King Canute Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAA BBB CCC DDD E E FF GHG I JJJ KKK L M NNN OO F PPP E QQQ PPP EE PPP I PP AAA EEERKING CANUTE was weary hearted he had reigned for years a score | A |
Battling struggling pushing fighting killing much and robbing more | A |
And he thought upon his actions walking by the wild sea shore | A |
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'Twixt the Chancellor and Bishop walked the King with steps sedate | B |
Chamberlains and grooms came after silversticks and goldsticks great | B |
Chaplains aides de camp and pages all the officers of state | B |
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Sliding after like his shadow pausing when he chose to pause | C |
If a frown his face contracted straight the courtiers dropped their jaws | C |
If to laugh the king was minded out they burst in loud hee haws | C |
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But that day a something vexed him that was clear to old and young | D |
Thrice his Grace had yawned at table when his favorite gleemen sung | D |
Once the Queen would have consoled him but he bade her hold her tongue | D |
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'Something ails my gracious master ' cried the Keeper of the Seal | E |
'Sure my lord it is the lampreys served to dinner or the veal ' | - |
'Psha ' exclaimed the angry monarch 'Keeper 'tis not that I feel | E |
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''Tis the HEART and not the dinner fool that doth my rest impair | F |
Can a king be great as I am prithee and yet know no care | F |
Oh I'm sick and tired and weary ' Some one cried 'The King's arm chair ' | - |
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Then towards the lackeys turning quick my Lord the Keeper nodded | G |
Straight the King's great chair was brought him by two footmen able bodied | H |
Languidly he sank into it it was comfortably wadded | G |
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'Leading on my fierce companions ' cried he 'over storm and brine | I |
I have fought and I have conquered Where was glory like to mine ' | - |
Loudly all the courtiers echoed 'Where is glory like to thine ' | - |
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'What avail me all my kingdoms Weary am I now and old | J |
Those fair sons I have begotten long to see me dead and cold | J |
Would I were and quiet buried underneath the silent mould | J |
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'Oh remorse the writhing serpent at my bosom tears and bites | K |
Horrid horrid things I look on though I put out all the lights | K |
Ghosts of ghastly recollections troop about my bed at nights | K |
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'Cities burning convents blazing red with sacrilegious fires | L |
Mothers weeping virgins screaming vainly for their slaughtered sires ' | - |
Such a tender conscience ' cries the Bishop 'every one admires | M |
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'But for such unpleasant bygones cease my gracious lord to search | N |
They're forgotten and forgiven by our Holy Mother Church | N |
Never never does she leave her benefactors in the lurch | N |
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'Look the land is crowned with minsters which your Grace's bounty raised | O |
Abbeys filled with holy men where you and Heaven are daily praised | O |
YOU my lord to think of dying on my conscience I'm amazed ' | - |
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'Nay I feel ' replied King Canute 'that my end is drawing near ' | - |
'Don't say so ' exclaimed the courtiers striving each to squeeze a tear | F |
'Sure your Grace is strong and lusty and may live this fifty year ' | - |
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'Live these fifty years ' the Bishop roared with actions made to suit | P |
'Are you mad my good Lord Keeper thus to speak of King Canute | P |
Men have lived a thousand years and sure his Majesty will do't | P |
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'Adam Enoch Lamech Cainan Mahaleel Methusela | E |
Lived nine hundred years apiece and mayn't the King as well as they ' | - |
'Fervently ' exclaimed the Keeper 'fervently I trust he may ' | - |
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'HE to die ' resumed the Bishop He a mortal like to US | Q |
Death was not for him intended though communis omnibus | Q |
Keeper you are irreligious for to talk and cavil thus | Q |
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'With his wondrous skill in healing ne'er a doctor can compete | P |
Loathsome lepers if he touch them start up clean upon their feet | P |
Surely he could raise the dead up did his Highness think it meet | P |
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'Did not once the Jewish captain stay the sun upon the hill | E |
And the while he slew the foemen bid the silver moon stand still | E |
So no doubt could gracious Canute if it were his sacred will ' | - |
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'Might I stay the sun above us good sir Bishop ' Canute cried | P |
'Could I bid the silver moon to pause upon her heavenly ride | P |
If the moon obeys my orders sure I can command the tide | P |
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'Will the advancing waves obey me Bishop if I make the sign ' | - |
Said the Bishop bowing lowly 'Land and sea my lord are thine ' | - |
Canute turned towards the ocean 'Back ' he said 'thou foaming brine | I |
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'From the sacred shore I stand on I command thee to retreat | P |
Venture not thou stormy rebel to approach thy master's seat | P |
Ocean be thou still I bid thee come not nearer to my feet ' | - |
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But the sullen ocean answered with a louder deeper roar | A |
And the rapid waves drew nearer falling sounding on the shore | A |
Back the Keeper and the Bishop back the king and courtiers bore | A |
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And he sternly bade them never more to kneel to human clay | E |
But alone to praise and worship That which earth and seas obey | E |
And his golden crown of empire never wore he from that day | E |
King Canute is dead and gone Parasites exist alway | R |
William Makepeace Thackeray
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