The Giant's Wooing Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFDGHIAJEKLIMN AODPQIDRSTSUDVWJXYDZ FBSA2IB2BIDDD DIVB2C2D2B2E2DA2F2G2 KH2ZI2J2D SK2FL2 DDLM2Z II N2O2| Methinks all nature hath no cure for Love | A |
| Plaster or unguent Nicias saving one | B |
| And this is light and pleasant to a man | C |
| Yet hard withal to compass minstrelsy | D |
| As well thou wottest being thyself a leech | E |
| And a prime favourite of those Sisters nine | F |
| 'Twas thus our Giant lived a life of ease | D |
| Old Polyphemus when the down scarce seen | G |
| On lip and chin he wooed his ocean nymph | H |
| No curlypated rose and apple wooer | I |
| But a fell madman blind to all but love | A |
| Oft from the green grass foldward fared his sheep | J |
| Unbid while he upon the windy beach | E |
| Singing his Galatea sat and pined | K |
| From dawn to dusk an ulcer at his heart | L |
| Great Aphrodite's shaft had fixed it there | I |
| Yet found he that one cure he sate him down | M |
| On the tall cliff and seaward looked and sang | N |
| - | |
| 'White Galatea why disdain thy love | A |
| White as a pressed cheese delicate as the lamb | O |
| Wild as the heifer soft as summer grapes | D |
| If sweet sleep chain me here thou walk'st at large | P |
| If sweet sleep loose me straightway thou art gone | Q |
| Scared like a sheep that sees the grey wolf near | I |
| I loved thee maiden when thou cam'st long since | D |
| To pluck the hyacinth blossom on the fell | R |
| Thou and my mother piloted by me | S |
| I saw thee see thee still from that day forth | T |
| For ever but 'tis naught ay naught to thee | S |
| I know sweet maiden why thou art so coy | U |
| Shaggy and huge a single eyebrow spans | D |
| From ear to ear my forehead whence one eye | V |
| Gleams and an o'erbroad nostril tops my lip | W |
| Yet I this monster feed a thousand sheep | J |
| That yield me sweetest draughts at milking tide | X |
| In summer autumn or midwinter still | Y |
| Fails not my cheese my milkpail aye o'erflows | D |
| Then I can pipe as ne'er did Giant yet | Z |
| Singing our loves ours honey thine and mine | F |
| At dead of night and hinds I rear eleven | B |
| Each with her fawn and bearcubs four for thee | S |
| Oh come to me thou shalt not rue the day | A2 |
| And let the mad seas beat against the shore | I |
| 'Twere sweet to haunt my cave the livelong night | B2 |
| Laurel and cypress tall and ivy dun | B |
| And vines of sumptuous fruitage all are there | I |
| And a cold spring that pine clad tna flings | D |
| Down from the white snow's midst a draught for gods | D |
| Who would not change for this the ocean waves | D |
| - | |
| 'But thou mislik'st my hair Well oaken logs | D |
| Are here and embers yet aglow with fire | I |
| Burn if thou wilt my heart out and mine eye | V |
| Mine only eye wherein is my delight | B2 |
| Oh why was I not born a finny thing | C2 |
| To float unto thy side and kiss thy hand | D2 |
| Denied thy lips and bring thee lilies white | B2 |
| And crimson petalled poppies' dainty bloom | E2 |
| Nay summer hath his flowers and autumn his | D |
| I could not bring all these the selfsame day | A2 |
| Lo should some mariner hither oar his road | F2 |
| Sweet he shall teach me straightway how to swim | G2 |
| That haply I may learn what bliss ye find | K |
| In your sea homes O Galatea come | H2 |
| Forth from yon waves and coming forth forget | Z |
| As I do sitting here to get thee home | I2 |
| And feed my flocks and milk them nothing loth | J2 |
| And pour the rennet in to fix my cheese | D |
| - | |
| 'The blame's my mother's she is false to me | S |
| Spake thee ne'er yet one sweet word for my sake | K2 |
| Though day by day she sees me pine and pine | F |
| I'll feign strange throbbings in my head and feet | L2 |
| To anguish her as I am anguished now ' | - |
| - | |
| O Cyclops Cyclops where are flown thy wits | D |
| Go plait rush baskets lop the olive boughs | D |
| To feed thy lambkins 'twere the shrewder part | L |
| Chase not the recreant milk the willing ewe | M2 |
| The world hath Galateas fairer yet | Z |
| - | |
| ' Many a fair damsel bids me sport with her | I |
| The livelong night and smiles if I give ear | I |
| On land at least I still am somebody ' | - |
| - | |
| Thus did the Giant feed his love on song | N2 |
| And gained more ease than may be bought with gold | O2 |
Theocritus
(1)
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About The Giant's Wooing
The Giant's Wooing is a poem by Theocritus. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.