Charles Edward At Versailles Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDCEFBGHABADIAIAJAJ KALABMNOPQNQAARANSPS DNANATRTUVAVNWAWRXYX AAZARVKA2YNANDZBZDB2 DB2NVRVDAAANNDNBC2DC 2BBNBRBABABDBAD2AB2B CBCAE2F2E2BSG2SAANAB RH2RI2DH2DRH2NH2H2VN A2H2AAAJ2BDBRSRSH2A2 NA2DNH2NH2AAAAVAVBAZ ABH2N DH2AH2RK2ZK2ZABABADA H2AN BH2BH2RH2BH2AWH2WDDB DNH2DH2DDBDH2ABANDRD DDDDDL2BL2I2DDD

ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF CULLODENA
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-
Take away that star and garterB
Hide them from my aching sightC
Neither king nor prince shall tempt meD
From my lonely room this nightC
Fitting for the throneless exileE
Is the atmosphere of pallF
And the gusty winds that shiverB
'Neath the tapestry on the wallG
When the taper faintly dwindlesH
Like the pulse within the veinA
That to gay and merry measureB
Ne'er may hope to bound againA
Let the shadows gather round meD
While I sit in silence hereI
Broken hearted as an orphanA
Watching by his father's bierI
Let me hold my still communionA
Far from every earthly soundJ
Day of penance day of passionA
Ever as the year comes roundJ
Fatal day whereon the latestK
Die was cast for me and mineA
Cruel day that quelled the fortunesL
Of the hapless Stuart lineA
Phantom like as in a mirrorB
Rise the griesly scenes of deathM
There before me in its wildnessN
Stretches bare Culloden's heathO
There the broken clans are scatteredP
Gaunt as wolves and famine eyedQ
Hunger gnawing at their vitalsN
Hope abandoned all but prideQ
Pride and that supreme devotionA
Which the Southron never knewA
And the hatred deeply ranklingR
'Gainst the Hanoverian crewA
Oh my God are these the remnantsN
These the wrecks of the arrayS
That around the royal standardP
Gathered on the glorious dayS
When in deep Glenfinnan's valleyD
Thousands on their bended kneesN
Saw once more that stately ensignA
Waving in the northern breezeN
When the noble TullibardineA
Stood beneath its weltering foldT
With the Ruddy Lion rampingR
In the field of tressured goldT
When the mighty heart of ScotlandU
All too big to slumber moreV
Burst in wrath and exultationA
Like a huge volcano's roarV
There they stand the battered columnsN
Underneath the murky skyW
In the hush of desperationA
Not to conquer but to dieW
Hark the bagpipe's fitful wailingR
Not the pibroch loud and shrillX
That with hope of bloody banquetY
Lured the ravens from the hillX
But a dirge both low and solemnA
Fit for ears of dying menA
Marshalled for their latest battleZ
Never more to fight againA
Madness madness Why this shrinkingR
Were we less inured to warV
When our reapers swept the harvestK
From the field of red DunbarA2
Bring my horse and blow the trumpetY
Call the riders of Fitz JamesN
Let Lord Lewis head the columnA
Valiant chiefs of mighty namesN
Trusty Keppoch stout GlengarryD
Gallant Gordon wise LocheillZ
Bid the clansmen hold togetherB
Fast and fell and firm as steelZ
Elcho never look so gloomyD
What avails a saddened browB2
Heart man heart we need it sorelyD
Never half so much as nowB2
Had we but a thousand troopersN
Had we but a thousand moreV
Noble Perth I hear them comingR
Hark the English cannons' roarV
God how awful sounds that volleyD
Bellowing through the mist and rainA
Was not that the Highland sloganA
Let me hear that shout againA
Oh for prophet eyes to witnessN
How the desperate battle goesN
Cumberland I would not fear theeD
Could my Camerons see their foesN
Sound I say the charge at ventureB
'Tis not naked steel we fearC2
Better perish in the m l eD
Than be shot like driven deerC2
Hold the mist begins to scatterB
There in front 'tis rent asunderB
And the cloudy bastion crumblesN
Underneath the deafening thunderB
There I see the scarlet gleamingR
Now Macdonald now or neverB
Woe is me the clans are brokenA
Father thou art lost for everB
Chief and vassal lord and yeomanA
There they lie in heaps togetherB
Smitten by the deadly volleyD
Rolled in blood upon the heatherB
And the Hanoverian horsemenA
Fiercely riding to and froD2
Deal their murderous strokes at randomA
Ah my God where am I nowB2
Will that baleful vision neverB
Vanish from my aching sightC
Must those scenes and sounds of terrorB
Haunt me still by day and nightC
