The Wanderings Of Oisin: Book I Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCDEFEDF DGDGHHGIFGGD IIGJGJ G KKLLGGF FFFFF DMD MNO NBFNG F NNMNMGGG JJPNGPGF NNGFFFGFQRGGQRSTGDGS D NNG GGGGDGDGQUFFGGDDVVDD GG NND GGGGNNNDNDNNNDN NNWW FQQXXGGFJGGGGMGMGNNG GGYFYFFGFGNNNNNNGGGG GNZGZFNNFNNDQQDDDGGG GFFGGXFGF GXDDQQQGGGNQQA2GNA2N NONGQQN DFFFNFNDDSSGGB2FB2FF C2C2FFD2D2QQQGG MMJJGGE2E2F2F2 A2FF GGXXGGFFQNNND NG2G2NGGNGGGGGGGD GGHHNNGDDGGNNNDDNNNE 2E2D GDDGGGGGGGGGGGTTNG F GNNNNGNGGNNGGMNMNDSD SFFFGNGNGNNDGGGGGNGN GDGDPNPN GGGGFGFGGQGQNGNGNQQ

S Patrick You who are bent and bald and blind	A
With a heavy heart and a wandering mind	A
Have known three centuries poets sing	B
Of dalliance with a demon thing	B
	-
Oisin Sad to remember sick with years	C
The swift innumerable spears	C
The horsemen with their floating hair	D
And bowls of barley honey and wine	E
Those merry couples dancing in tune	F
And the white body that lay by mine	E
But the tale though words be lighter than air	D
Must live to be old like the wandering moon	F
	-
Caoilte and Conan and Finn were there	D
When we followed a deer with our baying hounds	G
With Bran Sceolan and Lomair	D
And passing the Firbolgs' burial motmds	G
Came to the cairn heaped grassy hill	H
Where passionate Maeve is stony still	H
And found On the dove grey edge of the sea	G
A pearl pale high born lady who rode	I
On a horse with bridle of findrinny	F
And like a sunset were her lips	G
A stormy sunset on doomed ships	G
A citron colour gloomed in her hair	D
	-
But down to her feet white vesture flowed	I
And with the glimmering crimson glowed	I
Of many a figured embroidery	G
And it was bound with a pearl pale shell	J
That wavered like the summer streams	G
As her soft bosom rose and fell	J
	-
S Patrick You are still wrecked among heathen dreams	G
	-
Oisin 'Why do you wind no horn ' she said	K
'And every hero droop his head	K
The hornless deer is not more sad	L
That many a peaceful moment had	L
More sleek than any granary mouse	G
In his own leafy forest house	G
Among the waving fields of fern	F
The hunting of heroes should be glad '	-
	-
'O pleasant woman ' answered Finn	F
'We think on Oscar's pencilled urn	F
And on the heroes lying slain	F
On Gabhra's raven covered plain	F
But where are your noble kith and kin	F
And from what country do you ride '	-
	-
'My father and my mother are	D
Aengus and Edain my own name	M
Niamh and my country far	D
Beyond the tumbling of this tide '	-
	-
'What dream came with you that you came	M
Through bitter tide on foam wet feet	N
Did your companion wander away	O
From where the birds of Aengus wing '	-
Thereon did she look haughty and sweet	N
'I have not yet war weary king	B
Been spoken of with any man	F
Yet now I choose for these four feet	N
Ran through the foam and ran to this	G
That I might have your son to kiss '	-
	-
'Were there no better than my son	F
That you through all that foam should run '	-
	-
'I loved no man though kings besought	N
Until the Danaan poets brought	N
Rhyme that rhymed upon Oisin's name	M
And now I am dizzy with the thought	N
Of all that wisdom and the fame	M
Of battles broken by his hands	G
Of stories builded by his words	G
That are like coloured Asian birds	G
At evening in their rainless lands '	-
	-
O Patrick by your brazen bell	J
There was no limb of mine but fell	J
Into a desperate gulph of love	P
'You only will I wed ' I cried	N
'And I will make a thousand songs	G
And set your name all names above	P
And captives bound with leathern thongs	G
Shall kneel and praise you one by one	F
At evening in my western dun '	-
	-
'O Oisin mount by me and ride	N
To shores by the wash of the tremulous tide	N
Where men have heaped no burial mounds	G
And the days pass by like a wayward tune	F
Where broken faith has never been known	F
And the blushes of first love never have flown	F
And there I will give you a hundred hounds	G
No mightier creatures bay at the moon	F
And a hundred robes of murmuring silk	Q
And a hundred calves and a hundred sheep	R
Whose long wool whiter than sea froth flows	G
And a hundred spears and a hundred bows	G
And oil and wine and honey and milk	Q
And always never anxious sleep	R
While a hundred youths mighty of limb	S
But knowing nor tumult nor hate nor strife	T
And a hundred ladies merry as birds	G
