The Bechuana Boy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABAACC AAAADDEA FGFAHHIJ KLKLMMAA NONOAAAA APAPQQRR RARARRAA SASATUAA AAAAAAVV WIWIXXAA YZYZAAA2A2 ALALZZRR VAVAAAAA B2AB2APPAA AC2AC2WWIJ AAAAD2D2KK E2AE2AAAOO AF2AF2G2G2C2A H2C2H2 AALL

I sat at noontide in my tentA
And looked across the Desert dunB
Beneath the cloudless firmamentA
Far gleaming in the sunB
When from the bosom of the wasteA
A swarthy Stripling came in hasteA
With foot unshod and naked limbC
And a tame springbok followed himC
-
With open aspect frank yet blandA
And with a modest mien he stoodA
Caressing with a gentle handA
That beast of gentle broodA
Then meekly gazing in my faceD
Said in the language of his raceD
With smiling look yet pensive toneE
quot Stranger I'm in the world alone quotA
-
quot Poor boy quot I said quot thy native homeF
Lies far beyond the Stormberg blueG
Why hast thou left it boy to roamF
This desolate Karroo quotA
His face grew sadder while I spokeH
The smile forsook it and he brokeH
Short silence with a sob like sighI
And told his hapless historyJ
-
quot I have no home quot replied the boyK
quot The Bergenaars by night they cameL
And raised their wolfish howl of joyK
While o'er our huts the flameL
Resistless rushed and aye their yellM
Pealed louder as our warriors fellM
In helpless heaps beneath their shotA
One living man they left us notA
-
quot The slaughter o'er they gave the slainN
To feast the foul beaked birds of preyO
And with our herds across the plainN
They hurried us awayO
The widowed mothers and their broodA
Oft in despair for drink and foodA
We vainly cried they heeded notA
But with sharp lash the captive smoteA
-
quot Three days we tracked that dreary wildA
Where thirst and anguish pressed us soreP
And many a mother and her childA
Lay down to rise no moreP
Behind us on the desert brownQ
We saw the vultures swooping downQ
And heard as the grim night was fallingR
The wolf to his gorged comrade callingR
-
quot At length we heard a river soundingR
'Midst that dry and dismal landA
And like a troop of wild deer boundingR
We hurried to its strandA
Among the maddened cattle rushingR
The crowd behind still forward pushingR
Till in the flood our limbs were drenchedA
And the fierce rage of thirst was quenchedA
-
quot Hoarse roaring dark the broad GareepS
In turbid streams was sweeping fastA
Huge sea cows in its eddies deepS
Loud snorting as we passedA
But that relentless robber clanT
Right through those waters wild and wanU
Drove on like sheep our wearied bandA
Some never reached the farther strandA
-
quot All shivering from the foaming floodA
We stood upon the stranger's groundA
When with proud looks and gestures rudeA
The White Men gathered roundA
And there like cattle from the foldA
By Christians we were bought and soldA
'Midst laughter loud and looks of scornV
And roughly from each other tornV
-
quot My Mother's scream so long and shrillW
My little Sister's wailing cryI
In dreams I often hear them stillW
Rose wildly to the skyI
A tiger's heart came to me thenX
And fiercely on those ruthless menX
I sprang Alas dashed on the sandA
Bleeding they bound me foot and handA
-
quot Away away on prancing steedsY
The stout man stealers blithely goZ
Through long low valleys fringed with reedsY
O'er mountains capped with snowZ
Each with his captive far and fastA
Until yon rock bound ridge we passedA
And distant stripes of cultured soilA2
Bespoke the land of tears and toilA2
-
quot And tears and toil have been my lotA
Since I the White Man's thrall becameL
And sorer griefs I wish forgotA
Harsh blows and scorn and shameL
Oh Englishman thou ne'er canst knowZ
The injured bondman's bitter woeZ
When round his breast like scorpions clingR
Black thoughts that madden while they stingR
-
quot Yet this hard fate I might have borneV
And taught in time my soul to bendA
Had my sad yearning heart forlornV
But found a single friendA
My race extinct or far removedA
The Boor's rough brood I could have lovedA
But each to whom my bosom turnedA
Even like a hound the black boy spurnedA
-
quot While friendless thus my master's flocksB2
I tended on the upland wasteA
It chanced this fawn leapt from the rocksB2
By wolfish wild dogs chasedA
I rescued it though wounded soreP
And dabbled in its mother's goreP
And nursed it in a cavern wildA
Until it loved me like a childA
-
quot Gently I nursed it for I thoughtA
Its hapless fate so like to mineC2
By good Ut ko it was broughtA
To bid me not repineC2
Since in this world of wrong and illW
One creature lived that loved me stillW
Although its dark and dazzling eyeI
Beamed not with human sympathyJ
-
quot Thus lived I a lone orphan ladA
My task the proud Boor's flocks to tendA
And this poor fawn was all I hadA
To love or call my friendA
When suddenly with haughty lookD2
And taunting words that tyrant tookD2
My playmate for his pampered boyK
Who envied me my only joyK
-
quot High swelled my heart But when a starE2
Of midnight gleamed I softly ledA
My bounding favourite forth and farE2
Into the Desert fledA
And here from human kind exiledA
Three moons on roots and berries wildA
I've fared and braved the beasts of preyO
To 'scape from spoilers worse than theyO
-
quot But yester morn a Bushman broughtA
The tidings that thy tents were nearF2
And now with hasty foot I've soughtA
Thy presence void of fearF2
Because they say O English ChiefG2
Thou scornest not the Captive's griefG2
Then let me serve thee as thine ownC2
For I am in the world alone quotA
-
Such was Marossi's touching taleH2
Our breasts they were not made of stoneC2
His words his winning looks prevailH2
We took him for our own '-
And One with woman's gentle artA
Unlocked the fountains of his heartA
And love gushed forth till he becameL
Her Child in every thing but nameL

Thomas Pringle



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