The Tree: An Old Man's Story Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDD A EEFFDD A GGHHDD IJAAD D KKLLDD A MMCCDC A LLLLD A NNLLDD OPLLDD QQAADD| I | A |
| - | |
| Its roots are bristling in the air | B |
| Like some mad Earth god's spiny hair | B |
| The loud south wester's swell and yell | C |
| Smote it at midnight and it fell | C |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Thus ends the tree | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Where Some One sat with me | D |
| - | |
| II | A |
| - | |
| Its boughs which none but darers trod | E |
| A child may step on from the sod | E |
| And twigs that earliest met the dawn | F |
| Are lit the last upon the lawn | F |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Cart off the tree | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Beneath whose trunk sat we | D |
| - | |
| III | A |
| - | |
| Yes there we sat she cooed content | G |
| And bats ringed round and daylight went | G |
| The gnarl our seat is wrenched and sunk | H |
| Prone that queer pocket in the trunk | H |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Where lay the key | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp To her pale mystery | D |
| - | |
| IV | - |
| - | |
| Years back within this pocket hole | I |
| I found my Love a hurried scrawl | J |
| Meant not for me at length said I | A |
| I glanced thereat and let it lie | A |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp The words were three | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp 'Beloved I agree ' | - |
| - | |
| V | D |
| - | |
| Who placed it here to what request | K |
| It gave assent I never guessed | K |
| Some prayer of some hot heart no doubt | L |
| To some coy maiden hereabout | L |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Just as maybe | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp With you Sweet Heart and me | D |
| - | |
| VI | A |
| - | |
| She waited till with quickened breath | M |
| She spoke as one who banisheth | M |
| Reserves that lovecraft heeds so well | C |
| To ease some mighty wish to tell | C |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp 'Twas I said she | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Who wrote thus clinchingly | C |
| - | |
| VII | A |
| - | |
| My lover's wife aye wife knew nought | L |
| Of what we felt and bore and thought | L |
| He'd said 'I wed with thee or die | L |
| She stands between 'tis true But why | L |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Do thou agree | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp And she shalt cease to be ' | - |
| - | |
| VIII | A |
| - | |
| How I held back how love supreme | N |
| Involved me madly in his scheme | N |
| Why should I say I wrote assent | L |
| You found it hid to his intent | L |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp She DIED But he | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Came not to wed with me | D |
| - | |
| IX | - |
| - | |
| O shrink not Love Had these eyes seen | O |
| But once thine own such had not been | P |
| But we were strangers Thus the plot | L |
| Cleared passion's path Why came he not | L |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp To wed with me | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp He wived the gibbet tree | D |
| - | |
| X | - |
| - | |
| Under that oak of heretofore | Q |
| Sat Sweetheart mine with me no more | Q |
| By many a Fiord and Strom and Fleuve | A |
| Have I since wandered Soon for love | A |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp Distraught went she | D |
| nbsp nbsp nbsp 'Twas said for love of me | D |
Thomas Hardy
(1)
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About The Tree: An Old Man's Story
The Tree: An Old Man's Story is a poem by Thomas Hardy. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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