The Missionary - Canto Eighth Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDEFFGG H IIJJ KLDE MMJJ NNOPAAQRSSTTCCUUJJJJ AAAVVNNWWXXYYMMZZNNA 2A2B2B2C2C2D2D2E2E2D 2D2JJF2F2ZZG2G2H2C2W I2J2J2K2L2B2B2M2M2VV I2WWWAAN2N2D2D2O2WP2 P2Q2Q2R2R2S2S2T2T2P2 P2U2V2W2W2WWX2X2Y2Y2 ZZZ2Z2A3A3V2B3C3C3JJ B2B2D3D3CCEJJSSCCE3E 3W2W2W2JJNNNEDTTF3F3 CCG3G3FThe morn returns and reddening seems to shed | A |
One ray of glory on the patriot dead | A |
Round the dark stone the victor chiefs behold | B |
Still on their locks the gouts of gore hang cold | B |
There stands the brave Caupolican the pride | C |
Of Chili young Lautaro by his side | C |
Near the grim circle pendent from the wood | D |
Twelve hundred Spanish heads are dripping blood | E |
Shrill sound the notes of death in festive dance | F |
The Indian maids with myrtle boughs advance | F |
The tinkling sea shells on their ancles ring | G |
As hailing thus the victor youth they sing | G |
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SONG OF INDIAN MAIDS | H |
- | |
Oh shout for Lautaro the young and the brave | I |
The arm of whose strength was uplifted to save | I |
When the steeds of the strangers came rushing amain | J |
And the ghosts of our fathers looked down on the slain | J |
- | |
'Twas eve and the noise of the battle was o'er | K |
Five thousand brave warriors were cold in their gore | L |
When in front young Lautaro invincible stood | D |
And the horses and iron men rolled in their blood | E |
- | |
As the snows of the mountain are swept by the blast | M |
The earthquake of death o'er the white men has passed | M |
Shout Chili in triumph the battle is won | J |
And we dance round the heads that are black in the sun | J |
- | |
Lautaro as if wrapt in thought profound | N |
Oft turned an anxious look inquiring round | N |
He is not here Say does my father live | O |
Ere eager voices could an answer give | P |
With faltering footsteps and declining head | A |
And slowly by an aged Indian led | A |
Wounded and weak the mountain chief appears | Q |
Live live Lautaro cried with bursting tears | R |
And fell upon his neck and kissing pressed | S |
With folding arms his gray hairs to his breast | S |
Oh live I am thy son thy long lost child | T |
The warrior raised his look and faintly smiled | T |
Chili my country is avenged he cried | C |
My son then sunk upon a shield and died | C |
Lautaro knelt beside him as he bowed | U |
And kissed his bleeding breast and wept aloud | U |
The sounds of sadness through the circle ran | J |
When thus with lifted axe Caupolican | J |
What for our fathers brothers children slain | J |
Canst thou repay ruthless inhuman Spain | J |
Here on the scene with recent slaughter red | A |
To sooth the spirits of the brave who bled | A |
Raise we to day the war feast of the dead | A |
Bring forth the chief in bonds Fathers to day | V |
Devote we to our gods the noblest prey | V |
Lautaro turned his eyes and gazing round | N |
Beheld Valdivia and Anselmo bound | N |
One stood in arms as with a stern despair | W |
His helmet cleft in twain his temples bare | W |
Where streaks of blood that dropped upon his mail | X |
Served but to show his face more deadly pale | X |
His eyebrows dark and resolute he bent | Y |
And stood composed to wait the dire event | Y |
Still on the cross his looks Anselmo cast | M |
As if all thought of this vain world was passed | M |
And in a world of light without a shade | Z |
Ev'n now his meek and guileless spirit strayed | Z |
Where stood the Spanish chief a muttering sound | N |
Rose and each club was lifted from the ground | N |
When starting from his father's corse his sword | A2 |
Waving before his once triumphant lord | A2 |
Lautaro cried My breast shall meet the blow | B2 |
But save save him to whom my life I owe | B2 |
Valdivia marked him with unmoving eye | C2 |
Then looked upon his bonds nor deigned reply | C2 |
When Harratomac stealing with slow pace | D2 |
And lifting high his iron jagged mace | D2 |
Smote him to earth a thousand voices rose | E2 |
Mingled with shouts and yells So fall our foes | E2 |
Lautaro gave to tears a moment's space | D2 |
As black in death he marked Valdivia's face | D2 |
Then cried Chiefs friends and thou Caupolican | J |
Oh spare this innocent and holy man | J |
He never sailed rapacious o'er the deep | F2 |
The gold of blood polluted lands to heap | F2 |
He never gave the armed hosts his aid | Z |
But meekly to the Mighty Spirit prayed | Z |
That in all lands the sounds of woe might cease | G2 |
And brothers of the wide world dwell in peace | G2 |
