The Lord Of The Isles: Canto Iv. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCCACAA DAEFACACC GHGHHIHII AJJJCCKKLLA AMNOPPOQQRRSSSTUJ AVVUFFUWWMSSMXXX Y ZA2A2ZSSB2C2C2C2B2D2 D2E2E2AFF2 FG2H2A2A2I2J2QQK2K2R RZZL2 M2M2N2N2IIRRN2N2N2 AN2N2AAQQIIN2N2CCQQA AN2N2N2N2CC AO2QJ2QL2CL2L2CQQIN2 N2IP2P2N2N2Q2Q2N2R2R 2N2RRR AN2N2RRS2S2NNJ2J2RN2 N2RT2T2RN2N2QN2N2QU2 U2R2R2RRN2MNMN2CCF2F 2ARRA U2O2CO2CN2ICI | A |
Stranger if e'er thine ardent step hath traced | B |
The northern realms of ancient Caledon | C |
Where the proud Queen of Wilderness hath placed | B |
By lake and cataract her lonely throne | C |
Sublime but sad delight thy soul hath known | C |
Gazing on pathless glen and mountain high | A |
Listing where from the cliffs the torrents thrown | C |
Mingle their echoes with the eagle's cry | A |
And with the sounding lake and with the moaning sky | A |
- | |
Yes 'twas sublime but sad The loneliness | D |
Loaded thy heart the desert tired thine eye | A |
And strange and awful fears began to press | E |
Thy bosom with a stern solemnity | F |
Then hast thou wish'd some woodman's cottage nigh | A |
Something that show'd of life though low and mean | C |
Glad sight its curling wreath of smoke to spy | A |
Glad sound its cock's blithe carol would have been | C |
Or children whooping wild beneath the willows green | C |
- | |
Such are the scenes where savage grandeur wakes | G |
An awful thrill that softens into sighs | H |
Such feelings rouse them by dim Rannoch's lakes | G |
In dark Glencoe such gloomy raptures rise | H |
Or farther where beneath the northern skies | H |
Chides wild Loch Eribol his caverns hoar | I |
But be the minstrel judge they yield the prize | H |
Of desert dignity to that dread shore | I |
That sees grim Coolin rise and hears Coriskin roar | I |
- | |
II | A |
Through such wild scenes the champion pass'd | J |
When bold halloo and bugle blast | J |
Upon the breeze came loud and fast | J |
'There ' said the Bruce 'rung Edward's horn | C |
What can have caused such brief return | C |
And see brave Ronald see him dart | K |
O'er stock and stone like hunted hart | K |
Precipitate as is the use | L |
In war or sport or Edward Bruce | L |
He marks us and his eager cry | A |
Will tell his news ere he be nigh ' | - |
- | |
III | A |
Loud Edward shouts 'What make ye here | M |
Warring upon the mountain deer | N |
When Scotland wants her King | O |
A bark from Lennox cross'd our track | P |
With her in speed I hurried back | P |
These joyful news to bring | O |
The Stuart stirs in Teviotdale | Q |
And Douglas wakes his native vale | Q |
Thy storm toss'd fleet hath won its way | R |
With little loss to Brodick Bay | R |
And Lennox with a gallant band | S |
Waits but thy coming and command | S |
To waft them o'er to Carrick strand | S |
There are blithe news but mark the close | T |
Edward the deadliest of our foes | U |
As with his host he northward pass'd | J |
Hath on the borders breathed his last ' | - |
- | |
IV | A |
Still stood the Bruce his steady cheek | V |
Was little wont his joy to speak | V |
But then his colour rose | U |
'Now Scotland shortly shalt thou see | F |
With God's high will thy children free | F |
And vengeance on thy foes | U |
Yet to no sense of selfish wrongs | W |
Bear witness with me Heaven belongs | W |
My joy o'er Edward's bier | M |
I took my knighthood at his hand | S |
And lordship held of him and land | S |
And well may vouch it here | M |
That blot the story from his page | X |
Of Scotland ruin'd in his rage | X |
You read a monarch brave and sage | X |
And to his people dear ' | - |
'Let London's burghers mourn her Lord | Y |
And Croydon monks his praise record ' | - |
The eager Edward said | Z |
'Eternal as his own my hate | A2 |
Surmounts the bounds of mortal fate | A2 |
And dies not with the dead | Z |
Such hate was his on Solway's strand | S |
That pointed yet to Scotland's land | S |
As his last accents pray'd | B2 |
Disgrace and curse upon his heir | C2 |
If he one Scottish head should spare | C2 |
Till stretch'd upon the bloody lair | C2 |
Each rebel corpse was laid | B2 |
Such hate was his when his last breath | D2 |
Renounced the peaceful house of death | D2 |
And bade his bones to Scotland's coast | E2 |
Be borne by his remorseless host | E2 |
As if his dead and stony eye | A |
Could still enjoy her misery | F |
Such hate was his dark deadly long | F2 |
Mine as enduring deep and strong ' | - |
- | |
V | F |
'Let women Edward war with words | G2 |
With curses monks but men with swords | H2 |
Nor doubt of living foes to sate | A2 |
Deepest revenge and deadliest hate | A2 |
Now to the sea Behold the beach | I2 |
And see the galleys' pendants stretch | J2 |
Their fluttering length down favouring gale | Q |
Aboard aboard and hoist the sail | Q |
Hold we our way for Arran first | K2 |
