The Lady Of The Lake: Canto 5 (excerpt) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAAABCAADDEFGGHHIIAA JJKKLLMMNNAO DDPPQQAARRAAFFSSNATT PPMMUUVW XXYYMMZZA2B2FFAAC2D2 AE2F2F2G2G2AAF2F2MMH 2H2I2I2J2HK2K2L2L2M2 A QQAAAAN2N2O2P2Q2R2R2 S2S2B2T2AAFFB2A O2O2U2V2W2W2VIAAQ2Q2 F2 Q2Q2F2F2AAAAAAA2B2FA AAAE2X2X2Y2Z2A3A3PPP A2B2J2J2J2J2J2J2J2B3 B3C3C3AAJ2J2D3A E2AMME3E3B2T2F3QSG2M MJ2J2AAAAFFAA J2Have then thy wish he whistled shrill | A |
And he was answer'd from the hill | A |
Wild as the scream of the curlew | A |
From crag to crag the signal flew | A |
Instant through copse and heath | B |
Bonnets and spears and bended bows | C |
On right on left above below | A |
Sprung up at once the lurking foe | A |
From shingles gray their lances start | D |
The bracken bush sends forth the dart | D |
The rushes and the willow wand | E |
Are bristling into axe and brand | F |
And every tuft of broom gives life | G |
To plaided warrior arm'd for strife | G |
That whistle garrison'd the glen | H |
At once with full five hundred men | H |
As if the yawning hill to heaven | I |
A subterranean host had given | I |
Watching their leader's beck and will | A |
All silent there they stood and still | A |
Like the loose crags whose threatening mass | J |
Lay tottering o'er the hollow pass | J |
As if an infant's touch could urge | K |
Their headlong passage down the verge | K |
With step and weapon forward flung | L |
Upon the mountain side they hung | L |
The Mountaineer cast glance of pride | M |
Along Benledi's living side | M |
Then fix'd his eye and sable brow | N |
Full on Fitz James How say'st thou now | N |
These are Clan Alpine's warriors true | A |
And Saxon I am Roderick Dhu X | O |
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Fitz James was brave Though to his heart | D |
The life blood thrill'd with sudden start | D |
He mann'd himself with dauntless air | P |
Return'd the Chief his haughty stare | P |
His back against a rock he bore | Q |
And firmly placed his foot before | Q |
Come one come all this rock shall fly | A |
From its firm base as soon as I | A |
Sir Roderick mark'd and in his eyes | R |
Respect was mingled with surprise | R |
And the stern joy which warriors feel | A |
In foemen worthy of their steel | A |
Short space he stood then waved his hand | F |
Down sunk the disappearing band | F |
Each warrior vanish'd where he stood | S |
In broom or bracken heath or wood | S |
Sunk brand and spear and bended bow | N |
In osiers pale and copses low | A |
It seem'd as if their mother Earth | T |
Had swallow'd up her warlike birth | T |
The wind's last breath had toss'd in air | P |
Pennon and plaid and plumage fair | P |
The next but swept a lone hill side | M |
Where heath and fern were waving wide | M |
The sun's last glance was glinted back | U |
From spear and glaive from targe and jack | U |
The next all unreflected shone | V |
On bracken green and cold grey stone XI | W |
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Fitz James look'd round yet scarce believed | X |
The witness that his sight received | X |
Such apparition well might seem | Y |
Delusion of a dreadful dream | Y |
Sir Roderick in suspense he eyed | M |
And to his look the Chief replied | M |
Fear nought nay that I need not say | Z |
But doubt not aught from mine array | Z |
Thou art my guest I pledged my word | A2 |
As far as Coilantogle ford | B2 |
Nor would I call a clansman's brand | F |
For aid against one valiant hand | F |
Though on our strife lay every vale | A |
Rent by the Saxon from the Gael | A |
So move we on I only meant | C2 |
To show the reed on which you leant | D2 |
Deeming this path you might pursue | A |
Without a pass from Roderick Dhu | E2 |
They moved I said Fitz James was brave | F2 |
As ever knight that belted glaive | F2 |
Yet dare not say that now his blood | G2 |
Kept on its wont and temper'd flood | G2 |
As following Roderick's stride he drew | A |
That seeming lonesome pathway through | A |
Which yet by fearful proof was rife | F2 |
With lances that to take his life | F2 |
Waited but signal from a guide | M |
So late dishonour'd and defied | M |
Ever by stealth his eye sought round | H2 |
The vanish'd guardians of the ground | H2 |
And still from copse and heather deep | I2 |
Fancy saw spear and broadsword peep | I2 |
And in the plover's shrilly strain | J2 |
The signal whistle heard again | H |
Nor breathed he free till far behind | K2 |
The pass was left for then they wind | K2 |
Along a wide and level green | L2 |
Where neither tree nor tuft was seen | L2 |
Nor rush nor bush of broom was near | M2 |
To hide a bonnet or a spear XII | A |
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The Chief in silence strode before | Q |
And reach'd that torrent's sounding shore | Q |
