The Princes' Quest - Part The First Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDEEFFGGHHIIJJFF KKLLFFFFMMNNO OFFPPLLFFQQQQFFQQFFF FRRSSQQ LLQQTTUUVVWWQQQQFF FFQQQQFFAAXXFFYZQQHH A2A2FFUUQQB2B2FHQQFF QQFFFFFFQQFFQQF FC2C2 D2D2QQHHQQFF QQSSQQFFUUQQHHQQFFE2 E2 QFFFFFFF FFF2G2QQFFQQH2| There was a time it passeth me to say | A |
| How long ago but sure 'twas many a day | A |
| Before the world had gotten her such store | B |
| Of foolish wisdom as she hath before | B |
| She fell to waxing gray with weight of years | C |
| And knowledge bitter knowledge bought with tears | D |
| When it did seem as if the feet of time | E |
| Moved to the music of a golden rhyme | E |
| And never one false thread might woven be | F |
| Athwart that web of worldwide melody | F |
| 'Twas then there lived a certain queen and king | G |
| Unvext of wars or other evil thing | G |
| Within a spacious palace builded high | H |
| Whence they might see their chiefest city lie | H |
| About them and half hear from their tall towers | I |
| Its populous murmur through the daylight hours | I |
| And see beyond its walls the pleasant plain | J |
| One child they had these blissful royal twain | J |
| Of whom 'tis told so more than fair was he | F |
| There lurked at whiles a something shadowy | F |
| Deep down within the fairness of his face | K |
| As 'twere a hint of some not earthly grace | K |
| Making the royal stripling rather seem | L |
| The very dreaming offspring of a dream | L |
| Than human child of human ancestry | F |
| And something strange fantastical was he | F |
| I doubt not Howsoever he upgrew | F |
| And after certain years to manhood drew | F |
| Nigh so that all about his father's court | M |
| Seeing his graciousness of princely port | M |
| Rejoiced thereat and many maidens' eyes | N |
| Look'd pleased upon his beauty and the sighs | N |
| Of many told I know not what sweet tales | O |
| - | |
| So like to some fair ship with sunlit sails | O |
| Glided his youth amid a stormless sea | F |
| Till once by night there came mysteriously | F |
| A fateful wind and o'er an unknown deep | P |
| Bore him perforce It chanced that while in sleep | P |
| He lay there came to him a strange dim dream | L |
| 'Twas like as he did float adown a stream | L |
| In a lone boat that had nor sail nor oar | F |
| Yet seemed as it would glide for evermore | F |
| Deep in the bosom of a sultry land | Q |
| Fair with all fairness Upon either hand | Q |
| Were hills green browed and mist engarlanded | Q |
| And all about their feet were woods bespread | Q |
| Hoarding the cool and leafy silentness | F |
| In many an unsunned hollow and hid recess | F |
| Nought of unbeauteous might be there espied | Q |
| But in the heart of the deep woods and wide | Q |
| And in the heart of all was Mystery | F |
| A something more than outer eye might see | F |
| A something more than ever ear might hear | F |
| The very birds that came and sang anear | F |
| Did seem to syllable some faery tongue | R |
| And singing much to hold yet more unsung | R |
| And heard at whiles with hollow wandering tone | S |
| Far off as by some aery huntsmen blown | S |
| Faint echoing horns among the mountains wound | Q |
| Made all the live air tremulous with sound | Q |
| - | |
| So hour by hour thus ran the Prince's dream | L |
| Glided the boat along the broadening stream | L |
| Till being widowed of the sun her lord | Q |
| The purblind day went groping evenward | Q |
| Whereafter Sleep compelled to his mild yoke | T |
| The bubbling clear souls of the feathered folk | T |
| Sealing the vital fountains of their song | U |
| Howbeit the Prince went onward all night long | U |
| And never shade of languor came on him | V |
| Nor any weariness his eyes made dim | V |
| And so in season due he heard the breath | W |
| Of the brief winds that wake ere darkness' death | W |
| Sigh through the woods and all the valley wide | Q |
| The rushes by the water answering sighed | Q |
| Sighed all the river from its reedy throat | Q |
| And like a wing d creature went the boat | Q |
| Over the errant water wandering free | F |
| As some lone seabird over a lone sea | F |
| - | |
| And Morn pale haired with watery wide eyes | F |
| Look'd up And starting with a swift surprise | F |
| Sprang to his feet the Prince and forward leant | Q |
| His gaze on something right before him bent | Q |
| That like a towered and templed city showed | Q |
| Afar off dim with very light and glowed | Q |
| As burnished seas at sundawn when the waves | F |
| Make amber lightnings all in dim roof'd caves | F |
| That fling mock thunder back Long leagues away | A |
| Down by the river's green right bank it lay | A |
| Set like a jewel in the golden morn | X |