Who when they dance to a fitful measure	D
Have a speed like the speed of the salmon herds	G
Shall follow your horn and obey your whim	S
And you shall know the Danaan leisure	D
And Niamh be with you for a wife '	-
Then she sighed gently 'It grows late	N
Music and love and sleep await	N
Where I would be when the white moon climbs	G
The red sun falls and the world grows dim '	-
	-
And then I mounted and she bound me	G
With her triumphing arms around me	G
And whispering to herself enwound me	G
He shook himself and neighed three times	G
Caoilte Conan and Finn came near	D
And wept and raised their lamenting hands	G
And bid me stay with many a tear	D
But we rode out from the human lands	G
In what far kingdom do you go'	Q
Ah Fenians with the shield and bow	U
Or are you phantoms white as snow	F
Whose lips had life's most prosperous glow	F
O you with whom in sloping vallcys	G
Or down the dewy forest alleys	G
I chased at morn the flying deer	D
With whom I hurled the hurrying spear	D
And heard the foemen's bucklers rattle	V
And broke the heaving ranks of battle	V
And Bran Sceolan and Lomair	D
Where are you with your long rough hair	D
You go not where the red deer feeds	G
Nor tear the foemen from their steeds	G
	-
S Patrick Boast not nor mourn with drooping head	N
Companions long accurst and dead	N
And hounds for centuries dust and air	D
	-
Oisin We galloped over the glossy sea	G
I know not if days passed or hours	G
And Niamh sang continually	G
Danaan songs and their dewy showers	G
Of pensive laughter unhuman sound	N
Lulled weariness and softly round	N
My human sorrow her white arms wound	N
We galloped now a hornless deer	D
Passed by us chased by a phantom hound	N
All pearly white save one red ear	D
And now a lady rode like the wind	N
With an apple of gold in her tossing hand	N
And a beautiful young man followed behind	N
With quenchless gaze and fluttering hair	D
'Were these two born in the Danaan land	N
Or have they breathed the mortal air '	-
	-
'Vex them no longer ' Niamh said	N
And sighing bowed her gentle head	N
And sighing laid the pearly tip	W
Of one long finger on my lip	W
	-
But now the moon like a white rose shone	F
In the pale west and the sun'S rim sank	Q
And clouds atrayed their rank on rank	Q
About his fading crimson ball	X
The floor of Almhuin's hosting hall	X
Was not more level than the sea	G
As full of loving fantasy	G
And with low murmurs we rode on	F
Where many a trumpet twisted shell	J
That in immortal silence sleeps	G
Dreaming of her own melting hues	G
Her golds her ambers and her blues	G
Pierced with soft light the shallowing deeps	G
But now a wandering land breeze came	M
And a far sound of feathery quires	G
It seemed to blow from the dying flame	M
They seemed to sing in the smouldering fires	G
The horse towards the music raced	N
Neighing along the lifeless waste	N
Like sooty fingers many a tree	G
Rose ever out of the warm sea	G
And they were trembling ceaselessly	G
As though they all were beating time	Y
Upon the centre of the sun	F
To that low laughing woodland rhyme	Y
And now our wandering hours were done	F
We cantered to the shore and knew	F
The reason of the trembling trees	G
Round every branch the song birds flew	F
Or clung thereon like swarming bees	G
While round the shore a million stood	N
Like drops of frozen rainbow light	N
And pondered in a soft vain mood	N
Upon their shadows in the tide	N
And told the purple deeps their pride	N
And murmured snatches of delight	N
And on the shores were many boats	G
With bending sterns and bending bows	G
And carven figures on their prows	G
Of bitterns and fish eating stoats	G
And swans with their exultant throats	G
And where the wood and waters meet	N
We tied the horse in a leafy clump	Z
And Niamh blew three merry notes	G
Out of a little silver trump	Z
And then an answering whispering flew	F
Over the bare and woody land	N
A whisper of impetuous feet	N
And ever nearer nearer grew	F
And from the woods rushed out a band	N
Of men and ladies hand in hand	N
And singing singing all together	D
Their brows were white as fragrant milk	Q
Their cloaks made out of yellow silk	Q
And trimmed with many a crimson feather	D
And when they saw the cloak I wore	D
Was dim with mire of a mortal shore	D
They fingered it and gazed on me	G
