Thomas The Rhymer Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B CDED FGGG HGG IGIG IGJ KGJG IGL IIMI GIII NGOG IOOO IGOG IPIQ MOI GOGO IORP GPO IPSP P I TGIG I GUCU IPIP VPIP O WP WPGP P P IPIP OIII GPGP IPGPG IPIP IPI GPI KIXI GGGG GPKPK PPG GPYP OPI I GIGI GZKZ IPIP GPGP GPGP IGIG MPPP PVPV GPGP IA2IA2 PPPP IPIP IIII I

Part FirstA
-
AncientB
-
True Thomas lay on Huntlie bankC
A ferlie he spied wi' his eeD
And there he saw a lady brightE
Come riding down by the Eildon TreeD
-
Her skirt was o the grass green silkF
Her mantle o the velvet fyneG
At ilka tett of her horse's maneG
Hang fifty siller bells and nineG
-
True Thomas he pulld aff his capH
And louted low down to his kneeG
'All hail thou mighty Queen of HeavenG
For thy peer on earth I never did see '-
-
'O no O no Thomas ' she saidI
'That name does not belang to meG
I am but the queen of fair ElflandI
That am hither come to visit theeG
-
'Harp and carp Thomas ' she saidI
'Harp and carp along wi' meG
And if ye dare to kiss my lipsJ
Sure of your bodie I will be '-
-
'Betide me weal betide me woeK
That weird sall never daunton meG
Syne he has kissed her rosy lipsJ
All underneath the Eildon TreeG
-
'Now ye maun go wi me ' she saidI
'True Thomas ye maun go wi meG
And ye maun serve me seven yearsL
Thro weal or woe as may chance to be '-
-
She mounted on her milk white steedI
She's taen True Thomas up behindI
And aye wheneer her bride rungM
The steed flew swifter than the windI
-
O they rade on and farther onG
The steed gaed swifter than the windI
Until they reached a desart wideI
And living land was left behindI
-
'Light down light down now True ThomasN
And lean your head upon my kneeG
Abide and rest a little spaceO
And I will shew you ferlies threeG
-
'O see ye not yon narrow roadI
So thick beset with thorns and briersO
That is the path of righteousnessO
Tho after it but few enquiresO
-
'And see ye not that braid braid roadI
That lies across that lily levenG
That is the path of wickednessO
Tho some call it the road to heavenG
-
'And see not ye that bonny roadI
That winds about the fernie braeP
That is the road to fair ElflandI
Where thou and I this night maun gaeQ
-
'But Thomas ye maun hold your tongueM
Whatever ye may hear or seeO
For if you speak word in Elflyn landI
Ye'll neer get back to your ain countrie '-
-
O they rade on and farther onG
And they waded thro rivers aboon the kneeO
And they saw neither sun nor moonG
But they heard the roaring of the seaO
-
It was mirk mirk night and there was nae stern lightI
And they waded thro red blude to the kneeO
For a' the blude that's shed an earthR
Rins thro the springs o that countrieP
-
Syne they came on to a garden greenG
And she pu'd an apple frae a treeP
'Take this for thy wages True ThomasO
It will give the tongue that can never lie '-
-
'My tongue is mine ain ' True Thomas saidI
'A gudely gift ye wad gie meP
I neither dought to buy nor sellS
At fair or tryst where I may beP
-
'I dought neither speak to prince or peerP
Nor ask of grace from fair ladye '-
'Now hold thy peace ' the lady saidI
'For as I say so must it be '-
-
He has gotten a coat of the even clothT
And a pair of shoes of velvet greenG
And till seven years were gane and pastI
True Thomas on earth was never seenG
-
-
Part SecondI
-
-
When seven years were come and ganeG
The sun blink'd fair on pool and streamU
And Thomas lay on Huntlie bankC
Like one awaken'd from a dreamU
-
He heard the trampling of a steedI
He saw the flash of armour fleeP
And he beheld a gallant knightI
Come riding down by the Eildon TreeP
-
He was a stalwart knight and strongV
Of giant make he 'pear'd to beP
He stirr'd his horse as he were wodeI
Wi' gilded spurs of faushion freeP
-
Says 'Well met well met true ThomasO
Some uncouth ferlies show to me '-
Says 'Christ thee save Corspatrick braveW
Thrice welcome good Dunbar to meP
-
'Light down light down Corspatrick braveW
And I will show thee curses threeP
Shall gar fair Scotland greet and graneG
And change the green to the black liveryP
-
'A storm shall roar this very hourP
