Queen Summer Or, The Tourney Of The Lily And The Rose Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDEEFG BB GG GG BB HHGG II BB JJ GGGG GGGG IIKKLL GGAAMM II NN BBOO GGPP IIQQRRGG CCJJKKGG PPAA NNGGJJ BBSSGG JJLTGG LL DD GG GG BB BB BB LL NN CC GG UUDV GG GG BBWWGGGGGG

When Summer on the earth was queenA
She held her court in gardens greenA
Fair hung with tapestry of leavesB
Where threads of gold the sun enweavesB
With checquered patterns on the floorC
Of velvet lawns the scythe smoothes o'erD
Their waving fans the soft winds spreadE
Each way to cool Queen Summer's headE
The woodland dove made music softF
And Eros touched his lute full oftG
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Round Time's dial thronged the hoursB
Masking in the Masque of FlowersB
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Like knights and ladies fair be dightG
In silk attire both red and whiteG
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And as the winds about them playedG
And shook the flowers or disarrayedG
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A whispered word among them goesB
Of how the Lily flouts the RoseB
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Suitors for Summer's favor dearH
To win the crown of all the yearH
And how each champion brave would fightG
Queen Summer to decide the rightG
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Then shrill the wind winged heralds blewI
The lists were set in Summer's viewI
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With blazoned shields pennons spruceB
Of fluttering flag fleur de luceB
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And spread with 'broidered hangings gayJ
Till all was ready for the frayJ
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Between their banners white and redG
Of Rose and Lily overheadG
Queen Summer took her judgment seatG
Whom all the crowd of flowers did greetG
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The silver arum trumpet's soundG
With tongues of gold to the groundG
The shining champions each did rideG
Their party colours flaunting wideG
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Came first the glowing Rose in viewI
With crimson pennon fluttering newI
With glittering spines all armed he cameK
With lance and shield a rose aflameK
With tossing crest and mantling freeL
On fiery steed a sight to seeL
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Nor long the Lily knight delayedG
In silver armour white arrayedG
He flashed like light upon the sceneA
A lamp amid the garden greenA
Milk white his horse housings fairM
With silver lilies shining thereM
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The summer winds the onset blewI
With level lance each champion flewI
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And clashed together mid a snowN
Of petals on the grass belowN
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Pressed eager then the gazing rowsB
Some cried the Lily some the RoseB
But while the fate of battle hungO
Again the silver trumpets sungO
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And sudden charging from each sideG
Of Roses and of Lilies rideG
A host to still maintain the strifeP
For roses or for lilies' lifeP
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Rose favoured knights of maidens trueI
Their pennons blushing with each hueI
Of Rose craft since from wild thorn frailQ
Their order grew through dark paleQ
Of maiden bloom to damask deepR
Or Gloire de Dijon that doth keepR
Enfolded fire within his breastG
Still golden hearted like the restG
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Like a cloud of morn they boreC
Or rosy wave on grassy shoreC
That breaking dashed the silver sprayJ
Thay met the Lily lances playJ
In crested legends on that cameK
Against them snow burning flameK
Mixing with the crimson floodG
Of roses their fragrant bloodG
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Whereof the grass undue was rifeP
As surged rolled the floral strifeP
With checquered fortune o'er the greenA
Until at last up rose the QueenA
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And caused the zephyr horns to blowN
A truce the victor's crown to showN
But like a garland on the groundG
Of roses of lilies foundG
So linked locked in strife they layJ
Each silver stem clinging sprayJ
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The doughty champions could not riseB
Before the Queen to claim her prizeB
So to the field of battle downS
She stepped with rose lily crownS
Of silver of gold fair wroughtG
And thus Queen Summer spake her thoughtG
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And to each warrior thus did sayJ
Read in the fortune of your frayJ
Fit emblem sweet of unityL
Nor Rose nor Lily plant on highT
But side by side in equal rightG
And pleasant cheer the Red WhiteG
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That men maids be glad to seeL
Always in pleasant companyL
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Life Love close linked togetherD
And strong to bear times' wintry weatherD
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Love not consumed in passion's heartG
But golden flamed stedfast sweetG
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Time's snows shall quench not though they hideG
Each spring renews the rosy tideG
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Each lover in his lady's faceB
Sees roses blent with lilies' graceB
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The poet the painter praiseB
This heraldry of summer daysB
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And every garden sweet that blowsB
Doth set the Lily by the RoseB
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Peace then in all my borders beL
Beneath the silvern olive treeL
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Each rose each lily's head bent lowN
And each one sought his fallen foeN
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And careful hands the wounded boreC
With balm and honey to restoreC
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And trimmed the grass decked each seatG
And made all fit for dancer's feetG
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Beneath the summer full orbed moonU
Ruddy gold that rose full soonU
Like rose lily fused in fireD
Ere the sunset's torch expireV
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Then forth each knightly lily ledG
A blushing rosy dame so redG
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Nor lily hands or hearts deniedG
The rose hued warriors erst defiedG
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Light footed through the dance's mazeB
Quick they moved like wing d faysB
As measured music soft did swellW
And echoed deep from bosky dellW
Till from the leafy forest sideG
The sweet tongued nightingale repliedG
Dissolved in streams of silver soundG
Merged in the moonlight lost foundG
Like the dancers till in shadeG
Of Summer's verdant night they fadeG

Walter Crane



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