The Lay Of The Last Minstrel: Canto V. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCDDEEAAFF AGHIIJJKKLLBBMMHHJJH HAAEEJJ ANNCCOPHHNN FHQHQHHRSSSBBBBTB FSSSSSHHBFFBSSEEESSF FCC FJSJSBBCCSHHSSSBHHBS SSSS FHHSSHSSKBBUVVSHHS FSSEEHHJJHHHHQQ CESESEESSHBBBH CSFSFFFFSSSCCSSS CSSSSESESCCCCJJSCCS CEEWSSXSSXCCSFFS CSSSSSSSSQSSFI | A |
Call it not vain they do not err | B |
Who say that when the Poet dies | C |
Mute Nature mourns her worshipper | B |
And celebrates his obsequies | C |
Who say tall cliff and cavern lone | D |
For the departed Bard make moan | D |
That mountains weep in crystal rill | E |
That flowers in tears of balm distill | E |
Through his lov'd groves that breezes sigh | A |
And oaks in deeper groan reply | A |
And rivers teach their rushing wave | F |
To murmur dirges round his grave | F |
- | |
II | A |
Not that in sooth o'er mortal urn | G |
Those things inanimate can mourn | H |
But that the stream the wood the gale | I |
Is vocal with the plaintive wail | I |
Of those who else forgotten long | J |
Liv'd in the poet's faithful song | J |
And with the poet's parting breath | K |
Whose memory feels a second death | K |
The Maid's pale shade who wails her lot | L |
That love true love should be forgot | L |
From rose and hawthorn shakes the tear | B |
Upon the gentle Minstrel's bier | B |
The phantom Knight his glory fled | M |
Mourns o'er the field he heap'd with dead | M |
Mounts the wild blast that sweeps amain | H |
And shrieks along the battle plain | H |
The Chief whose antique crownlet long | J |
Still sparkled in the feudal song | J |
Now from the mountain's misty throne | H |
Sees in the thanedom once his own | H |
His ashes undistinguish'd lie | A |
His place his power his memory die | A |
His groans the lonely caverns fill | E |
His tears of rage impel the rill | E |
All mourn the Minstrel's harp unstrung | J |
Their name unknown their praise unsung | J |
- | |
III | A |
Scarcely the hot assault was staid | N |
The terms of truce were scarcely made | N |
When they could spy from Branksome's towers | C |
The advancing march of martial powers | C |
Thick clouds of dust afar appear'd | O |
And trampling steeds were faintly heard | P |
Bright spears above the columns dun | H |
Glanced momentary to the sun | H |
And feudal banners fair display'd | N |
The bands that moved to Branksome's aid | N |
- | |
IV | F |
Vails not to tell each hardy clan | H |
From the fair Middle Marches came | Q |
The Bloody Heart blaz'd in the van | H |
Announcing Douglas dreaded name | Q |
Vails not to tell what steeds did spurn | H |
Where the Seven Spears of Wedderburne | H |
Their men in battle order set | R |
And Swinton laid the lance in rest | S |
That tamed of yore the sparkling crest | S |
Of Clarence's Plantagenet | S |
Nor list I say what hundreds more | B |
From the rich Merse and Lammermore | B |
And Tweed's fair borders to the war | B |
Beneath the crest of Old Dunbar | B |
And Hepburn's mingled banners come | T |
Down the steep mountain glittering far | B |
And shouting still 'A Home a Home ' | - |
- | |
V | F |
Now squire and knight from Branksome sent | S |
On many a courteous message went | S |
To every chief and lord they paid | S |
Meet thanks for prompt and powerful aid | S |
And told them how a truce was made | S |
And how a day of fight was ta'en | H |
'Twixt Musgrave and stout Deloraine | H |
And how the Ladye pray'd them dear | B |
That all would stay the fight to see | F |
And deign in love and courtesy | F |
To taste of Branksome cheer | B |
Nor while they bade to feast each Scot | S |
Were England's noble Lords forgot | S |
Himself the hoary Seneschal | E |
Rode forth in seemly terms to call | E |
Those gallant foes to Branksome Hall | E |
Accepted Howard than whom knight | S |
Was never dubb'd more bold in fight | S |
Nor when from war and armor free | F |
More fam'd for stately courtesy | F |
But angry Dacre rather chose | C |
In his pavilion to repose | C |
- | |
VI | F |
Now noble Dame perchance you ask | J |
How these two hostile armies met | S |
Deeming it were no easy task | J |
To keep the truce which here was set | S |
Where martial spirits all on fire | B |
Breathed only blood and mortal ire | B |
By mutual inroads mutual blows | C |
By habit and by nation foes | C |
They met on Teviot's strand | S |
They met and sate them mingled down | H |
Without a threat without a frown | H |
As brothers meet in foreign land | S |
The hands the spear that lately grasp'd | S |
Still in the mailed gauntlet clasp'd | S |
Were interchang'd in greeting dear | B |
