Simon Lee: The Old Huntsman Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDCEFGF HFHFIJKJ BLBLMKNK OKOKPQRQ STSTBBCB UVUWXQYQ ZA2ZA2B2C2CC2 VD2VD2E2F2G2H2 LI2LI2J2K2L2K2 KM2KM2YQKQ KRKN2O2P2Q2P2 P2BP2BKI2R2I2With an incident in which he was concerned | A |
- | |
In the sweet shire of Cardigan | B |
Not far from pleasant Ivor hall | C |
An old Man dwells a little man | D |
'Tis said he once was tall | C |
For five and thirty years he lived | E |
A running huntsman merry | F |
And still the centre of his cheek | G |
Is red as a ripe cherry | F |
- | |
No man like him the horn could sound | H |
And hill and valley rang with glee | F |
When Echo bandied round and round | H |
The halloo of Simon Lee | F |
In those proud days he little cared | I |
For husbandry or tillage | J |
To blither tasks did Simon rouse | K |
The sleepers of the village | J |
- | |
He all the country could outrun | B |
Could leave both man and horse behind | L |
And often ere the chase was done | B |
He reeled and was stone blind | L |
And still there's something in the world | M |
At which his heart rejoices | K |
For when the chiming hounds are out | N |
He dearly loves their voices | K |
- | |
But oh the heavy change bereft | O |
Of health strength friends and kindred see | K |
Old Simon to the world is left | O |
In liveried poverty | K |
His Master's dead and no one now | P |
Dwells in the Hall of Ivor | Q |
Men dogs and horses all are dead | R |
He is the sole survivor | Q |
- | |
And he is lean and he is sick | S |
His body dwindled and awry | T |
Rests upon ankles swoln and thick | S |
His legs are thin and dry | T |
One prop he has and only one | B |
His wife an aged woman | B |
Lives with him near the waterfall | C |
Upon the village Common | B |
- | |
Beside their moss grown hut of clay | U |
Not twenty paces from the door | V |
A scrap of land they have but they | U |
Are poorest of the poor | W |
This scrap of land he from the heath | X |
Enclosed when he was stronger | Q |
But what to them avails the land | Y |
Which he can till no longer | Q |
- | |
Oft working by her Husband's side | Z |
Ruth does what Simon cannot do | A2 |
For she with scanty cause for pride | Z |
Is stouter of the two | A2 |
And though you with your utmost skill | B2 |
From labour could not wean them | C2 |
'Tis little very little all | C |
That they can do between them | C2 |
- | |
Few months of life has he in store | V |
As he to you will tell | D2 |
For still the more he works the more | V |
Do his weak ankles swell | D2 |
My gentle Reader I perceive | E2 |
How patiently you've waited | F2 |
And now I fear that you expect | G2 |
Some tale will be related | H2 |
- | |
O Reader had you in your mind | L |
Such stores as silent thought can bring | I2 |
O gentle Reader you would find | L |
A tale in every thing | I2 |
What more I have to say is short | J2 |
And you must kindly take it | K2 |
It is no tale but should you think | L2 |
Perhaps a tale you'll make it | K2 |
- | |
One summer day I chanced to see | K |
This old Man doing all he could | M2 |
To unearth the root of an old tree | K |
A stump of rotten wood | M2 |
The mattock tottered in his hand | Y |
So vain was his endeavour | Q |
That at the root of the old tree | K |
He might have worked for ever | Q |
- | |
You're overtasked good Simon Lee | K |
Give me your tool to him I said | R |
And at the word right gladly he | K |
Received my proffered aid | N2 |
I struck and with a single blow | O2 |
The tangled root I severed | P2 |
At which the poor old Man so long | Q2 |
And vainly had endeavoured | P2 |
- | |
The tears into his eyes were brought | P2 |
And thanks and praises seemed to run | B |
So fast out of his heart I thought | P2 |
They never would have done | B |
I've heard of hearts unkind kind deeds | K |
With coldness still returning | I2 |
Alas the gratitude of men | R2 |
Hath oftener left me mourning | I2 |
William Wordsworth
(1)
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