In Arthur's House Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDEEFGHIJJKKL MNNOOPPQ QRRSSRRRRRRRRTURRFFV VRRWWXXYYAARRZZFFA2A 2FFPPB2RRWWAAC2C2 FF D2D2FF E2E2 F2F2F FAAW WG2G2H2H2FFWWI2E2E2P PFF RRFFRRJ2J2PAVK2 E2E2L2L2J2J2RRFFRRFF J2J2RRPPJ2J2RRFFM2N2 FFO2O2J2J2FFFFPPR RE2E2PPFFR RFFP2P2J2J2PPUD2 AARRP2P2L2Q2R2 R2P2P2R RPPJ2J2RRRRRRBBS2S2P PRRP2P2PPT2T2 WWPPW

In Arthur's house whileome was IA
When happily the time went byA
In midmost glory of his daysB
He held his court then in a placeC
Whereof ye shall not find the nameD
In any story of his fameD
Caerliel good sooth men called it notE
Nor London Town nor CamelotE
Yet therein had we bliss enowF
Ah far off was the overthrowG
Of all that Britain praised and lovedH
And though among us lightly movedI
A love that could but lead to deathJ
Smooth skinned he seemed of rosy breathJ
A fear to sting a lady's lipK
No ruin of goodly fellowshipK
No shame and death of all things goodL
-
Forgive the old carle's babbling moodM
As here I sit grey haired and oldN
My life gone as a story toldN
Ye bid me tell a story tooO
And then the evil days and fewO
That yet were overlong for meP
Rise up so clear I may not seeP
The pictures of my minstrel loreQ
-
Well hearken on a day of yoreQ
From prime of morn the court did rideR
Amidmost of the summertideR
To search the dwellings of the deerS
Until the heat of noon was nearS
Then slackening speed awhile they wentR
Adown a ragged thorn bushed bentR
At whose feet grew a tangled woodR
Of oak and holly nowise goodR
But therethrough with some pain indeedR
And rending of the ladies' weedR
They won at last and after foundR
A space of green sward grown aroundR
By oak and holly set full closeT
And in the midst of it aroseU
Two goodly sycamores that madeR
A wide and little sun pierced shadeR
About their high boles straight and greenF
A fount was new born there betweenF
And running on as clear as glassV
Flowed winding on amid the grassV
Until the thick wood swallowed itR
A place for happy folk to sitR
While the hot day grew hotter stillW
Till eve began to work his willW
So might those happy people thinkX
Who grudged to see the red sun sinkX
And end another day of blissY
Although no joy tomorn should missY
They laughed for joy as they drew nighA
The shade and fount but lo therebyA
A man beside the fountain laidR
The while his horse 'twixt sun and shadeR
Cropped the sweet grass but little careZ
Had these of guile or giant's lairZ
And scarce a foot before the QueenF
Rode Gawain o'er the daisied greenF
To see what man his pleasure tookA2
Who rose up in meanwhile and shookA2
His tangled hair aback as oneF
Who e'en but now his sleep hath doneF
Rough head and yellow haired was heP
Great eyed as folk have told to meP
And big and stout enow of limbB2
As one who thinks no harm he smiledR
And cried out Well met in the wildR
Fair King and Queen and ye withalW
Sweet dames and damsels Well befalW
This day whereon I see thee nighA
O Lancelot before I dieA
And surely shall my heart rejoiceC2
Sir Gawain when I hear thy voiceC2
-
Then Lancelot laughed Thou knowest us thenF
Full well among a many menF
-
As quoth the lion to the mouseD2
The man said in King Arthur's HouseD2
Men are not names of men aloneF
But coffers rather of deeds doneF
-
The Queen smiled blithe of heart and spakeE2
Hast thou done deeds for ladies' sakeE2
-
Nay Dame he said I am but youngF2
A little have I lived and sungF2
And seen thy face this happy noonF
-
The King said May we hearken soonF
Some merry tale of thee for IA
Am skilled to know men low and highA
And deem thee neither churl nor foolW
-
Said he My fathers went to schoolW
Where folk are taught a many thingsG2
But not by bliss men called them kingsG2
In days when kings were near to seekH2
But as a long thread waxeth weakH2
So is it with our house and nowF
I wend me home from oaken boughF
Unto a stead where roof and wallW
Shall not have over far to fallW
When their last day comesI2
As he spakeE2
He reddened Nathless for their sakeE2
Whom the world loved once mock not meP
O King if thence I bring to theeP
A morsel and a draught of wineF
Though nothing king like here thou dineF
-
Of some kind word King Arthur thoughtR