The victor youth saw generous sympathy | H2 |
Already steal to every warrior's eye | C2 |
Then thus again Oh if this filial tear | W |
Bear witness my own father was most dear | I2 |
If this uplifted arm this bleeding steel | J2 |
Speak for my country what I felt and feel | J2 |
If at this hour I meet her high applause | K2 |
While my heart beats still ardent in her cause | L2 |
Hear and forgive these tears that grateful flow | B2 |
Oh hear how much to this poor man I owe | B2 |
I was a child when to my sire's abode | M2 |
In Chillan's vale the armed horsemen rode | M2 |
Me whilst my father cold and breathless lay | V |
Far off the crested soldiers bore away | V |
And for a captive sold No friend was near | I2 |
To mark a young and orphan stranger's tear | W |
This humble man with kind parental care | W |
Snatched me from slavery saved from dark despair | W |
And as my years increased protected fed | A |
And breathed a father's blessings on my head | A |
A Spanish maid was with him need I speak | N2 |
Behold affection's tear still wets my cheek | N2 |
Years as they passed matured in ripening grace | D2 |
Her form unfolding and her beauteous face | D2 |
She heard my orphan tale she loved to hear | O2 |
And sometimes for my fortunes dropped a tear | W |
I could have bowed to direst ills resigned | P2 |
But wept at looks so sweet at words so kind | P2 |
Valdivia saw me now in blooming age | Q2 |
And claimed me from the father as his page | Q2 |
The chief too cherished me yea saved my life | R2 |
When in Peru arose the civil strife | R2 |
Yet still remembering her I loved so well | S2 |
Oft I returned to the gray father's cell | S2 |
His voice instructed me recalled my youth | T2 |
From rude idolatry to heavenly truth | T2 |
Of this hereafter he my darkling mind | P2 |
Cleared and from low and sensual thoughts refined | P2 |
Then first with feelings new impressed I strove | U2 |
To hide the tear of tenderness and love | V2 |
Amid the fairest maidens of Peru | W2 |
My eyes my heart one only object knew | W2 |
I lived that object's love and faith to share | W |
He saw and blessed us with a father's prayer | W |
Here at Valdivia's last and stern command | X2 |
I came a stranger in my native land | X2 |
Anselmo so him call now most in need | Y2 |
And standing here in bonds for whom I plead | Y2 |
Came by our chief so summoned and for aid | Z |
To the Great Spirit of the Christians prayed | Z |
Here as a son I loved him but I left | Z2 |
A wife a child of my fond cares bereft | Z2 |
Never to see again for death awaits | A3 |
My entrance now in Lima's jealous gates | A3 |
Caupolican didst thou thy father love | V2 |
Did his last dying look affection move | B3 |
Pity this aged man unbend thy brow | C3 |
He was my father is my father now | C3 |
Consenting mercy marks each warrior's mien | J |
But who is this what pallid form is seen | J |
As crushed already by the fatal blow | B2 |
Bound and with looks white as a wreath of snow | B2 |
Her hands upon her breast scarce drawn her breath | D3 |
A Spanish woman knelt expecting death | D3 |
Whilst borne by a dark warrior at her side | C |
An infant shrunk from the red plumes and cried | C |
Lautaro started | E |
Injured maid of Spain | J |
Me me oh take me to thine arms again | J |
She heard his voice and by the scene oppressed | S |
With one faint sigh fell senseless on his breast | S |
Caupolican with warm emotion cried | C |
Live live Lautaro and his beauteous bride | C |
Live aged father and forthwith commands | E3 |
A warrior to unbind Anselmo's hands | E3 |
She raised her head his eyes first met her view | W2 |
As round Lautaro's neck her arms she threw | W2 |
Ah no she feebly spoke it is not true | W2 |
It is some form of the distempered brain | J |
Then hid her face upon his breast again | J |
Dark flashing eyes terrific glared around | N |
Here his brains scattered by the deadly wound | N |
The Spanish chief lay on the gory ground | N |
With lowering brows and mace yet drooping blood | E |
And clotted hair there Mariantu stood | D |
Anselmo here sad yet in sorrow mild | T |
Appeared she cried A blessing on your child | T |
And knelt as slow revived her waking sense | F3 |
And then with looks aghast Oh bear us hence | F3 |
Now all the assembled chiefs assenting cried | C |
Live live Lautaro and his beauteous bride | C |
With eager arms Lautaro snatched his boy | G3 |
And kissed him in an agony of joy | G3 |
Then to Anse | F |
William Lisle Bowles
(1)
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