The Waggoner - Canto First Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCCADDEEFFGDHHIBIJ JKKLLMNNOMOPBNBQQRRS STTUVWWXXYYZZA2A2B2B 2ZZC2A2C2D2D2D2E2UVE 2F2G2H2H2I2F2J2F2J2G 2WWWK2K2L2L2M2N2O2O2 P2P2LLVVDDQ2Q2WWR2R2 WWS2S2WDDWWT2T2U2U2Y YV2V2WWW2W2WWX2X2XYY 2T2Y2T2XYZ2Z2Q2Q2A3H BBB3B3TTYYC3D3E3E3E2 E2VVQ2Q2SSF3F3DDE2E2 K2K2Q2Q2VVK2K2WWEVVV Q2Q2WWCCVVG3G3FFH3H3 Q2Q2VVVVVI3J3I3J3Q2Q 2P2K3WWGL3WWYM3Y| 'TIS spent this burning day of June | A |
| Soft darkness o'er its latest gleams is stealing | B |
| The buzzing dor hawk round and round is wheeling | B |
| That solitary bird | C |
| Is all that can be heard | C |
| In silence deeper far than that of deepest noon | A |
| Confiding Glow worms 'tis a night | D |
| Propitious to your earth born light | D |
| But where the scattered stars are seen | E |
| In hazy straits the clouds between | E |
| Each in his station twinkling not | F |
| Seems changed into a pallid spot | F |
| The mountains against heaven's grave weight | G |
| Rise up and grow to wondrous height | D |
| The air as in a lion's den | H |
| Is close and hot and now and then | H |
| Comes a tired and sultry breeze | I |
| With a haunting and a panting | B |
| Like the stifling of disease | I |
| But the dews allay the heat | J |
| And the silence makes it sweet | J |
| Hush there is some one on the stir | K |
| 'Tis Benjamin the Waggoner | K |
| Who long hath trod this toilsome way | L |
| Companion of the night and day | L |
| That far off tinkling's drowsy cheer | M |
| Mixed with a faint yet grating sound | N |
| In a moment lost and found | N |
| The Wain announces by whose side | O |
| Along the banks of Rydal Mere | M |
| He paces on a trusty Guide | O |
| Listen you can scarcely hear | P |
| Hither he his course is bending | B |
| Now he leaves the lower ground | N |
| And up the craggy hill ascending | B |
| Many a stop and stay he makes | Q |
| Many a breathing fit he takes | Q |
| Steep the way and wearisome | R |
| Yet all the while his whip is dumb | R |
| The Horses have worked with right good will | S |
| And so have gained the top of the hill | S |
| He was patient they were strong | T |
| And now they smoothly glide along | T |
| Recovering breath and pleased to win | U |
| The praises of mild Benjamin | V |
| Heaven shield him from mishap and snare | W |
| But why so early with this prayer | W |
| Is it for threatenings in the sky | X |
| Or for some other danger nigh | X |
| No none is near him yet though he | Y |
| Be one of much infirmity | Y |
| For at the bottom of the brow | Z |
| Where once the DOVE and OLIVE BOUGH | Z |
| Offered a greeting of good ale | A2 |
| To all who entered Grasmere Vale | A2 |
| And called on him who must depart | B2 |
| To leave it with a jovial heart | B2 |
| There where the DOVE and OLIVE BOUGH | Z |
| Once hung a Poet harbours now | Z |
| A simple water drinking Bard | C2 |
| Why need our Hero then though frail | A2 |
| His best resolves be on his guard | C2 |
| He marches by secure and bold | D2 |
| Yet while he thinks on times of old | D2 |
| It seems that all looks wondrous cold | D2 |
| He shrugs his shoulders shakes his head | E2 |
| And for the honest folk within | U |
| It is a doubt with Benjamin | V |
| Whether they be alive or dead | E2 |
| 'Here' is no danger none at all | F2 |
| Beyond his wish he walks secure | G2 |
| But pass a mile and 'then' for trial | H2 |
| Then for the pride of self denial | H2 |
| If he resist that tempting door | I2 |
| Which with such friendly voice will call | F2 |
| If he resist those casement panes | J2 |
| And that bright gleam which thence will fall | F2 |
| Upon his Leaders' bells and manes | J2 |
| Inviting him with cheerful lure | G2 |
| For still though all be dark elsewhere | W |
| Some shining notice will be 'there' | W |
| Of open house and ready fare | W |
| The place to Benjamin right well | K2 |
| Is known and by as strong a spell | K2 |
| As used to be that sign of love | L2 |
| And hope the OLIVE BOUGH and DOVE | L2 |
| He knows it to his cost good Man | M2 |
| Who does not know the famous SWAN | N2 |
| Object uncouth and yet our boast | O2 |
| For it was painted by the Host | O2 |
| His own conceit the figure planned | P2 |
| 'Twas coloured all by his own hand | P2 |
| And that frail Child of thirsty clay | L |
| Of whom I sing this rustic lay | L |