But ere he spake the woodman caughtR
His forest nag and leapt thereonF
And through the tangled brake was goneF
Then leapt the King down glad at heartR
Thinking This day shall not departR
Without some voice from days that wereJ2
And lightly leapt down GuenevereJ2
And man and maid lay presentlyP
Neath the bee laden branches highA
And sweet the scent of trodden grassV
Amid the blossoms' perfume wasK2
-
There long they lay and little spakeE2
As folk right loth the calm to breakE2
Till lo upon the forest breezeL2
A noise of folk and from the treesL2
They came the first seen foresterJ2
A grizzled carle in such like gearJ2
And then two maidens poorly cladR
Though each a silver chaplet hadR
And round her neck a golden chainF
And last two varlets led a wainF
Drawn by white oxen well bedightR
With oaken boughs and lilies whiteR
Therein there lay a cask of wineF
And baskets piled with bread full fineF
And flesh of hart and roe and hareJ2
And in the midst upon a chairJ2
Done over with a cloth of goldR
There sat a man exceeding oldR
With long white locks and clad was heP
No other than his companyP
Save that a golden crown he boreJ2
Full fairly fashioned as of yoreJ2
And with a sword was girt aboutR
Such as few folk will see I doubtR
Right great it was the scabbard thinF
Was fashioned of a serpent's skinF
In every scale a stone of worthM2
Of tooth of sea lion of the northN2
The cross was and the blood boot stoneF
That heals the hurt the blade hath doneF
Hung down therefrom in silken purseO2
The ruddy kin of Niblung's curseO2
O'er tresses of a sea wife's hairJ2
Was wrapped about the handle fairJ2
And last a marvellous sapphire stoneF
Amidst of the great pommel shoneF
A blue flame in the forest greenF
And Arthur deemed he ne'er had seenF
So fair a sword nay not when heP
The wonder of the land locked seaP
Drew from the stone that Christmas tideR
-
Now forth the forest youth did rideR
Leapt down beside the King and spakeE2
King Arthur for thy greatness' sakeE2
My grandsire comes to look on theeP
My father standeth here by meP
These maidens are my sisters twainF
My brethren draw out from the wainF
Somewhat thy woodland cheer to mendR
-
Thereat his sire the knee did bendR
Before the King who o'er the brownF
Rough sleeve of the man's homespun gownF
Beheld a goodly golden ringP2
And fell to greater marvellingP2
When he beheld how fine and fairJ2
The woodman's kneeling sisters wereJ2
And all folk thereby deemed in soothP
That save indeed the first seen youthP
These folk were nobler e'en than thoseU
Of Arthur's wonder of a houseD2
-
But now the elder drew anighA
By half a head was he more highA
Than Arthur or than LancelotR
Nor had eld bent him he kneeled notR
Before the King but smiling tookP2
His hands in hands that nowise shookP2
And the King joyed as he who seesL2
One of his fathers' imagesQ2
Stand glad before him in a dreamR2
-
Then down beside the bubbling streamR2
They sat together and the KingP2
Was loth to fall a questioningP2
So first the elder spake and saidR
-
It joys me of thy goodliheadR
O great king of our land and thoughP
Our blood within thee doth not flowP
And I who was a king of yoreJ2
May scarcely kneel thy feet beforeJ2
Yet do I deem thy right the bestR
Of all the kings who rule the WestR
I love thy name and fame beholdR
King Arthur I am grown so oldR
In guilelessness the Gods have sentR
Be I content or uncontentR
This gift unto my latter daysB
That I may see as through a hazeB
The lives and deeds of days to comeS2
I laugh for some I weep for someS2
I neither laugh nor weep for theeP
But trembling through the clouds I seeP
Thy life and glory to the endR
And how the sweet and bitter blendR
Within the cup that thou must drinkP2
Good is it that thou shalt not shrinkP2
From either that the afterdaysP
Shall still win glory from thy praiseP
And scarce believe thee laid asleepT2
When o'er thy deeds the days lie deepT2
-
He ceased but his old lips moved stillW
As though they would the tale fulfilW
His heart kept secret Arthur's eyesP
Gleamed with the pride that needs would riseP
Up from his heart and lowW

William Morris



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