The Grey Rock Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCDEFE FCGCGGHGHIFJFK FKFGCGCGCG LMLNFGFGGF F GGGGOFPFFFFFGFGF GGGGCG GCGQCQCGGGGHRHRSCSCG TGTUVUWGFGFGTGTGCGCG XGYFF IGIGCICI GGGGFGFG

Poets with whom I learned my tradeA
Companions of the Cheshire CheeseB
Here's an old story I've remadeA
Imagining 'twould better pleaseB
Your cars than stories now in fashionC
Though you may think I waste my breathD
Pretending that there can be passionC
That has more life in it than deathD
And though at bottling of your wineE
Old wholesome Goban had no sayF
The moral's yours because it's mineE
-
When cups went round at close of dayF
Is not that how good stories runC
The gods were sitting at the boardG
In their great house at SlievenamonC
They sang a drowsy song Or snoredG
For all were full of wine and meatG
The smoky torches made a glareH
On metal Goban 'd hammered atG
On old deep silver rolling thereH
Or on somc still unemptied cupI
That he when frenzy stirred his thewsF
Had hammered out on mountain topJ
To hold the sacred stuff he brewsF
That only gods may buy of himK
-
Now from that juice that made them wiseF
All those had lifted up the dimK
Imaginations of their eyesF
For one that was like woman madeG
Before their sleepy eyelids ranC
And trembling with her passion saidG
'Come out and dig for a dead manC
Who's burrowing Somewhere in the groundG
And mock him to his face and thenC
Hollo him on with horse and houndG
For he is the worst of all dead men '-
-
We should be dazed and terror struckL
If we but saw in dreams that roomM
Those wine drenched eyes and curse our luckL
That empticd all our days to comeN
I knew a woman none could pleaseF
Because she dreamed when but a childG
Of men and women made like theseF
And after when her blood ran wildG
Had ravelled her own story outG
And said 'In two or in three yearsF
I needs must marry some poor lout '-
And having said it burst in tearsF
-
Since tavern comrades you have diedG
Maybe your images have stoodG
Mere bone and muscle thrown asideG
Before that roomful or as goodG
You had to face your ends when youngO
'Twas wine or women or some curseF
But never made a poorer songP
That you might have a heavier purseF
Nor gave loud service to a causeF
That you might have a troop of friendsF
You kept the Muses' sterner lawsF
And unrepenting faced your endsF
And therefore earned the right and yetG
Dowson and Johnson most I praiseF
To troop with those the world's forgotG
And copy their proud steady gazeF
-
'The Danish troop was driven outG
Between the dawn and dusk ' she saidG
'Although the event was long in doubtG
Although the King of Ireland's deadG
And half the kings before sundownC
All was accomplishedG
-
'When this dayG
Murrough the King of Ireland's sonC
Foot after foot was giving wayG
He and his best troops back to backQ
Had perished there but the Danes ranC
Stricken with panic from the attackQ
The shouting of an unseen manC
And being thankful Murrough foundG
Led by a footsole dipped in bloodG
That had made prints upon the groundG
Where by old thorn trees that man stoodG
And though when he gazed here and thereH
He had but gazed on thorn trees spokeR
Who is the friend that seems but airH
And yet could give so fine a strokeR
Thereon a young man met his eyeS
Who said Because she held me inC
Her love and would not have me dieS
Rock nurtured Aoife took a pinC
And pushing it into my shirtG
Promised that for a pin's sakeT
No man should see to do me hurtG
But there it's gone I will not takeT
The fortune that had been my shameU
Seeing King's son what wounds you haveV
'Twas roundly spoke but when night cameU
He had betrayed me to his graveW
For he and the King's son were deadG
I'd promised him two hundred yearsF
And when for all I'd done or saidG
And these immortal eyes shed tearsF
He claimed his country's need was mostG
I'd saved his life yet for the sakeT
Of a new friend he has turned a ghostG
What does he cate if my heart breakT
I call for spade and horse and houndG
That we may harry him ' ThereonC
She cast herself upon the groundG
And rent her clothes and made her moanC
'Why are they faithless when their mightG
Is from the holy shades that roveX
The grey rock and the windy lightG
Why should the faithfullest heart most loveY
The bitter sweetness of false facesF
Why must the lasting love what passesF
Why are the gods by men betrayed '-
-
But thereon every god stood upI
With a slow smile and without soundG
And Stretching forth his arm and cupI
To where she moaned upon the groundG
Suddenly drenched her to the skinC
And she with Goban's wine adripI
No more remembering what had beenC
Stared at the gods with laughing lipI
-
I have kept my faith though faith was triedG
To that rock born rock wandering footG
And thc world's altered since you diedG
And I am in no good reputeG
With the loud host before the seaF
That think sword strokes were better meantG
Than lover's music let that beF
So that the wandering foot's contentG

William Butler Yeats



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