Marmion: Introduction To Canto Iv. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDEEFFGGHIJJKKLL MMNNOOPPQQRRSSDDLLTT DDUULLPPVVQQWWUUXXWW YYZZWWJJJA2A2B2C2D2D 2JJE2F2G2G2A2A2H2H2R RA2A2A2A2RRJJI2I2J2J 2OODDTTA2A2OOK2K2L2L 2M2M2A2A2A2A2N2N2A2A 2DDO2O2P2Q2R2R2B2B2S 2S2T2T2A2A2QQU2U2V2V 2PPNNW2J2TTX2Y2A2A2U 2U2KKPPZ2Z2U2U2PPA3A 3A3B3C3CCD3D3AAOOE3E 3F3F3PPG3G3F3F3F3PPF 3F3T2T2H3H3A2A2I2I2F 3F3V2V2I3I3A2A2F3F3

An ancient minstrel sagely saidA
Where is the life which late we ledA
That motley clown in Arden woodB
Whom humorous Jaques with envy viewedC
Not even that clown could amplifyD
On this trite text so long as ID
Eleven years we now may tellE
Since we have known each other wellE
Since riding side by side our handF
First drew the voluntary brandF
And sure through many a varied sceneG
Unkindness never came betweenG
Away these winged years have flownH
To join the mass of ages goneI
And though deep marked like all belowJ
With checkered shades of joy and woeJ
Though thou o'er realms and seas hast rangedK
Marked cities lost and empires changedK
While here at home my narrower kenL
Somewhat of manners saw and menL
Though varying wishes hopes and fearsM
Fevered the progress of these yearsM
Yet now days weeks and months but seemN
The recollection of a dreamN
So still we glide down to the seaO
Of fathomless eternityO
Even now it scarcely seems a dayP
Since first I tuned this idle layP
A task so often thrown asideQ
When leisure graver cares deniedQ
That now November's dreary galeR
Whose voice inspired my opening taleR
That same November gale once moreS
Whirls the dry leaves on Yarrow shoreS
Their vexed boughs streaming to the skyD
Once more our naked birches sighD
And Blackhouse heights and Ettrick PenL
Have donned their wintry shrouds againL
And mountain dark and flooded meadT
Bid us forsake the banks of TweedT
Earlier than wont along the skyD
Mixed with the rack the snow mists flyD
The shepherd who in summer sunU
Had something of our envy wonU
As thou with pencil I with penL
The features traced of hill and glenL
He who outstretched the livelong dayP
At ease among the heath flowers layP
Viewed the light clouds with vacant lookV
Or slumbered o'er his tattered bookV
Or idly busied him to guideQ
His angle o'er the lessened tideQ
At midnight now the snowy plainW
Finds sterner labour for the swainW
When red hath set the beamless sunU
Through heavy vapours dark and dunU
When the tired ploughman dry and warmX
Hears half asleep the rising stormX
Hurling the hail and sleeted rainW
Against the casement's tinkling paneW
The sounds that drive wild deer and foxY
To shelter in the brake and rocksY
Are warnings which the shepherd askZ
To dismal and to dangerous taskZ
Oft he looks forth and hopes in vainW
The blast may sink in mellowing rainW
Till dark above and white belowJ
Decided drives the flaky snowJ
And forth the hardy swain must goJ
Long with dejected look and whineA2
To leave the hearth his dogs repineA2
Whistling and cheering them to aidB2
Around his back he wreathes the plaidC2
His flock he gathers and he guidesD2
To open downs and mountain sidesD2
Where fiercest though the tempest blowJ
Least deeply lies the drift belowJ
The blast that whistles o'er the fellsE2
Stiffens his locks to iciclesF2
Oft he looks back while streaming farG2
His cottage window seems a starG2
Loses its feeble gleam and thenA2
Turns patient to the blast againA2
And facing to the tempest's sweepH2
Drives through the gloom his lagging sheepH2
If fails his heart if his limbs failR
Benumbing death is in the galeR
His paths his landmarks all unknownA2
Close to the hut no more his ownA2
Close to the aid he sought in vainA2
The morn may find the stiffened swainA2
The widow sees at dawning paleR
His orphans raise their feeble wailR
And close beside him in the snowJ
Poor Yarrow partner of their woeJ
Couches upon his master's breastI2
And licks his cheek to break his restI2
Who envies now the shepherd's lotJ2
His healthy fare his rural cotJ2
His summer couch by greenwood treeO
His rustic kirn's loud revelryO
His native hill notes tuned on highD
To Marion of the blithesome eyeD
His crook his scrip his oaten reedT
