The Eve Of St. John Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDED FGHG IJIJ KLCM MGMG NONO NBNB BEBE MMMM POPO QBQB MQMQ MRMJ RORO JSJS CBE TBB MBMB MRB MUM MBV MUMB J BB WXBX MUMU NBMB MQMQ UUYU ZBUB MQA2Q MRMR MUMU MUMC GUGU MMRM MMB2M UBUB RQRQ MC2MC2 BBBB MUMU IUJU MMMM D2SE2S QMF2M GMGM JBJB BBBB

The baron of Smaylho'me rose with dayA
He spurr'd his courser onB
Without stop or stay down the rocky wayA
That leads to BrotherstoneB
-
He went not with the bold BuccleuchC
His banner broad to rearD
He went not 'gainst the English yewE
To lift the Scottish spearD
-
Yet his plate jack was braced and his helmet was lacedF
And his vaunt brace of proof he woreG
At his saddle gerthe was a good steel spertheH
Full ten pound weight and moreG
-
The Baron return'd in three days' spaceI
And his looks were sad and sourJ
And weary was his courser's paceI
As he reach'd his rocky towerJ
-
He came not from where Ancram MoorK
Ran red with English bloodL
Where the Douglas true and the bold BuccleuchC
'Gainst keen Lord Evers stoodM
-
Yet was his helmet hack'd and hew'dM
His acton pierced and toreG
His axe and his dagger with blood inbruedM
But it was not English goreG
-
He lighted at the ChapellageN
He held him close and stillO
And he whistled thrice for his little foot pageN
His name was English WillO
-
Come thou hither my little foot pageN
Come hither to my kneeB
Though thou art young and tender of ageN
I think thou art true to meB
-
Come tell me all that thou hast seenB
And look thou tell me trueE
Since I from Smaylho'me tower have beenB
What did thy lady doE
-
My lady each night sought the lonely lightM
That burns on the wild WatchfoldM
For from height to height the beacons brightM
Of the English foemen toldM
-
The bittern clamour'd from the mossP
The wind blew loud and shrillO
Yet the craggy pathway she did crossP
To the eiry Beacon HillO
-
I watch'd her steps and silent cameQ
Where she sat her on a stoneB
No watchman stood by the dreary flameQ
It burned all aloneB
-
The second night I kept her in sightM
Till to the fire she cameQ
And by Mary's might an Armed KnightM
Stood by the lonely flameQ
-
And many a word that warlike lordM
Did speak to my lady thereR
But the rain fell fast and loud blew the blastM
And I heard not what they wereJ
-
The third night there the sky was fairR
And the mountain blast was stillO
As again I watch'd the secret pairR
On the lonesome Beacon HillO
-
And I heard her name the midnight hourJ
And name this holy eveS
And say 'Come this night to thy lady's bowerJ
Ask no bold Baron's leaveS
-
He lifts his spear with the bold BuccleuchC
His lady is all aloneB
The door she'll undo to her knight so trueE
On the eve of good St John '-
-
'I cannot come I must not comeT
I dare not come to theeB
On the eve of St John I must wander aloneB
In thy bower I may not be '-
-
'Now out on thee faint hearted knightM
Thou shouldst not say me nayB
For the eve is sweet and when lovers meetM
Is worth the whole summer's dayB
-
'And I'll chain the blood hound and the warder shall not soundM
And rushes shall be strew'd on the stairR
So by the black rood stone and by Holy St JohnB
I conjure thee my love to be there '-
-
'Though the blood hound be mute and the rush beneath my footM
And the warder his bugle should not blowU
Yet there sleepeth a priest in the chamber to the eastM
And my footstep he would know '-
-
'O fear not the priest who sleepeth to the eastM
For to Dryburgh the way he has ta'enB
And there to say mass till three days do passV
For the soul of a knight that is slayne '-
-
He turn'd him around and grimly he frown'dM
Then he laugh'd right scornfullyU
'He who says the mass rite for the soul of that knightM
May as well say mass for meB
-
'At the lone midnight hour when bad spirits have powerJ
In thy chamber will I be '-