From Ross's hills to Solway sea '-
'Ye lied ye lied ye warlock hoarP
For the sun shines sweet on fauld and lee '-
-
He put his hand on the Earlie's headI
He show'd him a rock beside the seaP
Where a king lay stiff beneath his steedI
And steel dight nobles wiped their eeP
-
'The neist curse lights on Branxton hillsO
By Flodden's high and heathery sideI
Shall wave a banner red as bludeI
And chieftains throng wi' meikle prideI
-
'A Scottish King shall come full keenG
The ruddy lion beareth heP
A feather'd arrow sharp I weenG
Shall make him wink and warre to seeP
-
'When he is bloody and all to bleddeI
Thus to his men he still shall sayP
'For God's sake turn ye back againG
And give yon southern folk a frayP
Why should I lose the right is mineG
My doom is not to die this day '-
-
'Yet turn ye to the eastern handI
And woe and wonder ye sall seeP
How forty thousand spearmen standI
Where yon rank river meets the seaP
-
'There shall the lion lose the gylteI
And the libbards bear it clean awayP
At Pinkyn Cleuch there shall be spiltI
Much gentil bluid that day '-
-
'Enough enough of curse and banG
Some blessings show thou now to meP
Or by the faith o' my bodie ' Corspatrick saidI
'Ye shall rue the day ye e'er saw me '-
-
'The first of blessings I shall thee showK
Is by a burn that's call'd of breadI
Where Saxon men shall tine the bowX
And find their arrows lack the headI
-
'Beside that brigg out ower that burnG
Where the water bickereth bright and sheenG
Shall many a fallen courser spurnG
And knights shall die in battle keenG
-
'Beside a headless cross of stoneG
The libbards there shall lose the greeP
The raven shall come the erne shall goK
And drink the Saxon bluid sae freeP
The cross of stone they shall not knowK
So thick the corses there shall be '-
-
'But tell me now ' said brave DunbarP
'True Thomas tell now unto meP
What man shall rule the isle of BritainG
Even from the north to the southern sea '-
-
'A French Queen shall bear the sonG
Shall rule all Britain to the seaP
He of the Bruce's blood shall comeY
As near as in the ninth degreeP
-
'The waters worship shall his raceO
Likewise the waves of the farthest seaP
For they shall ride over ocean wideI
With hempen bridles and horse of tree '-
-
-
Part ThirdI
-
-
When seven years more were come and goneG
Was war through Scotland spreadI
And Ruberslaw show'd high DunyonG
His beacon blazing redI
-
Then all by bonny ColdingknowG
Pitch'd palliouns took their roomZ
And crested helms and spears a roweK
Glanced gaily through the broomZ
-
The Leader rolling to the TweedI
Resounds the ensenzieP
They roused the deer from CaddenheadI
To distant TorwoodleeP
-
The feast was spread in ErcildouneG
In Learmont's high and ancient hallP
And there were knights of great renownG
And ladies laced in pallP
-
Nor lacked they while they sat at dineG
The music nor the taleP
Nor goblets of the blood red wineG
Nor mantling quaighs of aleP
-
True Thomas rose with harp in handI
When as the feast was doneG
In minstrel strife in Fairy LandI
The elfin harp he wonG
-
Hush'd were the throng both limb and tongueM
And harpers for envy paleP
And arm'd lords lean'd on their swordsP
And hearken'd to the taleP
-
In numbers high the witching taleP
The prophet pour'd alongV
No after bard might e'er availP
Those numbers to prolongV
-
Yet fragments of the lofty strainG
Float down the tide of yearsP
As buoyant on the stormy mainG
A parted wreck appearsP
-
He sung King Arthur's Table RoundI
The Warrior of the LakeA2
How courteous Gawaine met the woundI
And bled for ladies' sakeA2
-
But chief in gentle Tristrem's praiseP
The notes melodious swellP
Was none excell'd in Arthur's daysP
The knight of LionelleP
-
For Marke his cowardly uncle's rightI
A venom'd wound he boreP
When fierce Morholde he slew in fightI
Upon the Irish shoreP
-
No art the poison might withstandI
No medicine could be foundI
Till lovely Isolde's lily handI
Had probed the rankling woundI
-
With gentle hand and soothing tI

Sir Walter Scott



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