Song Of The Battle Of Hastings Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDEFFGH IIBAJJKKLL MMNNOOKKPP QQRRQQSSTUV| The Norman armament beneath thy rocks St Valerie | A |
| Is moored and streaming to the morn three hundred banners fly | B |
| Of crimson silk with golden cross effulgent o'er the rest | C |
| That banner proudest in the fleet streams which the Lord had blessed | C |
| The gale is fair the sails are set cheerily the south wind blows | D |
| And Norman archers all in steel have grasped their good yew bows | E |
| Aloud the harpers strike their harps whilst morning light is flung | F |
| Upon the cross bows and the shields that round the masts are hung | F |
| Speed on ye brave 'tis William leads bold barons at his word | G |
| Lo sixty thousand men of might for William draw the sword | H |
| - | |
| So bound to England's southern shore we rolled upon the seas | I |
| And gallantly the white sails set were and swelling to the breeze | I |
| On on to victory or death now rose the general cry | B |
| The minstrels sang On on ye brave to death or victory | A |
| Mark yonder ship how straight she steers ye knights and barons brave | J |
| 'Tis William's ship and proud she rides the foremost o'er the wave | J |
| And now we hailed the English coast and lo on Beachy Head | K |
| The radiance of the setting sun majestical is shed | K |
| The fleet sailed on till Pevensey we saw thy welcome strand | L |
| Duke William now his anchor casts and dauntless leaps to land | L |
| - | |
| The English host by Harold led at length appear in sight | M |
| And now they raise a deafening shout and stand prepared for fight | M |
| The hostile legions halt a while and their long lines display | N |
| Now front to front they stand in still and terrible array | N |
| Give out the word God and our right rush like a storm along | O |
| Lift up God's banner and advance resounding Roland's song | O |
| Ye spearmen poise your lances well by brave Montgomerie led | K |
| Ye archers bend your bows and draw your arrows to the head | K |
| They draw the bent bows ring huzzah another flight and hark | P |
| How the sharp arrowy shower beneath the sun goes hissing dark | P |
| - | |
| Hark louder grows the deadly strife till all the battle plain | Q |
| Is red with blood and heaped around with men and horses slain | Q |
| On Normans on Duke William cried and Harold tremble thou | R |
| Now think upon thy perjury and of thy broken vow | R |
| The banner of thy armed knight thy shield thy helm are vain | Q |
| The fatal shaft has sped by Heaven it hisses in his brain | Q |
| So William won the English crown and all his foemen beat | S |
| And Harold and his Britons brave lay silent at his feet | S |
| Enough the day is breaking cried the King | T |
| Away away be armed at my side | U |
| Without attendants and to horse to horse | V |
William Lisle Bowles
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