With that he was gone and my lady left aloneB
And no more did I seeB
-
Then changed I trow was that bold Baron's browW
From the dark to the blood red highX
Now tell me the mien of the knight thou hast seenB
For by Mary he shall dieX
-
His arms shone full bright in the beacon's red lightM
His plume it was scarlet and blueU
On his shield was a hound in a silver leash boundM
And his crest was a branch of the yewU
-
Thou liest thou liest thou little foot pageN
Loud dost thou lie to meB
For that knight is cold and low laid in the mouldM
All under the Eildon treeB
-
Yet hear but my word my noble lordM
For I heard her name his nameQ
And that lady bright she called the knightM
Sir Richard of ColdinghameQ
-
The bold Baron's brow then changed I trowU
From high blood red to paleU
The grave is deep and dark and the corpse is stiff and starkY
So I may not trust thy taleU
-
Where fair Tweed flows round holy MelroseZ
And Eildon slopes to the plainB
Full three nights ago by some secret foeU
That gay gallant was slainB
-
The varying light deceived thy sightM
And the wild winds drown'd the nameQ
For the Dryburgh bells ring and the white monks do singA2
For Sir Richard of ColdinghameQ
-
He pass'd the court gate and he oped the tower gateM
And he mounted the narow stairR
To the bartizan seat where with maids that on her waitM
He found his lady fairR
-
That lady sat in mournful moodM
Look'd over hill and valeU
Over Tweed's fair flod and Mertoun's woodM
And all down TeviotdaleU
-
Now hail now hail thou lady brightM
Now hail thou Baron trueU
What news what news from Ancram fightM
What news from the bold BuccleuchC
-
The Ancram Moor is red with goreG
For many a southron fellU
And Buccleuch has charged us evermoreG
To watch our beacons wellU
-
The lady blush'd red but nothing she saidM
Nor added the Baron a wordM
Then she stepp'd down the stair to her chamber fairR
And so did her moody lordM
-
In sleep the lady mourn'd and the Baron toss'd and turn'dM
And oft to himself he saidM
The worms around him creep and his bloody grave is deepB2
It cannot give up the deadM
-
It was near the ringing of matin bellU
The night was wellnigh doneB
When a heavy sleep on that Baron fellU
On the eve of good St JohnB
-
The lady look'd through the chamber fairR
By the light of a dying flameQ
And she was aware of a knight stood thereR
Sir Richard of ColdinghameQ
-
Alas away away she criedM
For the holy Virgin's sakeC2
Lady I know who sleeps by thy sideM
But lady he will not awakeC2
-
By Eildon tree for long nights threeB
In bloody grave have I lainB
The mass and the death prayer are said for meB
But lady they are said in vainB
-
By the Baron's brand near Tweed's fair strandM
Most foully slain I fellU
And my restless sprite on the beacon's heightM
For a space is doom'd to dwellU
-
At our trysting place for a certain spaceI
I must wander to and froU
But I had not had power to come to thy bowerJ
Had'st thou not conjured me soU
-
Love master'd fear her brow she cross'dM
How Richard hast thou spedM
And art thou saved or art thou lostM
The vision shook his headM
-
Who spilleth life shall forfeit lifeD2
So bid thy lord believeS
That lawless love is guilt aboveE2
This awful sign receiveS
-
He laid his left palm on an oaken beamQ
His right upon her handM
The lady shrunk and fainting sunkF2
For it scorch'd like a fiery brandM
-
The sable score of fingers fourG
Remains on that board impress'dM
And for evermore that lady woreG
A covering on her wristM
-
There is a nun in Dryburgh bowerJ
Ne'er looks upon the sunB
There is a monk in Melrose towerJ
He speaketh word to noneB
-
That nun who ne'er beholds the dayB
That monk who speaks to noneB
That nun was Smaylho'me's Lady gayB
That monk the bold BaronB

Walter Scott (sir)



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