The Missionary - Canto Fifth Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDDEEFFGGHHIIFFJJ KKFFLLCCMMNNOOCCPPQQ FRSFFEETTSUVVTTWW X URYYZA2KK X B2B2C2C2 X IINNC2C2TTVVGD2E2E2I IF2F2EEIIIIG2G2URC2C 2F2F2IIC2C2H2H2YYI2I 2GGJ2J2JJIIIIK2K2III INNH2H2IIF2F2C2C2IIL 2M2GGD2JJC2C2N2N2IIO 2O2IIN2N2

'Tis dawn the distant Andes' rocky spiresA
One after one have caught the orient firesB
Where the dun condor shoots his upward flightC
His wings are touched with momentary lightC
Meantime beneath the mountains' glittering headsD
A boundless ocean of gray vapour spreadsD
That o'er the champaign stretching far belowE
Moves now in clustered masses rising slowE
Till all the living landscape is displayedF
In various pomp of colour light and shadeF
Hills forests rivers lakes and level plainG
Lessening in sunshine to the southern mainG
The Llama's fleece fumes with ascending dewH
The gem like humming birds their toils renewH
And there by the wild river's devious sideI
The tall flamingo in its crimson prideI
Stalks on in richest plumage bright arrayedF
With snowy neck superb and legs of lengthening shadeF
Sad maid for others may the valleys ringJ
For other ears the birds of morning singJ
For other eyes the palms in beauty waveK
Dark is thy prison in the ocean caveK
Amid that winding cavern's inmost shadeF
A dripping rill its ceaseless murmur madeF
Masses of dim discovered crags aloofL
Hung threatening from the vast and vaulted roofL
And through a fissure in its glimmering heightC
Seen like a star appeared the distant lightC
Beneath the opening where the sunbeams shineM
Far down the rock weed hung its slender twineM
Here pale and bound the Spanish captive layN
Till morn on morn in silence passed awayN
When once as o'er her sleeping child she hungO
And sad her evening supplication sungO
Like a small gem amidst the gloom of nightC
A glow worm shot its green and trembling lightC
And 'mid the moss and craggy fragments shedP
Faint lustre o'er her sleeping infant's headP
And hark a voice a woman's voice its soundQ
Dies in faint echoes 'mid the vault profoundQ
Let us pity the poor white maidF
She has no mother nearR
No friend to dry her tearS
Upon the cold earth she is laidF
Let us pity the poor white maidF
It seemed the burden of a song of woeE
And see across the gloom an Indian girl move slowE
Her nearer look is sorrowful yet mildT
Her hanging locks are wreathed with rock weed wildT
Gently she spoke Poor Christian dry thy tearS
Art thou afraid all are not cruel hereU
Oh still more wretched may my portion beV
Stranger if I could injure thine and theeV
And lo I bring from banks and thickets wildT
Wood strawberries and honey for thy childT
Whence who art thou who in this fearful placeW
Does comfort speak to one of Spanish raceW
-
INDIANX
-
It is an Indian maid who chanced to hearU
Thy tale of sorrow as she wandered nearR
I loved a white man once but he is flownY
And now I wander heartless and aloneY
I traced the dark and winding way beneathZ
But well I know to lead thee hence were deathA2
Oh say what fortunes cast thee o'er the waveK
On these sad shores perhaps to find a graveK
-
SPANISH WOMANX
-
Three years have passed since a fond husband leftB2
Me and this infant of his love bereftB2
Him I have followed need I tell thee moreC2
Cast helpless friendless hopeless on this shoreC2
-
INDIANX
-
Oh did he love thee then Let death betideI
Yes from this cavern I will be thy guideI
Nay do not shrink from Caracalla's bayN
Ev'n now the Spaniards wind their march this wayN
As late in yester eve I paced the shoreC2
I heard their signal guns at distance roarC2
Wilt thou not follow He will shield thy childT
The Christian's God through passes dark and wildT
He will direct thy way Come follow meV
Oh yet be loved be happy and be freeV
But I an outcast on my native plainG
The poor Olola ne'er shall smile againD2
So guiding from the cave when all was stillE2
And pointing to the furthest glimmering hillE2
The Indian led till on Itata's sideI
The Spanish camp and night fires they descriedI
Then on the stranger's neck that wild maid fellF2
And said Thy own gods prosper thee farewellF2
The owl is hooting overhead belowE
On dusky wing the vampire bat sails slowE
Ongolmo stood before the cave of nightI
Where the great wizard sat a lurid lightI
Was on his face twelve giant shadows frownedI
His mute and dreadful ministers aroundI
Each eye ball as in life was seen to rollG2
Each lip to move but not a living soulG2
Was there save bold Ongolmo and the seerU
The warrior half advanced his lifted spearR
Then spoke Dread master of the mighty loreC2
Say shall the Spaniards welter in their goreC2
Let these dark ministers the answer tellF2
Replied the master of the mighty spellF2
Then every giant shadow as it stoodI
Lifted on high a skull that dropped with bloodI
Yet more the impatient warrior cried yet moreC2
Say shall I live and drink the tyrant's goreC2
'Twas silence Speak he cried none made replyH2
At once strange thunder shook the distant skyH2
And all was o'er the grisly shapes are flownY
And the grim warrior stands in the wild woods aloneY
St Pedro's church had rung its midnight chimesI2
And the gray friars were chanting at their primesI2
When winds as of a rushing hurricaneG
Shook the tall windows of the towered faneG
Sounds more than earthly with the storm aroseJ2
And a dire troop are passed to Andes' snowsJ2
Where mighty spirits in mysterious ringJ
Their dread prophetic incantations singJ
Round Chillan's crater smoke whose lurid lightI
Streams high against the hollow cope of nightI
Thy genius Andes towering o'er the restI
Rose vast and thus a phantom shape addressedI
Who comes so swift amid the stormK2
Ha I know thy bloodless formK2
I know thee angel who thou artI
By the hissing of thy dartI
'Tis Death the king the rocks aroundI
Hark echo back the fearful soundI
'Tis Death the king away awayN
The famished vulture scents its preyN
Spectre hence we cannot dieH2
Thy withering weapons we defyH2
Dire and potent as thou artI
Then spoke the phantom of the uplifted dartI
Spirits who in darkness dwellF2
I heard far off your secret spellF2
Enough on yonder fatal shoreC2
My fiends have drank your children's goreC2
Lo I come and doom to fateI
The murderers and the foe you hateI
Of all who shook their hostile spearsL2
And marked their way through blood and tearsM2
Now sleeping still on yonder plainG
But one one only shall remainG
Ere thrice the morn shall shine againD2
Then sang the mighty spirits Thee they singJ
Hail to thee Death all hail to Death the kingJ
The penguin flaps her wings in goreC2
Devoted Spain along the shoreC2
Whence that shriek with ghastly eyesN2
Thy victor chief abandoned liesN2
Victor of the southern worldI
Whose crimson banners were unfurledI
O'er the silence of the wavesO2
O'er a land of bleeding slavesO2
Victor where is now thy boastI
Thine iron steeds thy mailed hostI
Hark hark even now I hear his criesN2
Spirits hence he dies he diesN2

William Lisle Bowles



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