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 DTB

IA
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Alas That breathing Vanity should goB
Where Pride is buried like its very ghostC
Uprisen from the naked bones belowB
In novel flesh clad in the silent boastC
Of gaudy silk that flutters to and froB
Shedding its chilling superstition mostC
On young and ignorant natures as it wontD
To haunt the peaceful churchyard of BedfontD
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IIA
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Each Sabbath morning at the hour of prayerE
Behold two maidens up the quiet greenF
Shining far distant in the summer airE
That flaunts their dewy robes and breathes betweenF
Their downy plumes sailing as if they wereG
Two far off ships until they brush betweenF
The churchyard's humble walls and watch and waitD
On either side of the wide open'd gateD
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IIIA
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And there they stand with haughty necks beforeH
God's holy house that points towards the skiesI
Frowning reluctant duty from the poorJ
And tempting homage from unthoughtful eyesI
And Youth looks lingering from the temple doorH
Breathing its wishes in unfruitful sighsI
With pouting lips forgetful of the graceK
Of health and smiles on the heart conscious faceK
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IV-
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Because that Wealth which has no bliss besideD
May wear the happiness of rich attireG
And those two sisters in their silly prideD
May change the soul's warm glances for the fireG
Of lifeless diamonds and for health deniedD
With art that blushes at itself inspireL
Their languid cheeks and flourish in a gloryM
That has no life in life nor after storyM
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VM
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The aged priest goes shaking his gray hairE
In meekest censuring and turns his eyeA
Earthward in grief and heavenward in pray'rN
And sighs and clasps his hands and passes byA
Good hearted man what sullen soul would wearE
Thy sorrow for a garb and constantlyM
Put on thy censure that might win the praiseO
Of one so gray in goodness and in daysO
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VIA
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Also the solemn clerk partakes the shameP
Of this ungodly shine of human prideD
And sadly blends his reverence and blameP
In one grave bow and passes with a strideD
Impatient many a red hooded dameP
Turns her pain'd head but not her glance asideD
From wanton dress and marvels o'er againQ
That heaven hath no wet judgments for the vainR
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VIIA
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'I have a lily in the bloom at home '-
Quoth one 'and by the blessed Sabbath dayD
I'll pluck my lily in its pride and comeS
And read a lesson upon vain arrayD
And when stiff silks are rustling up and someS
Give place I'll shake it in proud eyes and sayD
Making my reverence 'Ladies an you pleaseT
King Solomon's not half so fine as these ''-
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VIIIA
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Then her meek partner who has nearly runU
His earthly course 'Nay Goody let your textD
Grow in the garden We have only oneU
Who knows that these dim eyes may see the nextD
Summer will come again and summer sunU
And lilies too but I were sorely vextD
To mar my garden and cut short the blowB
Of the last lily I may live to grow '-
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IXT
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'The last ' quoth she 'and though the last it wereG
Lo those two wantons where they stand so proudD
With waving plumes and jewels in their hairE
And painted cheeks like Dagons to be bow'dD
And curtsey'd to last Sabbath after pray'rN
I heard the little Tomkins ask aloudD
If they were angels but I made him knowB
God's bright ones better with a bitter blow '-
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XT
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So speaking they pursue the pebbly walkV
That leads to the white porch the Sunday throngW
Hand coupled urchins in restrain d talkV
And anxious pedagogue that chastens wrongW
And posied churchwarden with solemn stalkV
And gold bedizen'd beadle flames alongW
And gentle peasant clad in buff and greenF
Like a meek cowslip in the spring sereneF
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XIT
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And blushing maiden modestly array'dD
In spotless white still conscious of the glassT
And she the lonely widow that hath madeD
A sable covenant with grief alasT
She veils her tears under the deep deep shadeD
While the poor kindly hearted as they passT
Bend to unclouded childhood and caressT
Her boy so rosy and so fatherlessT
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XIIT
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Thus as good Christians ought they all draw nearX
The fair white temple to the timely callY
Of pleasant bells that tremble in the earZ
Now the last frock and scarlet hood and shawlY
Fade into dusk in the dim atmosphereX
Of the low porch and heav'n has won them allY
Saying those two that turn aside and passT
In velvet blossom where all flesh is grassT
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XIIIT
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Ah me to see their silken manors trail'dD
In purple luxuries with restless goldD
Flaunting the grass where widowhood has wail'dD
In blotted black over the heapy mouldD
Panting wave wantonly They never quail'dD
How the warm vanity abused the coldD
Nor saw the solemn faces of the goneA2
Sadly uplooking through transparent stoneB2
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XIVA
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But swept their dwellings with unquiet lightD
Shocking the awful presence of the deadD
Where gracious natures would their eyes benightD
Nor wear their being with a lip too redD
Nor move too rudely in the summer brightD
Of sun but put staid sorrow in their treadD
Meting it into steps with inward breathC2
In very pity to bereaved deathC2
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XVA
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Now in the church time sober'd minds resignD2
To solemn pray'r and the loud chaunted hymnE2
With glowing picturings of joys divineD2
Painting the mist light where the roof is dimE2
But youth looks upward to the window shineD2
Warming with rose and purple and the swimE2
Of gold as if thought tinted by the stainsT
Of gorgeous light through many color'd panesT
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XVIA
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Soiling the virgin snow wherein God hathF2
Enrobed his angels and with absent eyesT
Hearing of Heav'n and its directed pathF2
Thoughtful of slippers and the glorious skiesT
Clouding with satin till the preacher's wrathF2
Consumes his pity and he glows and criesT
With a deep voice that trembles in its mightD
And earnest eyes grow eloquent in lightD
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XVIIA
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'Oh that the vacant eye would learn to lookG2
On very beauty and the heart embraceT
True loveliness and from this holy bookG2
Drink the warm breathing tenderness and graceT
Of love indeed Oh that the young soul tookG2
Its virgin passion from the glorious faceT
Of fair religion and address'd its strifeA
To win the riches of eternal life '-
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XVIIIA
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'Doth the vain heart love glory that is noneU
And the poor excellence of vain attireG
Oh go and drown your eyes against the sunU
The visible ruler of the starry quireL
Till boiling gold in giddy eddies runU
Dazzling the brain with orbs of living fireG
And the faint soul down darkens into nightD
And dies a burning martyrdom to light '-
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XIXT
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Oh go and gaze when the low winds of ev'nQ
Breathe hymns and Nature's many forests nodD
Their gold crown'd heads and the rich blooms of heav'nQ
Sun ripen'd give their blushes up to GodD
And mountain rocks and cloudy steeps are riv'nQ
By founts of fire as smitten by the rodD
Of heavenly Moses that your thirsty senseT
May quench its longings of magnificenceT
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XXT
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'Yet suns shall perish stars shall fade awayD
Day into darkness darkness into deathC2
Death into silence the warm light of dayD
The blooms of summer the rich glowing breathC2
Of even all shall wither and decayD
Like the frail furniture of dreams beneathH2
The touch of morn or bubbles of rich dyesT
That break and vanish in the aching eyes '-
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XXIT
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They hear soul blushing and repentant shedD
Unwholesome thoughts in wholesome tears and pourH
Their sin to earth and with low drooping headD
Receive the solemn blessing and imploreH
Its grace then soberly with chasten'd treadD
They meekly press towards the gusty doorH
With humbled eyes that go to graze uponQ
The lowly grass like him of BabylonQ
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XXIIT
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The lowly grass O water constant mindD
Fast ebbing holiness soon fading graceT
Of serious thoughB

Thomas Hood



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