And laughed like murmurs of the sea	G
But Niamh with a swift distress	G
Bid them away and hold their peace	G
And when they heard her voice they ran	F
And knelt there every girl and man	F
And kissed as they would never cease	G
Her pearl pale hand and the hem of her dress	G
She bade them bring us to the hall	X
Where Aengus dreams from sun to sun	F
A Druid dream of the end of days	G
When the stars are to wane and the world be done	F
	-
They led us by long and shadowy ways	G
Where drops of dew in myriads fall	X
And tangled creepers every hour	D
Blossom in some new crimson flower	D
And once a sudden laughter sprang	Q
From all their lips and once they sang	Q
Together while the dark woods rang	Q
And made in all their distant parts	G
With boom of bees in honey marts	G
A rumour of delighted hearts	G
And once a lady by my side	N
Gave me a harp and bid me sing	Q
And touch the laughing silver string	Q
But when I sang of human joy	A2
A sorrow wrapped each merry face	G
And patrick by your beard they wept	N
Until one came a tearful boy	A2
'A sadder creature never stept	N
Than this strange human bard ' he cried	N
And caught the silver harp away	O
And weeping over the white strings hurled	N
It down in a leaf hid hollow place	G
That kept dim waters from the sky	Q
And each one said with a long long sigh	Q
'O saddest harp in all the world	N
Sleep there till the moon and the stars die '	-
	-
And now still sad we came to where	D
A beautiful young man dreamed within	F
A house of wattles clay and skin	F
One hand upheld his beardless chin	F
And one a sceptre flashing out	N
Wild flames of red and gold and blue	F
Like to a merry wandering rout	N
Of dancers leaping in the air	D
And men and ladies knelt them there	D
And showed their eyes with teardrops dim	S
And with low murmurs prayed to him	S
And kissed the sceptre with red lips	G
And touched it with their finger tips	G
He held that flashing sceptre up	B2
'Joy drowns the twilight in the dew	F
And fills with stars night's purple cup	B2
And wakes the sluggard seeds of corn	F
And stirs the young kid's budding horn	F
And makes the infant ferns unwrap	C2
And for the peewit paints his cap	C2
And rolls along the unwieldy sun	F
And makes the little planets run	F
And if joy were not on the earth	D2
There were an end of change and birth	D2
And Earth and Heaven and Hell would die	Q
And in some gloomy barrow lie	Q
Folded like a frozen fly	Q
Then mock at Death and Time with glances	G
And wavering arms and wandering dances	G
	-
'Men's hearts of old were drops of flame	M
That from the saffron morning came	M
Or drops of silver joy that fell	J
Out of the moon's pale twisted shell	J
But now hearts cry that hearts are slaves	G
And toss and turn in narrow caves	G
But here there is nor law nor rule	E2
Nor have hands held a weary tool	E2
And here there is nor Change nor Death	F2
But only kind and merry breath	F2
For joy is God and God is joy '	-
With one long glance for girl and boy	A2
And the pale blossom of the moon	F
He fell into a Druid swoon	F
	-
And in a wild and sudden dance	G
We mocked at Time and Fate and Chance	G
And swept out of the wattled hall	X
And came to where the dewdrops fall	X
Among the foamdrops of the sea	G
And there we hushed the revelry	G
And gathering on our brows a frown	F
Bent all our swaying bodies down	F
And to the waves that glimmer by	Q
That sloping green De Danaan sod	N
Sang 'God is joy and joy is God	N
And things that have grown sad are wicked	N
And things that fear the dawn of the morrow	D
Or the grey wandering osprey Sorrow '	-
	-
We danced to where in the winding thicket	N
The damask roses bloom on bloom	G2
Like crimson meteors hang in the gloom	G2
And bending over them softly said	N
Bending over them in the dance	G
With a swift and friendly glance	G
From dewy eyes 'Upon the dead	N
Fall the leaves of other roses	G
On the dead dim earth encloses	G
But never never on our graves	G
Heaped beside the glimmering waves	G
Shall fall the leaves of damask roses	G
For neither Death nor Change comes near us	G
And all listless hours fear us	G
And we fear no dawning morrow	D
Nor the grey wandering osprey Sorrow '	-
	-
The dance wound through the windless woods	G
The ever summered solitudes	G
Until the tossing arms grew still	H
Upon the woody central hill	H
And gathered in a panting band	N
