A Sicilian Idyll Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFFG FHI AJKLM FNO AFPFQG FARSTUV ADWX FYO AZO FA2ZA DB2FOC2D2OOOSQFOE2F2 RQB2QOOXOOOOQG2B2QH2 OX QOOQQOOO OFQFSEI2AJ2QAOOB2SQO K2QQOOOOQQOQQL2OEOFE M2XFCQN2FVCB2FQQFO2O CQP2B2CFQ2R2COFXL2S2 QB2J2FQT2 QOO QCOOOU2 FFC CCQQOQCV2COOF FCF COC O

First Scene DamonA
I thank thee noB
Already have I drunk a bowl of wineC
Nay nay why wouldst thou riseD
There rolls thy ball of worsted Sit thee downE
Come sit thee down CydillaF
And let me fetch thy ball rewind the woolF
And tell thee all that happened yesterdayG
-
CydillaF
Thanks Damon now by Zeus thou art so briskH
It shames me that to stoop should try my bonesI
-
DamonA
We both are oldJ
And if we may have peaceful days are blessedK
Few hours of bouyancy will come to breakL
The sure withdrawal from us of life's floodM
-
CydillaF
True true youth looks a great way off To thinkN
It wonce was age did lie quite out of sightO
-
DamonA
Not many days have been so beautifulF
As yesterday Cydilla yet one wasP
And I with thee broke tranced on its fine spellF
Thou dost remember Yes but not with tearsQ
Ah not with tears Cydilla pray oh prayG
-
CydillaF
Pardon me DamonA
'Tis many years since thou hast touched thereonR
And something stirs about theeS
Such air of eagerness as was thine whenT
I was more foolish than in my life I hopeU
To ever have been at another timeV
-
DamonA
Pooh foolish thou wast then so very wiseD
That often having seen thee foolish sinceW
Wonder has made me faint that thou shouldst errX
-
CydillaF
Nay then I erred dear Damon and remorseY
Was not so slow to find me as thou deemstO
-
DamonA
There mop those dear wet eyes or thou'lt ne'er hearZ
What it was filled my heart yesterdayO
-
CydillaF
Tell Damon since I well know that regretsA2
Hang like dull gossips round another's earZ
DamonA
-
First thou must know that oftentimes I riseD
Not heeding or not finding sleep of watchingB2
Afraid no longer to be prodigalF
And gaze upon the beauty of the nightO
Quiet hours while dawn absorbs the waning starsC2
Are like cold water sipped between our cupsD2
Washing the jaded palate till it tasteO
The wine again Ere the sun rose I satO
Within my garden porch my lamp was leftO
Burning beside my bed though it would beS
Broad day before I should return upstairsQ
I let it burn willing to waste some oilF
Rather than to disturb my tranquil moodO
But as the Fates determined it was seenE2
Suddenly running round the dovecote cameF2
A young man naked breathless through the dawnR
Florid with haste and wine it was HipparchusQ
Yes there he stood before me panting rubbingB2
His heated flesh which felt the cold at onceQ
When he had breath enough he begged me straightO
To put the lamp out and himself and done itO
Ere I was on the stairX
Flung all along my bed his gasping shook itO
When I at length could sit down by his sideO
'What cause young sir brings you here in this plightO
At such an hour ' He shuddered sighed and rolledO
My blanket round him then came a gush of wordsQ
'The first of causes Damon namely LoveG2
Eldest and least resigned and most unblushingB2
Of all the turbulent impulsive godsQ
A quarter of an hour scarce has flownH2
Since lovely arms clung round me and my headO
Asleep lay nested in a woman's hairX
My cheek still bears print of its ample coils '-
Athwart its burning flush he drew my fingersQ
And their tips felt it might be as he saidO
'Oh I have had a night a night a nightO
Had Paris so much blissQ
And oh was Helen's kissQ
To be compared with those I tastedO
Which but for me had all been wastedO
On a bald man a fat man a gross man a beastO
To scare the best guest from the very best feast '-
Cydilla need not hear half that he saidO
For he was mad awhileF
But having given rein to hot capriceQ
And satyr jest and the distempered maleF
At length I heard his storyS
At sun down certain miles without the townE
He'd chanced upon a light wheeled litter carI2
And in it there stood oneA
Yet more a woman than her garb was richJ2
With more of youth and health than eleganceQ
'The mules ' he said 'were beauties she was oneA