And all Arcadia's golden creedT
Changes not so with us my SkeneA2
Of human life the varying sceneA2
Our youthful summer oft we seeO
Dance by on wings of game and gleeO
While the dark storm reserves its rageK2
Against the winter of our ageK2
As he the ancient Chief of TroyL2
His manhood spent in peace and joyL2
But Grecian fires and loud alarmsM2
Called ancient Priam forth to armsM2
Then happy those since each must drainA2
His share of pleasure share of painA2
Then happy those beloved of HeavenA2
To whom the mingled cup is givenA2
Whose lenient sorrows find reliefN2
Whose joys are chastened by their griefN2
And such a lot my Skene was thineA2
When thou of late wert doomed to twineA2
Just when thy bridal hour was byD
The cypress with the myrtle tieD
Just on thy bride her sire had smiledO2
And blessed the union of his childO2
When Love must change its joyous cheerP2
And wipe Affection's filial tearQ2
Nor did the actions next his endR2
Speak more the father than the friendR2
Scarce had lamented Forbes paidB2
The tribute to his minstrel's shadeB2
The tale of friendship scarce was toldS2
Ere the narrator's heart was coldS2
Far may we search before we findT2
A heart so manly and so kindT2
But not around his honoured urnA2
Shall friends alone and kindred mournA2
The thousand eyes his care had driedQ
Pour at his name a bitter tideQ
And frequent falls the grateful dewU2
For benefits the world ne'er knewU2
If mortal charity dare claimV2
The Almighty's attributed nameV2
Inscribe above his mouldering clayP
The widow's shield the orphan's stayP
Nor though it wake thy sorrow deemN
My verse intrudes on this sad themeN
For sacred was the pen that wroteW2
Thy father's friend forget thou notJ2
And grateful title may I pleadT
For many a kindly word and deedT
To bring my tribute to his graveX2
'Tis little but 'tis all I haveY2
To thee perchance this rambling strainA2
Recalls our summer walks againA2
When doing naught and to speak trueU2
Not anxious to find aught to doU2
The wild unbounded hills we rangedK
While oft our talk its topic changedK
And desultory as our wayP
Ranged unconfined from grave to gayP
Even when it flagged as oft will chanceZ2
No effort made to break its tranceZ2
We could right pleasantly pursueU2
Our sports in social silence tooU2
Thou gravely labouring to portrayP
The blighted oak's fantastic sprayP
I spelling o'er with much delightA3
The legend of that antique knightA3
Tirante by name ycleped the WhiteA3
At either's feet a trusty squireB3
Pandour and Camp with eyes of fireC3
Jealous each other's motions viewedC
And scarce suppressed their ancient feudC
The laverock whistled from the cloudD3
The stream was lively but not loudD3
From the white thorn the Mayflower shedA
Its dewy fragrance round our headA
Not Ariel lived more merrilyO
Under the blossomed bough than weO
And blithesome nights too have been oursE3
When winter stript the summer's bowersE3
Careless we heard what now I hearF3
The wild blast sighing deep and drearF3
When fires were bright and lamps beamed gayP
And ladies tuned the lovely layP
And he was held a laggard soulG3
Who shunned to quaff the sparkling bowlG3
Then he whose absence we deploreF3
Who breathes the gales of Devon's shoreF3
The longer missed bewailed the moreF3
And thou and I and dear loved RaeP
And one whose name I may not sayP
For not Mimosa's tender treeF3
Shrinks sooner from the touch than heF3
In merry chorus well combinedT2
With laughter drowned the whistling windT2
Mirth was within and Care withoutH3
Might gnaw her nails to hear our shoutH3
Not but amid the buxom sceneA2
Some grave discourse might interveneA2
Of the good horse that bore him bestI2
His shoulder hoof and arching crestI2
For like mad Tom's our chiefest careF3
Was horse to ride and weapon wearF3
Such nights we've had and though the gameV2
Of manhood be more sober tameV2
And though the field day or the drillI3
Seem less important now yet stillI3
Such may we hope to share againA2
The sprightly thought inspires my strainA2
And mark how like a horseman trueF3
Lord Marmion's march I thus renewF3

Walter Scott (sir)



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