Atalanta's Race Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABBCC DEDFFGG HIHIJGG KLKLLMM NONOOFF PQPQQQQ RFRFFS STQLQQQQ QSQUULL QQQQQHH QFQFFFF QQQQQFF QFQFFQQ GQGQQQQ VFVFFWW QQQQQFF QXQXXHH YWYSSQQ QHQHHQQ GGGGGWW QZQA2ZSS QLWLLB2C2 QQQQQFF D2QD2QQWW RWRWWE2E2 QFQFThrough thick Arcadian woods a hunter went | A |
Following the beasts upon a fresh spring day | B |
But since his horn tipped bow but seldom bent | A |
Now at the noontide nought had happed to slay | B |
Within a vale he called his hounds away | B |
Hearkening the echoes of his lone voice cling | C |
About the cliffs and through the beech trees ring | C |
- | |
But when they ended still awhile he stood | D |
And but the sweet familiar thrush could hear | E |
And all the day long noises of the wood | D |
And o'er the dry leaves of the vanished year | F |
His hounds' feet pattering as they drew anear | F |
And heavy breathing from their heads low hung | G |
To see the mighty corner bow unstrung | G |
- | |
Then smiling did he turn to leave the place | H |
But with his first step some new fleeting thought | I |
A shadow cast across his sun burnt face | H |
I think the golden net that April brought | I |
From some warm world his wavering soul had caught | J |
For sunk in vague sweet longing did he go | G |
Betwixt the trees with doubtful steps and slow | G |
- | |
Yet howsoever slow he went at last | K |
The trees grew sparser and the wood was done | L |
Whereon one farewell backward look he cast | K |
Then turning round to see what place was won | L |
With shaded eyes looked underneath the sun | L |
And o'er green meads and new turned furrows brown | M |
Beheld the gleaming of King Sch neus' town | M |
- | |
So thitherward he turned and on each side | N |
The folk were busy on the teeming land | O |
And man and maid from the brown furrows cried | N |
Or midst the newly blossomed vines did stand | O |
And as the rustic weapon pressed the hand | O |
Thought of the nodding of the well filled ear | F |
Or how the knife the heavy bunch should shear | F |
- | |
Merry it was about him sung the birds | P |
The spring flowers bloomed along the firm dry road | Q |
The sleek skinned mothers of the sharp horned herds | P |
Now for the barefoot milking maidens lowed | Q |
While from the freshness of his blue abode | Q |
Glad his death bearing arrows to forget | Q |
The broad sun blazed nor scattered plagues as yet | Q |
- | |
Through such fair things unto the gates he came | R |
And found them open as though peace were there | F |
Wherethrough unquestioned of his race or name | R |
He entered and along the streets 'gan fare | F |
Which at the first of folk were well nigh bare | F |
But pressing on and going more hastily | S |
- | |
Men hurrying too he 'gan at last to see | S |
Following the last of these he still pressed on | T |
Until an open space he came unto | Q |
Where wreaths of fame had oft been lost and won | L |
For feats of strength folks there were wont to do | Q |
And now our hunter looked for something new | Q |
Because the whole wide space was bare and stilled | Q |
The high seats were with eager people filled | Q |
- | |
There with the others to a seat he gat | Q |
Whence he beheld a broidered canopy | S |
'Neath which in fair array King Sch neus sat | Q |
Upon his throne with councillors thereby | U |
And underneath his well wrought seat and high | U |
He saw a golden image of the sun | L |
A silver image of the Fleet foot One | L |
- | |
A brazen altar stood beneath their feet | Q |
Whereon a thin flame flicker'd in the wind | Q |
Nigh this a herald clad in raiment meet | Q |
Made ready even now his horn to wind | Q |
By whom a huge man held a sword entwin'd | Q |
With yellow flowers these stood a little space | H |
From off the altar nigh the starting place | H |
- | |
And there two runners did the sign abide | Q |
Foot set to foot a young man slim and fair | F |
Crisp hair'd well knit with firm limbs often tried | Q |
In places where no man his strength may spare | F |
Dainty his thin coat was and on his hair | F |
A golden circlet of renown he wore | F |
And in his hand an olive garland bore | F |
- | |
But on this day with whom shall he contend | Q |
A maid stood by him like Diana clad | Q |
When in the woods she lists her bow to bend | Q |
Too fair for one to look on and be glad | Q |
Who scarcely yet has thirty summers had | Q |
If he must still behold her from afar | F |
Too fair to let the world live free from war | F |
- | |
She seem'd all earthly matters to forget | Q |
Of all tormenting lines her face was clear | F |
Her wide gray eyes upon the goal were set | Q |