| But ever as the Prince was onward borne | X |
| Nearer and nearer danced the dizzy fires | F |
| Of domes innumerable and sun tipt spires | F |
| And many a sky acquainted pinnacle | Y |
| Splendid beyond what mortal tongue may tell | Z |
| And ere the middle heat of day was spent | Q |
| He saw by nearness thrice magnificent | Q |
| Hardly a furlong's space before him lie | H |
| The City sloping to the stream thereby | H |
| - | |
| And therewithal the boat of its own will | A2 |
| Close to the shore began to glide until | A2 |
| All of a sudden passing nigh to where | F |
| The glistering white feet of a marble stair | F |
| Ran to the rippled brink the Prince outsprang | U |
| Upon the gleamy steps and wellnigh sang | U |
| For joy to be once more upon his feet | Q |
| Amid the green grass and the flowers sweet | Q |
| So on he paced along the river marge | B2 |
| And saw full many a fair and stately barge | B2 |
| Adorned with strange device and imagery | F |
| At anchor in the quiet waters lie | H |
| And presently he came unto a gate | Q |
| Of massy gold that shone with splendid state | Q |
| Of mystic hieroglyphs and storied frieze | F |
| All overwrought with carven phantasies | F |
| And in the shadow of the golden gate | Q |
| One in the habit of a porter sate | Q |
| And on the Prince with wondering eye looked he | F |
| And greeted him with reverent courtesy | F |
| Saying 'Fair sir thou art of mortal race | F |
| The first hath ever journeyed to this place | F |
| For well I know thou art a stranger here | F |
| As by the garb thou wearest doth appear | F |
| And if thy raiment do belie thee not | Q |
| Thou should'st be some king's son And well I wot | Q |
| If that be true was prophesied of yore | F |
| A wondrous fortune is for thee in store | F |
| For though I be not read in Doomful Writ | Q |
| Oft have I heard the wise expounding it | Q |
| And of a truth the fatal rolls declare | F |
| - | |
| That the first mortal who shall hither fare | F |
| Shall surely have our Maiden Queen to wife | C2 |
| And while the world lives shall they twain have life | C2 |
| ' | - |
| - | |
| Hereat be sure the wonder stricken youth | D2 |
| Holden in doubt if this were lies or truth | D2 |
| Was tongue tied with amaze and sore perplext | Q |
| Unknowing what strange thing might chance him next | Q |
| And ere he found fit words to make reply | H |
| The porter bade a youth who stood hard by | H |
| Conduct the princely stranger as was meet | Q |
| Through the great golden gate into the street | Q |
| And thence o'er all the city wheresoe'er | F |
| Was aught to show of wonderful or fair | F |
| - | |
| With that the Prince beside his willing guide | Q |
| Went straightway through the gate and stood inside | Q |
| The wall that builded of a rare white stone | S |
| Clasp'd all the city like a silver zone | S |
| And thence down many a shining street they passed | Q |
| Each one appearing goodlier than the last | Q |
| Cool with the presence of innumerous trees | F |
| And fountains playing before palaces | F |
| And whichsoever way the Prince might look | U |
| Another marvel and another took | U |
| His wildered eyes with very wonderment | Q |
| And holding talk together as they went | Q |
| The Prince besought his guide to tell him why | H |
| Of all the many folk that passed them by | H |
| There was not one that had the looks of eld | Q |
| Or yet of life's mid years for they beheld | Q |
| Only young men and maidens everywhere | F |
| Nor ever saw they one that was not fair | F |
| Whereat the stripling 'Master thou hast seen | E2 |
| Belike the river that doth flow between | E2 |
| Flowers and grasses at the city's feet ' | - |
| And when the Prince had rendered answer meet | Q |
| 'Then ' said the other 'know that whosoe'er | F |
| Drinks of the water thou beheldest there | F |
| It matters not how many are his years | F |
| Thenceforward from that moment he appears | F |
| Like as he was in youthly days before | F |
| His pass d summers told beyond a score | F |
| And so the people of this land possess | F |
| Unto all time their youth and comeliness ' | - |
| - | |
| Scarce had his mouth made answer when there rose | F |
| Somewhat of tumult ruffling the repose | F |
| Of the wide splendid street and lifting up | F2 |
| His eyes the Prince beheld a glittering troop | G2 |
| Of horsemen each upon a beauteous steed | Q |
| Toward them coming at a gentle speed | Q |
| And as the cavalcade came on apace | F |
| A sudden pleasure lit the stripling's face | F |
| Who bore him company and was his guide | Q |
| And 'Lo thou shalt behold our queen ' he cried | Q |
| 'Even the fairest of the m | H2 |
William Watson
(1)
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