Which daughter of three mighty lakes | A |
From Vennachar in silver breaks | A |
Sweeps through the plain and ceaseless mines | A |
On Bochastle the mouldering lines | A |
Where Rome the Empress of the world | N2 |
Of yore her eagle wings unfurl'd | N2 |
And here his course the Chieftain staid | O2 |
Threw down his target and his plaid | P2 |
And to the Lowland warrior said | Q2 |
Bold Saxon to his promise just | R2 |
Vich Alpine has discharged his trust | R2 |
This murderous Chief this ruthless man | S2 |
This head of a rebellious clan | S2 |
Hath led thee safe through watch and ward | B2 |
Far past Clan Alpine's outmost guard | T2 |
Now man to man and steel to steel | A |
A Chieftain's vengeance thou shalt feel | A |
See here all vantageless I stand | F |
Arm'd like thyself with single brand | F |
For this is Coilantogle ford | B2 |
And thou must keep thee with thy sword XIII | A |
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The Saxon paused I ne'er delay'd | O2 |
When foeman bade me draw my blade | O2 |
Nay more brave Chief I vow'd thy death | U2 |
Yet sure thy fair and generous faith | V2 |
And my deep debt for life preserved | W2 |
A better meed have well deserved | W2 |
Can nought but blood our feud atone | V |
Are there no means No Stranger none | I |
And hear to fire thy flagging zeal | A |
The Saxon cause rests on thy steel | A |
For thus spoke Fate by prophet bred | Q2 |
Between the living and the dead | Q2 |
'Who spills the foremost foeman's life | F2 |
His party conquers in the strife ' | - |
Then by my word the Saxon said | Q2 |
The riddle is already read | Q2 |
Seek yonder brake beneath the cliff | F2 |
There lies Red Murdoch stark and stiff | F2 |
Thus Fate has solved her prophecy | A |
Then yield to Fate and not to me | A |
To James at Stirling let us go | A |
When if thou wilt be still his foe | A |
Or if the King shall not agree | A |
To grant thee grace and favour free | A |
I plight mine honour oath and word | A2 |
That to thy native strengths restored | B2 |
With each advantage shalt thou stand | F |
That aids thee now to guard thy land XIV | A |
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Dark lightning flash'd from Roderick's eye | A |
Soars thy presumption then so high | A |
Because a wretched kern ye slew | A |
Homage to name to Roderick Dhu | E2 |
He yields not he to man nor Fate | X2 |
Thou add'st but fuel to my hate | X2 |
My clansman's blood demands revenge | Y2 |
Not yet prepared By heaven I change | Z2 |
My thought and hold thy valour light | A3 |
As that of some vain carpet knight | A3 |
Who ill deserved my courteous care | P |
And whose best boast is but to wear | P |
A braid of his fair lady's hair | P |
I thank thee Roderick for the word | A2 |
It nerves my heart it steels my sword | B2 |
For I have sworn this braid to stain | J2 |
In the best blood that warms thy vein | J2 |
Now truce farewell and ruth begone | J2 |
Yet think not that by thee alone | J2 |
Proud Chief can courtesy be shown | J2 |
Though not from copse or heath or cairn | J2 |
Start at my whistle clansmen stern | J2 |
On this small horn one feeble blast | B3 |
Would fearful odds against thee cast | B3 |
But fear not doubt not which thou wilt | C3 |
We try this quarrel hilt to hilt | C3 |
Then each at once his falchion drew | A |
Each on the ground his scabbard threw | A |
Each look'd to sun and stream and plain | J2 |
As what they ne'er might see again | J2 |
Then foot and point and eye opposed | D3 |
In dubious strife they darkly closed XV | A |
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Ill fared it then with Roderick Dhu | E2 |
That on the field his targe he threw | A |
Whose brazen studs and tough bull hide | M |
Had death so often dash'd aside | M |
For train'd abroad his arms to wield | E3 |
Fitz James's blade was sword and shield | E3 |
He practised every pass and ward | B2 |
To thrust to strike to feint to guard | T2 |
While less expert though stronger far | F3 |
The Gael maintain'd unequal war | Q |
Three times in closing strife they stood | S |
And thrice the Saxon blade drank blood | G2 |
No stinted draught no scanty tide | M |
The gushing flood the tartans dyed | M |
Fierce Roderick felt the fatal drain | J2 |
And shower'd his blows like wintry rain | J2 |
And as firm rock or castle roof | A |
Against the winter shower is proof | A |
The foe invulnerable still | A |
Foil'd his wild rage by steady skill | A |
Till at advantage ta'en his brand | F |
Forced Roderick's weapon from his hand | F |
And backward borne upon the lea | A |
Brought the proud Chieftain to his knee XVI | A |
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N | J2 |
Sir Walter Scott
(1)
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