J2 |
So often lost and won | K2 |
And close beside the hardened mud | L2 |
Still shows where fetlock deep in blood | L2 |
The fierce dragoon through battle's flood | L2 |
Dashed the hot war horse on | M2 |
These spots of excavation tell | N2 |
The ravage of the bursting shell | N2 |
And feel'st thou not the tainted steam | O2 |
That reeks against the sultry beam | O2 |
From yonder trenched mound | G |
The pestilential fumes declare | Z |
That Carnage has replenished there | Z |
Her garner house profound | G |
- | |
VII | A |
Far other harvest home and feast | P2 |
Than claims the boor from scythe released | P2 |
On these scorched fields were known | Q2 |
Death hovered o'er the maddening rout | R2 |
And in the thrilling battle shout | R2 |
Sent for the bloody banquet out | R2 |
A summons of his own | Q2 |
Through rolling smoke the Demon's eye | A |
Could well each destined guest espy | A |
Well could his ear in ecstasy | A |
Distinguish every tone | Q2 |
That filled the chorus of the fray | K |
From cannon roar and trumpet bray | K |
From charging squadrons' wild hurra | K |
From the wild clang that marked their way | K |
Down to the dying groan | Q2 |
And the last sob of life's decay | K |
When breath was all but flown | Q2 |
- | |
VIII | A |
Feast on stern foe of mortal life | A |
Feast on but think not that a strife | A |
With such promiscuous carnage rife | A |
Protracted space may last | S2 |
The deadly tug of war at length | T2 |
Must limits find in human strength | T2 |
And cease when these are past | S2 |
Vain hope that morn's o'erclouded sun | K2 |
Heard the wild shout of fight begun | K2 |
Ere he attained his height | U2 |
And through the war smoke volumed high | A |
Still peals that unremitted cry | A |
Though now he stoops to night | U2 |
For ten long hours of doubt and dread | M |
Fresh succours from the extended head | M |
Of either hill the contest fed | M |
Still down the slope they drew | K |
The charge of columns paused not | V2 |
Nor ceased the storm of shell and shot | V2 |
For all that war could do | K |
Of skill and force was proved that day | K |
And turned not yet the doubtful fray | K |
On bloody Waterloo | K |
- | |
IX | A |
Pale Brussels then what thoughts were thine | T |
When ceaseless from the distant line | T |
Continued thunders came | D2 |
Each burgher held his breath to hear | K |
These forerunners of havoc near | K |
Of rapine and of flame | D2 |
What ghastly sights were thine to meet | W2 |
When rolling through thy stately street | W2 |
The wounded showed their mangled plight | U2 |
In token of the unfinished fight | U2 |
And from each anguish laden wain | I |
The blood drops laid thy dust like rain | I |
How often in the distant drum | X2 |
Heard'st thou the fell Invader come | X2 |
While Ruin shouting to his band | Y2 |
Shook high her torch and gory brand | Y2 |
Cheer thee fair City From yon stand | Y2 |
Impatient still his outstretched hand | Y2 |
Points to his prey in vain | I |
While maddening in his eager mood | Z2 |
And all unwont to be withstood | A3 |
He fires the fight again | Y |
- | |
X | A |
'On On ' was still his stern exclaim | D2 |
'Confront the battery's jaws of flame | D2 |
Rush on the levelled gun | K2 |
My steel clad cuirassiers advance | A |
Each Hulan forward with his lance | A |
My Guard my Chosen charge for France | A |
France and Napoleon ' | - |
Loud answered their acclaiming shout | R2 |
Greeting the mandate which sent out | R2 |
Their bravest and their best to dare | K |
The fate their leader shunned to share | K |
But HE his country's sword and shield | B3 |
Still in the battle front revealed | B3 |
Where danger fiercest swept the field | B3 |
Came like a beam of light | U2 |
In action prompt in sentence brief | A |
'Soldiers stand firm ' exclaimed the Chief | A |
'England shall tell the fight ' | - |
- | |
XI | A |
On came the whirlwind like the last | S2 |
But fiercest sweep of tempest blast | S2 |
On came the whirlwind steel gleams broke | C3 |
Like lightning through the rolling smoke | C3 |
The war was waked anew | K |
Three hundred cannon mouths roared loud | D3 |
And from their throats with flash and cloud | D3 |
Their showers of iron threw | K |
Beneath their fire in full career | K |
Rushed on the ponderous cuirassier | K |
The lancer couched his ruthless spear | K |
And hurrying as to havoc near | K |
The cohorts' eagles flew | K |
In one dark torrent broad and strong | E3 |
The advancing onset rolled along | E3 |
Forth harbingered by fierce acclaim | D2 |
That from the shroud of smoke and flame | D2 |
Pealed wildly the imperial name | D2 |
- | |
XII | A |
But on the British heart were lost | L |
The terrors of the charging host | F3 |
For not an eye the storm that viewed | Z2 |
Changed its proud glance of fortitude | Z2 |
Nor was one forward footstep stayed | N |
As dropped the dying and the dead | M |
Fast as their ranks the thunders tear | K |
Fast they renewed each serried square | K |
And on the wounded and the slain | I |
Closed their dimini | I |
Sir Walter Scott
(1)
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