Calm and unmov'd as though no soul were near | F |
But her foe trembled as a man in fear | F |
Nor from her loveliness one moment turn'd | Q |
His anxious face with fierce desire that burn'd | Q |
- | |
Now through the hush there broke the trumpet's clang | G |
Just as the setting sun made eventide | Q |
Then from light feet a spurt of dust there sprang | G |
And swiftly were they running side by side | Q |
But silent did the thronging folk abide | Q |
Until the turning post was reach'd at last | Q |
And round about it still abreast they passed | Q |
- | |
But when the people saw how close they ran | V |
When half way to the starting point they were | F |
A cry of joy broke forth whereat the man | V |
Headed the white foot runner and drew near | F |
Unto the very end of all his fear | F |
And scarce his straining feet the ground could feel | W |
And bliss unhop'd for o'er his heart 'gan steal | W |
- | |
But 'midst the loud victorious shouts he heard | Q |
Her footsteps drawing nearer and the sound | Q |
Of fluttering raiment and thereat afeard | Q |
His flush'd and eager face he turn'd around | Q |
And even then he felt her past him bound | Q |
Fleet as the wind but scarcely saw her there | F |
Till on the goal she laid her fingers fair | F |
- | |
There stood she breathing like a little child | Q |
Amid some warlike clamour laid asleep | X |
For no victorious joy her red lips smil'd | Q |
Her cheek its wonted freshness did but keep | X |
No glance lit up her clear gray eyes and deep | X |
Though some divine thought soften'd all her face | H |
As once more rang the trumpet through the place | H |
- | |
But her late foe stopp'd short amidst his course | Y |
One moment gaz'd upon her piteously | W |
Then with a groan his lingering feet did force | Y |
To leave the spot whence he her eyes could see | S |
And changed like one who knows his time must be | S |
But short and bitter without any word | Q |
He knelt before the bearer of the sword | Q |
- | |
Then high rose up the gleaming deadly blade | Q |
Bar'd of its flowers and through the crowded place | H |
Was silence now and midst of it the maid | Q |
Went by the poor wretch at a gentle pace | H |
And he to hers upturn'd his sad white face | H |
Nor did his eyes behold another sight | Q |
Ere on his soul there fell eternal light | Q |
- | |
So was the pageant ended and all folk | G |
Talking of this and that familiar thing | G |
In little groups from that sad concourse broke | G |
For now the shrill bats were upon the wing | G |
And soon dark night would slay the evening | G |
And in dark gardens sang the nightingale | W |
Her little heeded oft repeated tale | W |
- | |
And with the last of all the hunter went | Q |
Who wondering at the strange sight he had seen | Z |
Prayed an old man to tell him what it meant | Q |
Both why the vanquished man so slain had been | A2 |
And if the maiden were an earthly queen | Z |
Or rather what much more she seemed to be | S |
No sharer in this world's mortality | S |
- | |
Stranger said he I pray she soon may die | Q |
Whose lovely youth has slain so many an one | L |
King Sch neus' daughter is she verily | W |
Who when her eyes first looked upon the sun | L |
Was fain to end her life but new begun | L |
For he had vowed to leave but men alone | B2 |
Sprung from his loins when he from earth was gone | C2 |
- | |
Therefore he bade one leave her in the wood | Q |
And let wild things deal with her as they might | Q |
But this being done some cruel god thought good | Q |
To save her beauty in the world's despite | Q |
Folk say that her so delicate and white | Q |
As now she is a rough root grubbing bear | F |
Amidst her shapeless cubs at first did rear | F |
- | |
In course of time the woodfolk slew her nurse | D2 |
And to their rude abode the youngling brought | Q |
And reared her up to be a kingdom's curse | D2 |
Who grown a woman of no kingdom thought | Q |
But armed and swift 'mid beasts destruction wrought | Q |
Nor spared two shaggy centaur kings to slay | W |
To whom her body seemed an easy prey | W |
- | |
So to this city led by fate she came | R |
Whom known by signs whereof I cannot tell | W |
King Sch neus for his child at last did claim | R |
Nor otherwhere since that day doth she dwell | W |
Sending too many a noble soul to hell | W |
What shine eyes glisten what then thinkest thou | E2 |
Her shining head unto the yoke to bow | E2 |
- | |
Listen my son and love some other maid | Q |
For she the saffron gown will never wear | F |
And on no flower strewn couch shall she be laid | Q |
Nor | F |
William Morris
(2)
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