The Needless Alarm. A Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme

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There is a field through which I often pass	A
Thick overspread with moss and silky grass	A
Adjoining close to Kilwick's echoing wood	B
Where oft the bitch fox hides her hapless brood	C
Reserved to solace many a neighbouring squire	D
That he may follow them through brake and brier	E
Contusion hazarding of neck or spine	F
Which rural gentlemen call sport divine	F
A narrow brook by rushy banks conceal'd	G
Runs in a bottom and divides the field	G
Oaks intersperse it that had once a head	H
But now wear crests of oven wood instead	H
And where the land slopes to its watery bourn	I
Wide yawns a gulf beside a ragged thorn	I
Bricks line the sides but shiver'd long ago	J
And horrid brambles intertwine below	J
A hollow scoop'd I judge in ancient time	K
For baking earth or burning rock to lime	K
Not yet the hawthorn bore her berries red	H
With which the fieldfare wintry guest if fed	H
Nor Autumn yet had brush'd from every spray	L
With her chill hand the mellow leaves away	L
But corn was housed and beans were in the stack	M
Now therefore issued forth the spotted pack	M
With tails high mounted ears hung low and throats	N
With a whole gamut fill'd of heavenly notes	N
For which alas my destiny severe	O
Though ears she gave me two gave me no ear	P
The sun accomplishing his early march	Q
His lamp now planted on heaven's topmost arch	Q
When exercise and air my only aim	R
And heedless whither to that field I came	R
Ere yet with ruthless joy the happy hound	S
Told hill and dale that Reynard's track was found	S
Or with the high raised horn's melodious clang	T
All Kilwick and all Dinglederry rang	T
Sheep grazed the field some with soft bosom press'd	U
The herb as soft while nibbling stray'd the rest	U
Nor noise was heard but of the hasty brook	V
Struggling detain'd in many a petty nook	V
All seem'd so peaceful that from them convey'd	W
To me their peace by kind contagion spread	H
But when the huntsman with distended cheek	X
'Gan make his instrument of music speak	X
And from within the wood that crash was heard	Y
Though not a hound from whom it burst appear'd	Z
The sheep recumbent and the sheep that grazed	A2
All huddling into phalanx stood and gazed	A2
Admiring terrified the novel strain	B2
Then coursed the field around and coursed it round again	C2
But recollecting with a sudden thought	D2
That flight in circles urged advanced them nought	D2
They gather'd close around the old pit's brink	E2
And thought again but knew not what to think	E2
The man to solitude accustom'd long	F2
Perceives in every thing that lives a tongue	G2
Not animals alone but shrubs and trees	H2
Have speech for him and understood with ease	H2
After long drought when rains abundant fall	I2
He hears the herbs and flowers rejoicing all	I2
Knows what the freshness of their hue implies	J2
How glad they catch the largess of the skies	J2
But with precision nicer still the mind	D2
He scans of every locomotive kind	D2
Birds of all feather beasts of every name	R
That serve mankind or shun them wild or tame	R
The looks and gestures of their griefs and fears	K2
Have all articulation in his ears	K2
He spells them true by intuition's light	D2
And needs no glossary to set him right	D2
This truth premised was needful as a text	D2
To win due credence to what follows next	D2
Awhile they mused surveying every face	L2
Thou hadst supposed them of superior race	L2
Their periwigs of wool and fears combined	D2
Stamp'd on each countenance such marks of mind	D2
That sage they seem'd as lawyers o'er a doubt	D2
Which puzzling long at last they puzzle out	D2
Or academic tutors teaching youths	M2
Sure ne'er to want them mathematic truths	N2
When thus a mutton statelier than the rest	D2
A ram the ewes and wethers sad address'd	D2
Friends we have lived too long I never heard	D2
Sounds such as these so worthy to be fear'd	D2
Could I believe that winds for ages pent	D2
In earth's dark womb have found at last a vent	D2
And from their prison house below arise	J2
With all these hideous howlings to the skies	J2
	-
I could be much composed nor should appear	O
For such a cause to feel the slightest fear	O
Yourselves have seen what time the thunders roll'd	D2
All night me resting quiet in the fold	D2
Or heard we that tremendous bray alone	O2
I could expound the melancholy tone	O2
Should deem it by our old companion made	D2
The ass for he we know has lately stray'd	D2
And being lost perhaps and wandering wide	D2
Might be supposed to clamour for a guide	D2
But ah those dreadful yells what soul can hear	P
That owns a carcass and not quake for fear	O
Demons produce them doubtless brazen claw'd	D2
And fang'd with brass the demons are abroad	D2
I hold it therefore wisest and most fit	D2
That life to save we leap into the pit	D2
Him answer'd then his loving mate and true	P2
But more discreet than he a Cambrian ewe	P2
How leap into the pit our life to save	Q2
To save our life leap all into the grave	Q2
For can we find it less Contemplate first	D2
The depth how awful falling there we burst	D2
Or should the brambles interposed our fall	I2
In part abate that happiness were small	I2
For with a race like theirs no chance I see	R2
Of peace or ease to creatures clad as we	R2
Meantime noise kills not Be it Dapple's bray	L
Or be it not or be it whose it may	L
And rush those other sounds that seem by tongues	S2
Of demons utter'd from whatever lungs	S2
Sounds are but sounds and till the cause appear	O
We have at least commodious standing here	P
Come fiend come fury giant monster blast	D2
From earth or hell we can but plunge at last	D2
While thus she spake I fainter heard the peals	S2
For Reynard close attended at his heels	S2
By panting dog tired man and spatter'd horse	S2
Through mere good fortune took a different course	S2
The flock grew calm again and I the road	D2
Following that led me to my own abode	D2
Much wonder'd that the silly sheep had found	D2
Such cause of terror in an empty sound	D2
So sweet to huntsman gentleman and hound	D2
moral	T2
Beware of desperate steps The darkest day	L
Live till to morrow will have pass'd away	L

William Cowper

The Needless Alarm. A Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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