Where meet in arms our friends dispersed | K2 |
Lennox the loyal De la Haye | R |
And Boyd the bold in battle fray | R |
I long the hardy band to head | Z |
And see once more my standard spread | Z |
Does noble Ronald share our course | L2 |
Or stay to raise his island force ' | - |
'Come weal come woe by Bruce's side ' | - |
Replied the Chief 'will Ronald bide | M2 |
And since two galleys yonder ride | M2 |
Be mine so please my liege dismiss'd | N2 |
To wake the arms the clans of Uist | N2 |
And all who hear the Minche's roar | I |
On the Long Island's lonely shore | I |
The nearer Isles with slight delay | R |
Ourselves may summon in our way | R |
And soon on Arran's shore shall meet | N2 |
With Torquil's aid a gallant fleet | N2 |
If aught avails their Chieftain's hest | N2 |
Among the islemen of the west ' | - |
- | |
VI | A |
Thus was their venturous council said | N2 |
But ere their sails the galleys spread | N2 |
Coriskin dark and Coolin high | A |
Echoed the dirge's doleful cry | A |
Along that sable lake pass'd slow | Q |
Fit scene for such a sight of woe | Q |
The sorrowing islesmen as they bore | I |
The murder'd Allan to the shore | I |
At every pause with dismal shout | N2 |
Their coronach of grief rung out | N2 |
And ever when they moved again | C |
The pipes resumed their clamorous strain | C |
And with the pibroch's shrilling wail | Q |
Mourn'd the young heir of Donagaile | Q |
Round and around from cliff and cave | A |
His answer stern old Coolin gave | A |
Till high upon his misty side | N2 |
Languish'd the mournful notes and died | N2 |
For never sounds by mortal made | N2 |
Attain'd his high and haggard head | N2 |
That echoes but the tempest's moan | C |
Or the deep thunder's rending groan | C |
- | |
VII | A |
Merrily merrily bounds the bark | O2 |
She bounds before the gale | Q |
The mountain breeze from Ben na darch | J2 |
Is joyous in her sail | Q |
With fluttering sound like laughter hoarse | L2 |
The cords and canvas strain | C |
The waves divided by her force | L2 |
In rippling eddies chased her course | L2 |
As if they laugh'd again | C |
Not down the breeze more blithely flew | Q |
Skimming the wave the light sea mew | Q |
Than the gay galley bore | I |
Her course upon that favouring wind | N2 |
And Coolin's crest has sunk behind | N2 |
And Slapin's cavern'd shore | I |
'Twas then that warlike signals wake | P2 |
Dunscaith's dark towers and Eisord's lake | P2 |
And soon from Cavilgarrigh's head | N2 |
Thick wreaths of eddying smoke were spread | N2 |
A summons these of war and wrath | Q2 |
To the brave clans of Sleat and Strath | Q2 |
And ready at the sight | N2 |
Each warrior to his weapons sprung | R2 |
And targe upon his shoulder flung | R2 |
Impatient for the fight | N2 |
Mac Kinnon's chief in warfare grey | R |
Had charge to muster their array | R |
And guide their barks to Brodick Bay | R |
- | |
VIII | A |
Signal of Ronald's high command | N2 |
A beacon gleam'd o'er sea and land | N2 |
From Canna's tower that steep and gray | R |
Like falcon nest o'erhangs the bay | R |
Seek not the giddy crag to climb | S2 |
To view the turret scathed by time | S2 |
It is a task of doubt and fear | N |
To aught but goat or mountain deer | N |
But rest thee on the silver beach | J2 |
And let the aged herdsman teach | J2 |
His tale of former day | R |
His cur's wild clamour he shall chide | N2 |
And for thy seat by ocean's side | N2 |
His varied plaid display | R |
Then tell how with their Chieftain came | T2 |
In ancient times a foreign dame | T2 |
To yonder turret grey | R |
Stern was her Lord's suspicious mind | N2 |
Who in so rude a jail confined | N2 |
So soft and fair a thrall | Q |
And oft when moon on ocean slept | N2 |
That lovely lady sate and wept | N2 |
Upon the castle wall | Q |
And turn'd her eye to southern climes | U2 |
And thought perchance of happier times | U2 |
And touch'd her lute by fits and sung | R2 |
Wild ditties in her native tongue | R2 |
And still when on the cliff and bay | R |
Placid and pale the moonbeams play | R |
And every breeze is mute | N2 |
Upon the lone Hebridean's ear | M |
Steals a strange pleasure mix'd with fear | N |
While from that cliff he seems to hear | M |
The murmur of a lute | N2 |
And sounds as of a captive lone | C |
That mourns her woes in tongue unknown | C |
Strange is the tale but all too long | F2 |
Already hath it staid the song | F2 |
Yet who may pass them by | A |
That crag and tower in ruins grey | R |
Nor to their hapless tenant pay | R |
The tribute of a sigh | A |
- | |
IX | U2 |
Merrily merrily bounds the bark | O2 |
O'er the broad ocean driven | C |
Her path by Ronin's mountains dark | O2 |
The steerman's hand hath given | C |
And Ronin's mountains dark have sent | N2 |
Their hunters to the shore | I |
And each his ashen | C |
Sir Walter Scott
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