The Hamadryad Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDBEFGHIHJHHKHBLHM HGNOHPQRSHQTUVWXYZHJ A2NB2AA2C2D2D2E2BHCF 2HG2D2H2D2HAI2BJ2K2L 2D2HM2ASHN2O2D2N2BHD 2HD2P2BD2N2KHHQ2HD2H D2R2HQD2HD2BBAO2D2AS 2BD2T2KD2U2S2BBV2BL2 W2X2CY2K2KBD2BZ2D2BA 3D2ND2BC2O2D2D2NQD2D 2QBO2D2B3N2BND2D2BD2 D2YBTOD2BC3BEABD2NBD 2D3S2BS2D2B3BAA D2D2A3 F2AE3RHAICOS was born amid the hills wherefrom | A |
Gnidos the light of Caria is discern d | B |
And small are the white crested that play near | C |
And smaller onward are the purple waves | D |
Thence festal choirs were visible all crown d | B |
With rose and myrtle if they were inborn | E |
If from Pandion sprang they on the coast | F |
Where stern Athen rais d her citadel | G |
Then olive was entwin d with violets | H |
Cluster d in bosses regular and large | I |
For various men wore various coronals | H |
But one was their devotion t was to her | J |
Whose laws all follow her whose smile withdraws | H |
The sword from Ares thunderbolt from Zeus | H |
And whom in his chill caves the mutable | K |
Of mind Poseidon the sea king reveres | H |
And whom his brother stubborn Dis hath pray d | B |
To turn in pity the averted cheek | L |
Of her he bore away with promises | H |
Nay with loud oath before dread Styx itself | M |
To give her daily more and sweeter flowers | H |
Than he made drop from her on Enna s dell | G |
Rhaicos was looking from his father s door | N |
At the long trains that hasten d to the town | O |
From all the valleys like bright rivulets | H |
Gurgling with gladness wave outrunning wave | P |
And thought it hard he might not also go | Q |
And offer up one prayer and press one hand | R |
He knew not whose The father call d him in | S |
And said Son Rhaicos those are idle games | H |
Long enough I have liv d to find them so | Q |
And ere he ended sigh d as old men do | T |
Always to think how idle such games are | U |
I have not yet thought Rhaicos in his heart | V |
And wanted proof | W |
Suppose thou go and help | X |
Echion at the hill to bark yon oak | Y |
And lop its branches off before we delve | Z |
About the trunk and ply the root with axe | H |
This we may do in winter | J |
Rhaicos went | A2 |
For thence he could see farther and see more | N |
Of those who hurried to the city gate | B2 |
Echion he found there with naked arm | A |
Swart hair d strong sinew d and his eyes intent | A2 |
Upon the place where first the axe should fall | C2 |
He held it upright There are bees about | D2 |
Or wasps or hornets said the cautious eld | D2 |
Look sharp O son of Thallinos The youth | E2 |
Inclin d his ear afar and warily | B |
And cavern d in his hand He heard a buzz | H |
At first and then the sound grew soft and clear | C |
And then divided into what seem d tune | F2 |
And there were words upon it plaintive words | H |
He turn d and said Echion do not strike | G2 |
That tree it must be hollow for some god | D2 |
Speaks from within Come thyself near Again | H2 |
Both turn d toward it and behold there sat | D2 |
Upon the moss below with her two palms | H |
Pressing it on each side a maid in form | A |
Downcast were her long eyelashes and pale | I2 |
Her cheek but never mountain ash display d | B |
Berries of color like her lip so pure | J2 |
Nor were the anemones about her hair | K2 |
Soft smooth and wavering like the face beneath | L2 |
What dost thou here Echion half afraid | D2 |
Half angry cried She lifted up her eyes | H |
But nothing spake she Rhaicos drew one step | M2 |
Backward for fear came likewise over him | A |
But not such fear he panted gasp d drew in | S |
His breath and would have turn d it into words | H |
But could not into one | N2 |
O send away | O2 |
That sad old man said she The old man went | D2 |
Without a warning from his master s son | N2 |
Glad to escape for sorely he now fear d | B |
And the axe shone behind him in their eyes | H |
Hamad And wouldst thou too shed the most innocent | D2 |
Of blood No vow demands it no god wills | H |
The oak to bleed | D2 |
Rhaicos Who art thou whence why here | P2 |
And whither wouldst thou go Among the rob d | B |
In white or saffron or the hue that most | D2 |
Resembles dawn or the clear sky is none | N2 |
Array d as thou art What so beautiful | K |
As that gray robe which clings about thee close | H |
Like moss to stones adhering leaves to trees | H |
Yet lets thy bosom rise and fall in turn | Q2 |
As touch d by zephyrs fall and rise the boughs | H |
Of graceful platan by the river side | D2 |
