The Rash Bride Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDC EFE DGHG IJDJ D KLML DNEN ODOD PCQC K RKNK K DSD D KRKR K OOOO K TUT VWWW RWKW| An Experience Of The Mellstock Quire | A |
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| I | - |
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| We Christmas carolled down the Vale and up the Vale and round the Vale | B |
| We played and sang that night as we were yearly wont to do | C |
| A carol in a minor key a carol in the major D | D |
| Then at each house Good wishes many Christmas joys to you | C |
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| II | - |
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| Next to the widow's John and I and all the rest drew on And I | - |
| Discerned that John could hardly hold the tongue of him for joy | E |
| The widow was a sweet young thing whom John was bent on marrying | F |
| And quiring at her casement seemed romantic to the boy | E |
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| III | - |
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| She'll make reply I trust said he to our salute She must said he | D |
| And then I will accost her gently much to her surprise | G |
| For knowing not I am with you here when I speak up and call her dear | H |
| A tenderness will fill her voice a bashfulness her eyes | G |
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| IV | - |
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| So by her window square we stood ay with our lanterns there we stood | I |
| And he along with us not singing waiting for a sign | J |
| And when we'd quired her carols three a light was lit and out looked she | D |
| A shawl about her bedgown and her colour red as wine | J |
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| V | D |
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| And sweetly then she bowed her thanks and smiled and spoke aloud her thanks | K |
| When lo behind her back there in the room a man appeared | L |
| I knew him one from Woolcomb way Giles Swetman honest as the day | M |
| But eager hasty and I felt that some strange trouble neared | L |
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| VI | - |
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| How comes he there Suppose said we she's wed of late Who knows said we | D |
| She married yester morning only mother yet has known | N |
| The secret o't shrilled one small boy But now I've told let's wish 'em joy | E |
| A heavy fall aroused us John had gone down like a stone | N |
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| VII | - |
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| We rushed to him and caught him round and lifted him and brought him round | O |
| When hearing something wrong had happened oped the window she | D |
| Has one of you fallen ill she asked by these night labours overtasked | O |
| None answered That she'd done poor John a cruel turn felt we | D |
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| VIII | - |
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| Till up spoke Michael Fie young dame You've broke your promise sly young dame | P |
| By forming this new tie young dame and jilting John so true | C |
| Who trudged to night to sing to 'ee because he thought he'd bring to 'ee | Q |
| Good wishes as your coming spouse May ye such trifling rue | C |
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| IX | K |
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| Her man had said no word at all but being behind had heard it all | R |
| And now cried Neighbours on my soul I knew not 'twas like this | K |
| And then to her If I had known you'd had in tow not me alone | N |
| No wife should you have been of mine It is a dear bought bliss | K |
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| X | K |
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| She changed death white and heaved a cry we'd never heard so grieved a cry | - |
| As came from her at this from him heart broken quite seemed she | D |
| And suddenly as we looked on she turned and rushed and she was gone | S |
| Whither her husband following after knew not nor knew we | D |
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| XI | D |
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| We searched till dawn about the house within the house without the house | K |
| We searched among the laurel boughs that grew beneath the wall | R |
| And then among the crocks and things and stores for winter junketings | K |
| In linhay loft and dairy but we found her not at all | R |
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| XII | K |
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| Then John rushed in O friends he said hear this this this and bends his head | O |
| I've searched round by the WELL and find the cover open wide | O |
| I am fearful that I can't say what Bring lanterns and some cords to knot | O |
| We did so and we went and stood the deep dark hole beside | O |
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| XIII | K |
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| And then they ropes in hand and I ay John and all the band and I | - |
| Let down a lantern to the depths some hundred feet and more | T |
| It glimmered like a fog dimmed star and there beside its light afar | U |
| White drapery floated and we knew the meaning that it bore | T |
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| XIV | - |
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| The rest is naught We buried her o' Sunday Neighbours carried her | V |
| And Swetman he who'd married her now miserablest of men | W |
| Walked mourning first and then walked John just quivering but composed anon | W |
| And we the quire formed round the grave as was the custom then | W |
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| XV | - |
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| Our old bass player as I recall his white hair blown but why recall | R |
| His viol upstrapped bent figure doomed to follow her full soon | W |
| Stood bowing pale and tremulous and next to him the rest of us | K |
| We sang the Ninetieth Psalm to her set to Saint Stephen's tune | W |
Thomas Hardy
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