The Two Peacocks Of Bedfont Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCBCDD A EFEFGFDD A HIJIHIKK DGDGDLMM M EANAEMOO A PDPDPDQR A DSDSDT A UDUDUDB T GDEDNDB T VWVWVWFF T DTDTDTTT T XYZYXYTT T DDDDDDA2B2 A DDDDDDC2C2 A D2E2D2E2D2E2TT A F2TF2TF2TDD A G2TG2TG2TA A UGULUGD T QDQDQDTT T DC2DC2DH2T T DHDHDHQQ T DTBI | A |
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Alas That breathing Vanity should go | B |
Where Pride is buried like its very ghost | C |
Uprisen from the naked bones below | B |
In novel flesh clad in the silent boast | C |
Of gaudy silk that flutters to and fro | B |
Shedding its chilling superstition most | C |
On young and ignorant natures as it wont | D |
To haunt the peaceful churchyard of Bedfont | D |
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II | A |
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Each Sabbath morning at the hour of prayer | E |
Behold two maidens up the quiet green | F |
Shining far distant in the summer air | E |
That flaunts their dewy robes and breathes between | F |
Their downy plumes sailing as if they were | G |
Two far off ships until they brush between | F |
The churchyard's humble walls and watch and wait | D |
On either side of the wide open'd gate | D |
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III | A |
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And there they stand with haughty necks before | H |
God's holy house that points towards the skies | I |
Frowning reluctant duty from the poor | J |
And tempting homage from unthoughtful eyes | I |
And Youth looks lingering from the temple door | H |
Breathing its wishes in unfruitful sighs | I |
With pouting lips forgetful of the grace | K |
Of health and smiles on the heart conscious face | K |
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IV | - |
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Because that Wealth which has no bliss beside | D |
May wear the happiness of rich attire | G |
And those two sisters in their silly pride | D |
May change the soul's warm glances for the fire | G |
Of lifeless diamonds and for health denied | D |
With art that blushes at itself inspire | L |
Their languid cheeks and flourish in a glory | M |
That has no life in life nor after story | M |
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V | M |
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The aged priest goes shaking his gray hair | E |
In meekest censuring and turns his eye | A |
Earthward in grief and heavenward in pray'r | N |
And sighs and clasps his hands and passes by | A |
Good hearted man what sullen soul would wear | E |
Thy sorrow for a garb and constantly | M |
Put on thy censure that might win the praise | O |
Of one so gray in goodness and in days | O |
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VI | A |
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Also the solemn clerk partakes the shame | P |
Of this ungodly shine of human pride | D |
And sadly blends his reverence and blame | P |
In one grave bow and passes with a stride | D |
Impatient many a red hooded dame | P |
Turns her pain'd head but not her glance aside | D |
From wanton dress and marvels o'er again | Q |
That heaven hath no wet judgments for the vain | R |
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VII | A |
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'I have a lily in the bloom at home ' | - |
Quoth one 'and by the blessed Sabbath day | D |
I'll pluck my lily in its pride and come | S |
And read a lesson upon vain array | D |
And when stiff silks are rustling up and some | S |
Give place I'll shake it in proud eyes and say | D |
Making my reverence 'Ladies an you please | T |
King Solomon's not half so fine as these '' | - |
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VIII | A |
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Then her meek partner who has nearly run | U |
His earthly course 'Nay Goody let your text | D |
Grow in the garden We have only one | U |
Who knows that these dim eyes may see the next | D |
Summer will come again and summer sun | U |
And lilies too but I were sorely vext | D |
To mar my garden and cut short the blow | B |
Of the last lily I may live to grow ' | - |
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IX | T |
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'The last ' quoth she 'and though the last it were | G |
Lo those two wantons where they stand so proud | D |
With waving plumes and jewels in their hair | E |
And painted cheeks like Dagons to be bow'd | D |
And curtsey'd to last Sabbath after pray'r | N |
I heard the little Tomkins ask aloud | D |
If they were angels but I made him know | B |
God's bright ones better with a bitter blow ' | - |
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X | T |
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So speaking they pursue the pebbly walk | V |
That leads to the white porch the Sunday throng | W |
Hand coupled urchins in restrain d talk | V |
And anxious pedagogue that chastens wrong | W |
And posied churchwarden with solemn stalk | V |
And gold bedizen'd beadle flames along | W |
And gentle peasant clad in buff and green | F |
Like a meek cowslip in the spring serene | F |
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XI | T |
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And blushing maiden modestly array'd | D |
In spotless white still conscious of the glass | T |
And she the lonely widow that hath made | D |
