The Haystack In The Floods Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBC DEEFFFGGHHHIIJJKLMMN NEEAAC OOFFPPQ JJRRRRSSTTA RRJJRRUUVVRR UFBBJRRWV WJJXXYYJ JZZRRRRA2A2EEFR FJJEERRJJB2B2RRFFRRE EJ RRRRRRC2D2 C2HHRRRRFFRRRR XFEXXE2E2E2 RRA2A2F2F2RRRFFRJJRR RRRRFFR RCHad she come all the way for this | A |
To part at last without a kiss | A |
Yea had she borne the dirt and rain | B |
That her own eyes might see him slain | B |
Beside the haystack in the floods | C |
- | |
Along the dripping leafless woods | D |
The stirrup touching either shoe | E |
She rode astride as troopers do | E |
With kirtle kilted to her knee | F |
To which the mud splash'd wretchedly | F |
And the wet dripp'd from every tree | F |
Upon her head and heavy hair | G |
And on her eyelids broad and fair | G |
The tears and rain ran down her face | H |
By fits and starts they rode apace | H |
And very often was his place | H |
Far off from her he had to ride | I |
Ahead to see what might betide | I |
When the roads cross'd and sometimes when | J |
There rose a murmuring from his men | J |
Had to turn back with promises | K |
Ah me she had but little ease | L |
And often for pure doubt and dread | M |
She sobb'd made giddy in the head | M |
By the swift riding while for cold | N |
Her slender fingers scarce could hold | N |
The wet reins yea and scarcely too | E |
She felt the foot within her shoe | E |
Against the stirrup all for this | A |
To part at last without a kiss | A |
Beside the haystack in the floods | C |
- | |
For when they near'd that old soak'd hay | O |
They saw across the only way | O |
That Judas Godmar and the three | F |
Red running lions dismally | F |
Grinn'd from his pennon under which | P |
In one straight line along the ditch | P |
They counted thirty heads | Q |
- | |
So then | J |
While Robert turn'd round to his men | J |
She saw at once the wretched end | R |
And stooping down tried hard to rend | R |
Her coif the wrong way from her head | R |
And hid her eyes while Robert said | R |
Nay love 'tis scarcely two to one | S |
At Poictiers where we made them run | S |
So fast why sweet my love good cheer | T |
The Gascon frontier is so near | T |
Naught after this | A |
- | |
But Oh she said | R |
My God my God I have to tread | R |
The long way back without you then | J |
The court at Paris those six men | J |
The gratings of the Chatelet | R |
The swift Seine on some rainy day | R |
Like this and people standing by | U |
And laughing while my weak hands try | U |
To recollect how strong men swim | V |
All this or else a life with him | V |
For which I should be damned at last | R |
Would God that this next hour were past | R |
- | |
He answer'd not but cried his cry | U |
St George for Marny cheerily | F |
And laid his hand upon her rein | B |
Alas no man of all his train | B |
Gave back that cheery cry again | J |
And while for rage his thumb beat fast | R |
Upon his sword hilts some one cast | R |
About his neck a kerchief long | W |
And bound him | V |
- | |
Then they went along | W |
To Godmar who said Now Jehane | J |
Your lover's life is on the wane | J |
So fast that if this very hour | X |
You yield not as my paramour | X |
He will not see the rain leave off | Y |
Nay keep your tongue from gibe or scoff | Y |
Sir Robert or I slay you now | J |
- | |
She laid her hand upon her brow | J |
Then gazed upon the palm as though | Z |
She thought her forehead bled and No | Z |
She said and turn'd her head away | R |
As there were nothing else to say | R |
And everything were settled red | R |
Grew Godmar's face from chin to head | R |
Jehane on yonder hill there stands | A2 |
My castle guarding well my lands | A2 |
What hinders me from taking you | E |
And doing that I list to do | E |
To your fair wilful body while | F |
Your knight lies dead | R |
- | |
A wicked smile | F |
Wrinkled her face her lips grew thin | J |
A long way out she thrust her chin | J |
You know that I would strangle you | E |
While you were sleeping or bite through | E |
Your throat by God's help ah she said | R |
Lord Jesus pity your poor maid | R |
For in such wise they hem me in | J |
I cannot choose but sin and sin | J |
Whatever happens yet I think | B2 |
They could not make me eat or drink | B2 |
And so should I just reach my rest | R |
Nay if you do not my behest | R |
O Jehane though I love you well | F |
Said Godmar would I fail to tell | F |
All that I know Foul lies she said | R |
Eh lies my Jehane by God's head | R |
At Paris folks would deem them true | E |
Do you know Jehane they cry for you | E |
'Jehane the brown Jehane the brown | J |
Give us Jehane to burn or drown ' | - |
Eh gag me Robert sweet my friend | R |
This were indeed a piteous end | R |
For those long fingers and long feet | R |
And long neck and smooth shoulders sweet | R |
An end that few men would forget | R |
That saw it So an hour yet | R |
Consider Jehane which to take | C2 |
Of life or death | D2 |
- | |
So scarce awake | C2 |
Dismounting did she leave that place | H |
And totter some yards with her face | H |
Turn'd upward to the sky she lay | R |
Her head on a wet heap of hay | R |
And fell asleep and while she slept | R |
And did not dream the minutes crept | R |
Round to the twelve again but she | F |
Being waked at last sigh'd quietly | F |
And strangely childlike came and said | R |
I will not Straightway Godmar's head | R |
As though it hung on strong wires turn'd | R |
Most sharply round and his face burn'd | R |
- | |
For Robert both his eyes were dry | X |
He could not weep but gloomily | F |
He seem'd to watch the rain yea too | E |
His lips were firm he tried once more | X |
To touch her lips she reach'd out sore | X |
And vain desire so tortured them | E2 |
The poor grey lips and now the hem | E2 |
Of his sleeve brush'd them | E2 |
- | |
With a start | R |
Up Godmar rose thrust them apart | R |
From Robert's throat he loosed the bands | A2 |
Of silk and mail with empty hands | A2 |
Held out she stood and gazed and saw | F2 |
The long bright blade without a flaw | F2 |
Glide out from Godmar's sheath his hand | R |
In Robert's hair she saw him bend | R |
Back Robert's head she saw him send | R |
The thin steel down the blow told well | F |
Right backward the knight Robert fell | F |
And moaned as dogs do being half dead | R |
Unwitting as I deem so then | J |
Godmar turn'd grinning to his men | J |
Who ran some five or six and beat | R |
His head to pieces at their feet | R |
- | |
Then Godmar turn'd again and said | R |
So Jehane the first fitte is read | R |
Take note my lady that your way | R |
Lies backward to the Chatelet | R |
She shook her head and gazed awhile | F |
At her cold hands with a rueful smile | F |
As though this thing had made her mad | R |
- | |
This was the parting that they had | R |
Beside the haystack in the floods | C |
William Morris
(1)
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