We flung on high each waving hand	N
And sang unto the starry broods	G
In our raised eyes there flashed a glow	D
Of milky brightness to and fro	D
As thus our song arose 'You stars	G
Across your wandering ruby cars	G
Shake the loose reins you slaves of God	N
He rules you with an iron rod	N
He holds you with an iron bond	N
Each one woven to the other	D
Each one woven to his brother	D
Like bubbles in a frozen pond	N
But we in a lonely land abide	N
Unchainable as the dim tide	N
With hearts that know nor law nor rule	E2
And hands that hold no wearisome tool	E2
Folded in love that fears no morrow	D
Nor the grey wandering osprey Sorrow '	-
	-
O Patrick for a hundred years	G
I chased upon that woody shore	D
The deer the badger and the boar	D
O patrick for a hundred years	G
At evening on the glimmering sands	G
Beside the piled up hunting spears	G
These now outworn and withered hands	G
Wrestled among the island bands	G
O patrick for a hundred years	G
We went a fishing in long boats	G
With bending sterns and bending bows	G
And carven figures on their prows	G
Of bitterns and fish eating stoats	G
O patrick for a hundred years	G
The gentle Niamh was my wife	T
But now two things devour my life	T
The things that most of all I hate	N
Fasting and prayers	G
	-
S Patrick Tell on	F
	-
Oisin Yes yes	G
For these were ancient Oisin's fate	N
Loosed long ago from Heaven's gate	N
For his last days to lie in wait	N
When one day by the tide I stood	N
I found in that forgetfulness	G
Of dreamy foam a staff of wood	N
From some dead warrior's broken lance	G
I tutned it in my hands the stains	G
Of war were on it and I wept	N
Remembering how the Fenians stept	N
Along the blood bedabbled plains	G
Equal to good or grievous chance	G
Thereon young Niamh softly came	M
And caught my hands but spake no word	N
Save only many times my name	M
In murmurs like a frighted bird	N
We passed by woods and lawns of clover	D
And found the horse and bridled him	S
For we knew well the old was over	D
I heard one say 'His eyes grow dim	S
With all the ancient sorrow of men'	F
And wrapped in dreams rode out again	F
With hoofs of the pale findrinny	F
Over the glimmering purple sea	G
Under the golden evening light	N
The Immortals moved among thc fountains	G
By rivers and the woods' old night	N
Some danced like shadows on the mountains	G
Some wandered ever hand in hand	N
Or sat in dreams on the pale strand	N
Each forehead like an obscure star	D
Bent down above each hooked knee	G
And sang and with a dreamy gaze	G
Watched where the sun in a saffron blaze	G
Was slumbering half in the sea ways	G
And as they sang the painted birds	G
Kept time with their bright wings and feet	N
Like drops of honey came their words	G
But fainter than a young lamb's bleat	N
	-
'An old man stirs the fire to a blaze	G
In the house of a child of a friend of a brother	D
He has over lingered his welcome the days	G
Grown desolate whisper and sigh to each other	D
He hears the storm in the chimney above	P
And bends to the fire and shakes with the cold	N
While his heart still dreams of battle and love	P
And the cry of the hounds on the hills of old	N
	-
But We are apart in the grassy places	G
Where care cannot trouble the least of our days	G
Or the softness of youth be gone from our faces	G
Or love's first tenderness die in our gaze	G
The hare grows old as she plays in the sun	F
And gazes around her with eyes of brightness	G
Before the swift things that she dreamed of were done	F
She limps along in an aged whiteness	G
A storm of birds in the Asian trees	G
Like tulips in the air a winging	Q
And the gentle waves of the summer seas	G
That raise their heads and wander singing	Q
Must murmur at last Unjust unjust	N
And My speed is a weariness falters the mouse	G
And the kingfisher turns to a ball of dust	N
And the roof falls in of his tunnelled house	G
But the love dew dims our eyes till the day	N
When God shall come from the Sea with a sigh	Q
And bid the stars drop down from the sky	Q
And the moon like a pale rose wither away '	-

William Butler Yeats

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The Wanderings Of Oisin: Book I is a poem by William Butler Yeats. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.

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