A sable covenant with grief alas | T |
She veils her tears under the deep deep shade | D |
While the poor kindly hearted as they pass | T |
Bend to unclouded childhood and caress | T |
Her boy so rosy and so fatherless | T |
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XII | T |
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Thus as good Christians ought they all draw near | X |
The fair white temple to the timely call | Y |
Of pleasant bells that tremble in the ear | Z |
Now the last frock and scarlet hood and shawl | Y |
Fade into dusk in the dim atmosphere | X |
Of the low porch and heav'n has won them all | Y |
Saying those two that turn aside and pass | T |
In velvet blossom where all flesh is grass | T |
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XIII | T |
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Ah me to see their silken manors trail'd | D |
In purple luxuries with restless gold | D |
Flaunting the grass where widowhood has wail'd | D |
In blotted black over the heapy mould | D |
Panting wave wantonly They never quail'd | D |
How the warm vanity abused the cold | D |
Nor saw the solemn faces of the gone | A2 |
Sadly uplooking through transparent stone | B2 |
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XIV | A |
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But swept their dwellings with unquiet light | D |
Shocking the awful presence of the dead | D |
Where gracious natures would their eyes benight | D |
Nor wear their being with a lip too red | D |
Nor move too rudely in the summer bright | D |
Of sun but put staid sorrow in their tread | D |
Meting it into steps with inward breath | C2 |
In very pity to bereaved death | C2 |
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XV | A |
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Now in the church time sober'd minds resign | D2 |
To solemn pray'r and the loud chaunted hymn | E2 |
With glowing picturings of joys divine | D2 |
Painting the mist light where the roof is dim | E2 |
But youth looks upward to the window shine | D2 |
Warming with rose and purple and the swim | E2 |
Of gold as if thought tinted by the stains | T |
Of gorgeous light through many color'd panes | T |
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XVI | A |
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Soiling the virgin snow wherein God hath | F2 |
Enrobed his angels and with absent eyes | T |
Hearing of Heav'n and its directed path | F2 |
Thoughtful of slippers and the glorious skies | T |
Clouding with satin till the preacher's wrath | F2 |
Consumes his pity and he glows and cries | T |
With a deep voice that trembles in its might | D |
And earnest eyes grow eloquent in light | D |
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XVII | A |
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'Oh that the vacant eye would learn to look | G2 |
On very beauty and the heart embrace | T |
True loveliness and from this holy book | G2 |
Drink the warm breathing tenderness and grace | T |
Of love indeed Oh that the young soul took | G2 |
Its virgin passion from the glorious face | T |
Of fair religion and address'd its strife | A |
To win the riches of eternal life ' | - |
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XVIII | A |
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'Doth the vain heart love glory that is none | U |
And the poor excellence of vain attire | G |
Oh go and drown your eyes against the sun | U |
The visible ruler of the starry quire | L |
Till boiling gold in giddy eddies run | U |
Dazzling the brain with orbs of living fire | G |
And the faint soul down darkens into night | D |
And dies a burning martyrdom to light ' | - |
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XIX | T |
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Oh go and gaze when the low winds of ev'n | Q |
Breathe hymns and Nature's many forests nod | D |
Their gold crown'd heads and the rich blooms of heav'n | Q |
Sun ripen'd give their blushes up to God | D |
And mountain rocks and cloudy steeps are riv'n | Q |
By founts of fire as smitten by the rod | D |
Of heavenly Moses that your thirsty sense | T |
May quench its longings of magnificence | T |
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XX | T |
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'Yet suns shall perish stars shall fade away | D |
Day into darkness darkness into death | C2 |
Death into silence the warm light of day | D |
The blooms of summer the rich glowing breath | C2 |
Of even all shall wither and decay | D |
Like the frail furniture of dreams beneath | H2 |
The touch of morn or bubbles of rich dyes | T |
That break and vanish in the aching eyes ' | - |
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XXI | T |
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They hear soul blushing and repentant shed | D |
Unwholesome thoughts in wholesome tears and pour | H |
Their sin to earth and with low drooping head | D |
Receive the solemn blessing and implore | H |
Its grace then soberly with chasten'd tread | D |
They meekly press towards the gusty door | H |
With humbled eyes that go to graze upon | Q |
The lowly grass like him of Babylon | Q |
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XXII | T |
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The lowly grass O water constant mind | D |
Fast ebbing holiness soon fading grace | T |
Of serious though | B |
Thomas Hood
(1)
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