Hamad Lovest thou well thy father s house | H |
Rhaicos Indeed | D2 |
I love it well I love it yet would leave | R2 |
For thine where er it be my father s house | H |
With all the marks upon the door that show | Q |
My growth at every birthday since the third | D2 |
And all the charms o erpowering evil eyes | H |
My mother nail d for me against my bed | D2 |
And the Cydonian bow which thou shalt see | B |
Won in my race last spring from Eutychos | B |
Hamad Bethink thee what it is to leave a home | A |
Thou never yet hast left one night one day | O2 |
Rhaicos No t is not hard to leave it t is not hard | D2 |
To leave O maiden that paternal home | A |
If there be one on earth whom we may love | S2 |
First last for ever one who says that she | B |
Will love for ever too To say which word | D2 |
Only to say it surely is enough | T2 |
It shows such kindness if t were possible | K |
We at the moment think she would indeed | D2 |
Hamad Who taught thee all this folly at thy age | U2 |
Rhaicos I have seen lovers and have learn d to love | S2 |
Hamad But wilt thou spare the tree | B |
Rhaicos My father wants | B |
The bark the tree may hold its place awhile | V2 |
Hamad Awhile thy father numbers then my days | B |
Rhaicos Are there no others where the moss beneath | L2 |
Is quite as tufty Who would send thee forth | W2 |
Or ask thee why thou tarriest Is thy flock | X2 |
Anywhere near | C |
Hamad I have no flock I kill | Y2 |
Nothing that breathes that stirs that feels the air | K2 |
The sun the dew Why should the beautiful | K |
And thou art beautiful disturb the source | B |
Whence springs all beauty Hast thou never heard | D2 |
Of Hamadryads | B |
Rhaicos Heard of them I have | Z2 |
Tell me some tale about them May I sit | D2 |
Beside thy feet Art thou not tired The herbs | B |
Are very soft I will not come too nigh | A3 |
Do but sit there nor tremble so nor doubt | D2 |
Stay stay an instant let me first explore | N |
If any acorn of last year be left | D2 |
Within it thy thin robe too ill protects | B |
Thy dainty limbs against the harm one small | C2 |
Acorn may do Here s none Another day | O2 |
Trust me till then let me sit opposite | D2 |
Hamad I seat me be thou seated and content | D2 |
Rhaicos O sight for gods ye men below adore | N |
The Aphrodit Is she there below | Q |
Or sits she here before me as she sate | D2 |
Before the shepherd on those heights that shade | D2 |
The Hellespont and brought his kindred woe | Q |
Hamad Reverence the higher Powers nor deem amiss | B |
Of her who pleads to thee and would repay | O2 |
Ask not how much but very much Rise not | D2 |
No Rhaicos no Without the nuptial vow | B3 |
Love is unholy Swear to me that none | N2 |
Of mortal maids shall ever taste thy kiss | B |
Then take thou mine then take it not before | N |
Rhaicos Hearken all gods above O Aphrodit | D2 |
O Her Let my vow be ratified | D2 |
But wilt thou come into my father s house | B |
Hamad Nay and of mine I cannot give thee part | D2 |
Rhaicos Where is it | D2 |
Hamad In this oak | Y |
Rhaicos Ay now begins | B |
The tale of Hamadryad tell it through | T |
Hamad Pray of thy father never to cut down | O |
My tree and promise him as well thou mayst | D2 |
That every year he shall receive from me | B |
More honey than will buy him nine fat sheep | C3 |
More wax than he will burn to all the gods | B |
Why fallest thou upon thy face Some thorn | E |
May scratch it rash young man Rise up for shame | A |
Rhaicos For shame I cannot rise O pity me | B |
I dare not sue for love but do not hate | D2 |
Let me once more behold thee not once more | N |
But many days let me love on unlov d | B |
I aim d too high on my own head the bolt | D2 |
Falls back and pierces to the very brain | D3 |
Hamad Go rather go than make me say I love | S2 |
Rhaicos If happiness is immortality | B |
And whence enjoy it else the gods above | S2 |
I am immortal too my vow is heard | D2 |
Hark on the left Nay turn not from me now | B3 |
I claim my kiss | B |
Hamad Do men take first then claim | A |
Do thus the seasons run their course with them | A |
- | |
Her lips were seal d her head sank on his breast | D2 |
T is said that laughs were heard within the wood | D2 |
But who should hear them and whose laughs and why | A3 |
- | |
Savory was the smell and long past noon | F2 |
Thallinos in thy house for marjoram | A |
Basil an | E3 |
Walter Savage Landor
(1)
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