Yea the earth hath no oblivionA
For the noblest chance it gaveE2
None save in its latest refugeF2
Seek it only in the graveE2
Love may die and hatred slumberB
And their memory will decayS
As the watered garden recks notG2
Of the drought of yesterdayS
But the dream of power once brokenA
What shall give repose againA
What shall charm the serpent furiesN
Coiled around the maddening brainA
What kind draught can nature offerB
Strong enough to lull their stingR
Better to be born a peasantH2
Than to live an exiled kingR
Oh these years of bitter anguishI2
What is life to such as meD
With my very heart as palsiedH2
As a wasted cripple's kneeD
Suppliant like for alms dependingR
On a false and foreign courtH2
Jostled by the flouting noblesN
Half their pity half their sportH2
Forced to hold a place in pageantH2
Like a royal prize of warV
Walking with dejected featuresN
Close behind his victor's carA2
Styled an equal deemed a servantH2
Fed with hopes of future gainA
Worse by far is fancied freedomA
Than the captive's clanking chainA
Could I change this gilded bondageJ2
Even for the dusky towerB
Whence King James beheld his ladyD
Sitting in the castle bowerB
Birds around her sweetly singingR
Fluttering on the kindling sprayS
And the comely garden glowingR
In the light of rosy MayS
Love descended to the windowH2
Love removed the bolt and barA2
Love was warder to the loversN
From the dawn to even starA2
Wherefore Love didst thou betray meD
Where is now the tender glanceN
Where the meaning looks once lavishedH2
By the dark eyed Maid of FranceN
Where the words of hope she whisperedH2
When around my neck she threwA
That same scarf of broidered tissueA
Bade me wear it and be trueA
Bade me send it as a tokenA
When my banner waved once moreV
On the castled Keep of LondonA
Where my fathers' waved beforeV
And I went and did not conquerB
But I brought it back againA
Brought it back from storm and battleZ
Brought it back without a stainA
And once more I knelt before herB
And I laid it at her feetH2
Saying 'Wilt thou own it PrincessN
There at least is no defeat '-
Scornfully she looked upon meD
With a measured eye and coldH2
Scornfully she viewed the tokenA
Though her fingers wrought the goldH2
And she answered faintly flushingR
'Hast thou kept it then so longK2
Worthy matter for a minstrelZ
To be told in knightly songK2
Worthy of a bold Proven alZ
Pacing through the peaceful plainA
Singing of his lady's favourB
Boasting of her silken chainA
Yet scarce worthy of a warriorB
Sent to wrestle for a crownA
Is this all that thou hast brought meD
From thy fields of high renownA
Is this all the trophy carriedH2
From the lands where thou hast beenA
It was broidered by a PrincessN
Canst thou give it to a Queen '-
Woman's love is writ in waterB
Woman's faith is traced in sandH2
Backwards backwards let me wanderB
To the noble northern landH2
Let me feel the breezes blowingR
Fresh along the mountain sideH2
Let me see the purple heatherB
Let me hear the thundering tideH2
Be it hoarse as CorrievreckanA
Spouting when the storm is highW
Give me but one hour of ScotlandH2
Let me see it ere I dieW
Oh my heart is sick and heavyD
Southern gales are not for meD
Though the glens are white with winterB
Place me there and set me freeD
Give me back my trusty comradesN
Give me back my Highland maidH2
Nowhere beats the heart so kindlyD
As beneath the tartan plaidH2
Flora when thou wert beside meD
In the wilds of far KintailD
When the cavern gave us shelterB
From the blinding sleet and hailD
When we lurked within the thicketH2
And beneath the waning moonA
Saw the sentry's bayonet glimmerB
Heard him chant his listless tuneA
When the howling storm o'ertook usN
Drifting down the island's leeD
And our crazy bark was whirlingR
Like a nutshell on the seaD
When the nights were dark and drearyD
And amidst the fern we layD
Faint and foodless sore with travelD
Waiting for the streaks of dayD
When thou wert an angel to meD
Watching my exhausted sleepL2
Never didst thou hear me murmurB
Couldst thou see how now I weepL2
Bitter tears and sobs of anguishI2
Unavailing though they beD
Oh the brave the brave and nobleD
That have died in vain for meD

William Edmondstoune Aytoun



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