Visors were raised and faces shown | H |
And many a friend to friend made known | H |
Partook of social cheer | B |
Some drove the jolly bowl about | S |
With dice and draughts some chas'd the day | S |
And some with many a merry shout | S |
In riot revelry and rout | S |
Pursued the foot ball play | S |
- | |
VII | F |
Yet be it known had bugles blown | H |
Or sign of war been seen | H |
Those bands so fair together rang'd | S |
Those hands so frankly interchang'd | S |
Had dyed with gore the green | H |
The merry shout by Teviot side | S |
Had sunk in war cries wild and wide | S |
And in the groan of death | K |
And whingers now in friendship bare | B |
The social meal to part and share | B |
Had found a bloody sheath | U |
'Twixt truce and war such sudden change | V |
Was not infrequent nor held strange | V |
In the old Border day | S |
But yet on Branksome's towers and town | H |
In peaceful merriment sunk down | H |
The sun's declining ray | S |
- | |
VIII | F |
The blithsome signs of wassel gay | S |
Decay'd not with the dying day | S |
Soon through the lattic'd windows tall | E |
Of lofty Branksome's lordly hall | E |
Divided square by shafts of stone | H |
Huge flakes of ruddy lustre shone | H |
Nor less the gilded rafters rang | J |
With merry harp and beakers' clang | J |
And frequent on the darkening plain | H |
Loud hollo whoop or whistle ran | H |
As bands their stragglers to regain | H |
Give the shrill watchword of their clan | H |
And revellers o'er their bowls proclaim | Q |
Douglas or Dacre's conquering name | Q |
- | |
IX | C |
Less frequent heard and fainter still | E |
At length the various clamors died | S |
And you might hear from Branksome hill | E |
No sound but Teviot's rushing tide | S |
Save when the changing sentinel | E |
The challenge of his watch could tell | E |
And save where through the dark profound | S |
The clanging axe and hammer's sound | S |
Rung from the nether lawn | H |
For many a busy hand toil'd there | B |
Strong pales to shape and beams to square | B |
The lists' dread barriers to prepare | B |
Against the morrow's dawn | H |
- | |
X | C |
Margaret from hall did soon retreat | S |
Despite the Dame's reproving eye | F |
Nor mark'd she as she left her seat | S |
Full many a stifled sigh | F |
For many a noble warrior strove | F |
To win the Flower of Teviot's love | F |
And many a bold ally | F |
With throbbing head and anxious heart | S |
All in her lonely bower apart | S |
In broken sleep she lay | S |
Betimes from silken couch she rose | C |
While yet the banner'd hosts repose | C |
She view'd the dawning day | S |
Of all the hundreds sunk to rest | S |
First woke the loveliest and the best | S |
- | |
XI | C |
She gaz'd upon the inner court | S |
Which in the tower's tall shadow lay | S |
Where coursers' clang and stamp and snort | S |
Had rung the livelong yesterday | S |
Now still as death till stalking slow | E |
The jingling spurs announc'd his tread | S |
A stately warrior pass'd below | E |
But when he rais'd his plumed head | S |
Bless'd Mary can it be | C |
Secure as if in Ousenam bowers | C |
He walks through Branksome's hostile towers | C |
With fearless step and free | C |
She dar'd not sign she dar'd not speak | J |
Oh if one page's slumbers break | J |
His blood the price must pay | S |
Not all the pearls Queen Mary wears | C |
Not Margaret's yet more precious tears | C |
Shall buy his life a day | S |
- | |
XII | C |
Yet was his hazard small for well | E |
You may bethink you of the spell | E |
Of that sly urchin page | W |
This to his lord he did impart | S |
And made him seem by glamour art | S |
A knight from Hermitage | X |
Unchalleng'd thus the warder's post | S |
The court unchalleng'd thus he cross'd | S |
For all the vassalage | X |
But O what magic's quaint disguise | C |
Could blind fair Margaret s azure eyes | C |
She started from her seat | S |
While with surprise and fear she strove | F |
And both could scarcely master love | F |
Lord Henry's at her feet | S |
- | |
XIII | C |
Oft have I mus'd what purpose bad | S |
That foul malicious urchin had | S |
To bring this meeting round | S |
For happy love's a heavenly sight | S |
And by a vile malignant sprite | S |
In such no joy is found | S |
And oft I've deem'd perchance he thought | S |
Their erring passion might have wrought | S |
Sorrow and sin and shame | Q |
And death to Cranstoun's gallant Knight | S |
And to the gentle ladye bright | S |
Disgrace and loss of | F |
Sir Walter Scott
(1)
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