King Arthur's Death Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCB DCEC FCGC HGIG JCEC KBHB HFGF GBFB GLCL GBFB GMHM GGGG NBHB FFOF GCHF GCGC GFGG HGHG GGHG GPBP QGCG RGSG GOPG GGHG TGBG GCGG GGGG PGGO GGLG TGGG GOGT GGCG GGUG GGGG GBGG LGGG LBGG GGGG LG GG LCGG GCBG TLGL GGUG TGLG MCGC GGCGOn Trinitye Mondaye in the morne | A |
This sore battayle was doom'd to bee | B |
Where manye a knighte cry'd Well awaye | C |
Alacke it was the more pitt e | B |
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Ere the first crowinge of the cocke | D |
When as the kinge in his bed laye | C |
He thoughte Sir Gawaine to him came | E |
And there to him these wordes did saye | C |
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quot Nowe as you are mine unkle deare | F |
And as you prize your life this daye | C |
O meet not with your foe in fight | G |
Putt off the battayle if yee maye | C |
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quot For Sir Launcelot is nowe in Fraunce | H |
And with him many an hardye knighte | G |
Who will within this moneth be backe | I |
And will assiste yee in the fighte quot | G |
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The kinge then call'd his nobles all | J |
Before the breakinge of the daye | C |
And told them howe Sir Gawaine came | E |
And there to him these wordes did saye | C |
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His nobles all this counsayle gave | K |
That earlye in the morning hee | B |
Shold send awaye an herauld at armes | H |
To aske a parley faire and free | B |
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Then twelve good knightes King Arthur chose | H |
The best of all that with him were | F |
To parley with the foe in field | G |
And make with him agreement faire | F |
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The king he charged all his hoste | G |
In readinesse there for to bee | B |
But noe man shold noe weapon sturre | F |
Unlesse a sword drawne they shold see | B |
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And Mordred on the other parte | G |
Twelve of his knights did likewise bringe | L |
The best of all his companye | C |
To hold the parley with the kinge | L |
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Sir Mordred alsoe charged his hoste | G |
In readinesse there for to bee | B |
But noe man sholde noe weapon sturre | F |
But if a sworde drawne they shold see | B |
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For he durste not his unkle truste | G |
Nor he his nephewe sothe to tell | M |
Alacke it was a woefulle case | H |
As ere in Christentye befelle | M |
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But when they were together mette | G |
And both to faire accordance broughte | G |
And a month's league betweene them sette | G |
Before the battayle sholde be foughte | G |
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An addere crept forth of a bushe | N |
Stunge one o' th' king's knightes on the knee | B |
Alacke It was a woefulle chance | H |
As ever was in Christent e | B |
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When the knighte found him wounded sore | F |
And sawe the wild worm hanginge there | F |
His sworde he from his scabberde drewe | O |
A piteous case as ye shall heare | F |
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For when the two hostes sawe the sworde | G |
They joyned battayle instantlye | C |
Till of soe manye noble knightes | H |
On one side there were left but three | F |
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For all were slain that durst abide | G |
And but some fewe that fled awaye | C |
Ay mee it was a bloodye fielde | G |
As ere was foughte on a summer's daye | C |
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Upon King Arthur's own party | G |
Onlye himselfe escaped there | F |
And Lukyn Duke of Gloster free | G |
And the king's butler Bedevere | G |
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And when the king beheld his knightes | H |
All dead and scattered on the molde | G |
The teares fast trickled downe his face | H |
That manlye face in fight so bolde | G |
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quot Nowe reste yee all brave knights quot he said | G |
quot Soe true and faithful to your trust | G |
And must ye then ye valiant hearts | H |
Be lefte to moulder into dust | G |
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quot Most loyal have yee been to mee | G |
Most true and faithful unto deathe | P |
And oh to rayse yee up againe | B |
How freelye could I yield my breathe | P |
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quot But see the traitor's yet alive | Q |
Lo where hee stalkes among the deade | G |
Nowe bitterlye he shall abye | C |
And vengeance fall upon his head quot | G |
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quot O staye my liege quot then sayd the duke | R |
quot O staye for love and charit e | G |
Remember what the vision spake | S |
Nor meete your foe if it may bee quot | G |
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quot O staye mee not thou worthye wight | G |
This debt my loyal knights I owe | O |
Betide my life betide me death | P |