And cried directions to the neighbour fieldO
'O catch that big bough Fool not that the nextO
Clumsy you've let it go O stop it swayingB2
The eggs will jolt out ' From the road ' said heS
'I could not see who thus was rated soQ
Sprang up beside her and beheld her husbandO
Lover or keeper what you like to call himK2
A middle aged stout man upon whose shouldersQ
Kneeled up a scraggy mule boy slave who wasQ
The fool that could not reach a thrush's nestO
Which they while plucking almond had revealedO
Before she knew who it could be I saidO
'Why yes he is a fool but we fair friendO
Were we not foolish waiting for such foolsQ
Let us be off ' I stooped took shook the reinsQ
With one hand while the other clasped her waistO
'Ah who ' she turned I smiled like amorous ZeusQ
A certain vagueness clouded her wild eyesQ
As though she saw a swan a bull a showerL2
Of hurried flames and felt divinely pleasedO
I cracked the whip and we were jolted downE
A kiss was snatched getting the ribbons straightO
We hardly heard them first begin to bawlF
So great our expedition towards the townE
We flew I pulled up at an inn then bid themM2
Stable my mules and chariot and prepareX
A meal for Dives meanwhile we would strollF
Down to the market Took her arm in mineC
And out of sight hurried her through cross lanesQ
Bade her choose now at a fruit now pastry boothN2
Until we gained my lodging she spoke littleF
But often laughed tittering from time to timeV
'O Bacchus what a prank Just think of CymonC
So stout as he is at least five miles to walkB2
Without a carriage well you take things coolly'F
Or such appreciation nice of giftsQ
I need not boast of since I had them gratisQ
When my stiff door creaked open grudginglyF
Her face first fell the room looked bare enoughO2
Still we brought with us food and cakes I ownedO
A little cellar of delicious wineC
An unasked neighbour's garden furnished flowersQ
Jests helped me nimbly I surpassed myselfP2
So we were friends and having laughed we drankB2
Ate sang danced grew wild Soon both had oneC
Desire effort goalF
One bed one sleep one dreamQ2
O Damon Damon both had one alarmR2
When woken by the door forced rudely openC
Lit from the stair bedazzled glowered at hatedO
She clung to me her master husband uncleF
I know not which or what he was stood thereX
It crossed my mind he might have been her fatherL2
Naked unarmed I rose and did assumeS2
What dignity is not derived from clothesQ
Bid them to quit my room my private dwellingB2
It was no use for that gross beast was richJ2
Had his been neither legal right nor moralF
My natural right was nought for his she wasQ
In eyes of those bribed catchpolls Brute revengeT2
Seethed in his pimpled face 'To gaol with him '-
He shouted huskily I wrapped some clothesQ
About my shuddering bed fellow a sheetO
Flung round myself ere she was led awayO
Had whispered to her 'Shriek faint on the stair '-
Then I was seized by two dog officersQ
That girl was worth her keep for going downC
She suddenly writhed gasped and had a fitO
My chance occurred and I whipped through the casementO
All they could do was catch away the sheetO
I dropped a dozen feet into a bushU2
Soon found my heels and plied them here I am '-
-
CydillaF
A strange tale Damon this to tell to meF
And introduce as thou at first beganC
-
DamonC
Thy life Cydilla has at all times beenC
A ceremony this young man'sQ
Discovered by free impulse not couched in formsQ
Worn and made smooth by prudent folk long deadO
I love Hipparchus for his wave like brightnessQ
He wastes himself but till his flash is goneC
I shall be ever glad to hear him laughV2
Nor could one make a Spartan of him evenC
Were one the Spartan with a will to do itO
Yet had there been no more than what is toldO
Thou wouldst not now be lending ear to meF
-
CydillaF
Hearing such things I think of my poor sonC
Which makes me far too sad to smile at follyF
-
DamonC
There let me tell thee all just as it happenedO
And of thy son I shall be speaking soonC
-
CydO

Thomas Sturge Moore



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