I will avenge them of their foe quot | G |
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Then straite he grasp'd his trustye speare | G |
And on his horse then mounted hee | G |
As his butler holpe him to his horse | H |
His bowels gushed to his knee | G |
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quot Alas quot then sayd the noble king | T |
quot That I should live this sight to see | G |
To see this good knight here be slaine | B |
All for his love in helping mee | G |
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He put his speare into his reste | G |
And to Sir Mordred loud gan crye | C |
quot Nowe sette thyself upon thy guarde | G |
For traitor nowe thy death is nye quot | G |
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Sir Mordred lifted up his sworde | G |
And fierce to meet the king ran hee | G |
The king his speare he through him thrust | G |
A fathom thorow his bod e | G |
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When Mordered felt the stroke of death | P |
And found that he was wounded soe | G |
He thrust himselfe upon the speare | G |
And strucke the king a deadlye blowe | O |
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Then grimmlye dyed Sir Mordered | G |
Presentlye upon that tree | G |
And bloody streames ranne from the kinge | L |
Ere to the duke returned hee | G |
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Sir Lukyn then he thus bespake | T |
quot Sir Knighte thou hast been faithfulle tryde | G |
Nowe take my sworde Excalibar | G |
That hangs so freelye by my syde | G |
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quot O take my sword Excalibar | G |
And there into the river throwe | O |
For here henceforth benethe this tree | G |
All use of weapons I forgoe | T |
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quot And fare thee well thou trustye sword | G |
A better neer had valiant knighte | G |
With thee full ofte and many a daye | C |
Have I withstood my foe in fighte | G |
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With this good fauchion in my hande | G |
Oft have I reapd the bloody feelde | G |
But nowe the fatalle houre is come | U |
That never more I may thee weelde quot | G |
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The duke to the river side he went | G |
And there his owne sword in threwe he | G |
But he kept back Excalibar | G |
He kept it back in privitie | G |
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For all of coleyne was the blade | G |
And all the hilte of precious stone | B |
quot And ever alacke quot then sayd the knighte | G |
quot Must such a sword awaye be throwne quot | G |
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Then backe he came unto the kinge | L |
Who sayd Sir Lukyn what did yee see quot | G |
quot Nothing my liege save that the winde | G |
Blewe oer the waters faire and free quot | G |
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quot O goe againe quot then said the kinge | L |
quot O good Sir Lukyn goe againe | B |
Into the rivere throwe my sword | G |
Nor keepe me lingering here in paine quot | G |
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The duke then to the river went | G |
And the kings scabberd in threwe hee | G |
But he kept backe Excalibar | G |
And hid it undernethe a tree | G |
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Then backe he came to tell the kinge | L |
Who sayde quot Sir Lukyn sawe ye oughte quot | G |
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quot Nothinge my liege save that the winde | G |
Nowe with the angrye waters fought quot | G |
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quot O Lukyn Lukyn quot said the kinge | L |
quot Twice haste thou dealt deceytfullye | C |
Alacke whom may wee ever truste | G |
When suche a knighte soe false can bee | G |
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quot Saye wouldst thou have thy master dead | G |
All for a sword that wins thine eye | C |
Now goe againe and throwe it in | B |
Or here the one of us shall dye quot | G |
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The duke all shent with this rebuke | T |
No aunswere made unto the kinge | L |
But to the rivere tooke the sworde | G |
And threwe it far as he coulde flinge | L |
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A hande and an arme did meete the sworde | G |
And flourishd three times in the air | G |
Then sunke benethe the renninge streme | U |
And of the duke was seene noe mair | G |
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All sore astonied stood the duke | T |
He stood as still as still mote bee | G |
Then hastened backe to telle the kinge | L |
But he was gone from under the tree | G |
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But to what place he cold not tell | M |
For never after hee did him spye | C |
But hee sawe a barge goe from the land | G |
And hee heard ladyes howle and crye | C |
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And whether the kinge were there or not | G |
Hee never knewe nor ever colde | G |
For from that sad and direfulle daye | C |
Hee never more was seene on molde | G |
Thomas Percy
(1)
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