| Could tell with self dissatisfaction | V |
| Quaint stories of the bird's attraction | V |
| Well that is past and in despite | D |
| Of open door and shining light | D |
| And now the conqueror essays | Q2 |
| The long ascent of Dunmail raise | Q2 |
| And with his team is gentle here | W |
| As when he clomb from Rydal Mere | W |
| His whip they do not dread his voice | R2 |
| They only hear it to rejoice | R2 |
| To stand or go is at 'their' pleasure | W |
| Their efforts and their time they measure | W |
| By generous pride within the breast | S2 |
| And while they strain and while they rest | S2 |
| He thus pursues his thoughts at leisure | W |
| Now am I fairly safe to night | D |
| And with proud cause my heart is light | D |
| I trespassed lately worse than ever | W |
| But Heaven has blest a good endeavour | W |
| And to my soul's content I find | T2 |
| The evil One is left behind | T2 |
| Yes let my master fume and fret | U2 |
| Here am I with my horses yet | U2 |
| My jolly team he finds that ye | Y |
| Will work for nobody but me | Y |
| Full proof of this the Country gained | V2 |
| It knows how ye were vexed and strained | V2 |
| And forced unworthy stripes to bear | W |
| When trusted to another's care | W |
| Here was it on this rugged slope | W2 |
| Which now ye climb with heart and hope | W2 |
| I saw you between rage and fear | W |
| Plunge and fling back a spiteful ear | W |
| And ever more and more confused | X2 |
| As ye were more and more abused | X2 |
| As chance would have it passing by | X |
| I saw you in that jeopardy | Y |
| A word from me was like a charm | Y2 |
| Ye pulled together with one mind | T2 |
| And your huge burthen safe from harm | Y2 |
| Moved like a vessel in the wind | T2 |
| Yes without me up hills so high | X |
| 'Tis vain to strive for mastery | Y |
| Then grieve not jolly team though tough | Z2 |
| The road we travel steep and rough | Z2 |
| Though Rydal heights and Dunmail raise | Q2 |
| And all their fellow banks and braes | Q2 |
| Full often make you stretch and strain | A3 |
| And halt for breath and halt again | H |
| Yet to their sturdiness 'tis owing | B |
| That side by side we still are going | B |
| While Benjamin in earnest mood | B3 |
| His meditations thus pursued | B3 |
| A storm which had been smothered long | T |
| Was growing inwardly more strong | T |
| And in its struggles to get free | Y |
| Was busily employed as he | Y |
| The thunder had begun to growl | C3 |
| He heard not too intent of soul | D3 |
| The air was now without a breath | E3 |
| He marked not that 'twas still as death | E3 |
| But soon large rain drops on his head | E2 |
| Fell with the weight of drops of lead | E2 |
| He starts and takes at the admonition | V |
| A sage survey of his condition | V |
| The road is black before his eyes | Q2 |
| Glimmering faintly where it lies | Q2 |
| Black is the sky and every hill | S |
| Up to the sky is blacker still | S |
| Sky hill and dale one dismal room | F3 |
| Hung round and overhung with gloom | F3 |
| Save that above a single height | D |
| Is to be seen a lurid light | D |
| Above Helm crag a streak half dead | E2 |
| A burning of portentous red | E2 |
| And near that lurid light full well | K2 |
| The ASTROLOGER sage Sidrophel | K2 |
| Where at his desk and book he sits | Q2 |
| Puzzling aloft his curious wits | Q2 |
| He whose domain is held in common | V |
| With no one but the ANCIENT WOMAN | V |
| Cowering beside her rifted cell | K2 |
| As if intent on magic spell | K2 |
| Dread pair that spite of wind and weather | W |
| Still sit upon Helm crag together | W |
| The ASTROLOGER was not unseen | E |
| By solitary Benjamin | V |
| But total darkness came anon | V |
| And he and everything was gone | V |
| And suddenly a ruffling breeze | Q2 |
| That would have rocked the sounding trees | Q2 |
| Had aught of sylvan growth been there | W |
| Swept through the Hollow long and bare | W |
| The rain rushed down the road was battered | C |
| As with the force of billows shattered | C |
| The horses are dismayed nor know | V |
| Whether they should stand or go | V |
| And Benjamin is groping near them | G3 |
| Sees nothing and can scarcely hear them | G3 |
| He is astounded wonder not | F |
| With such a charge in such a spot | F |
| Astounded in the mountain gap | H3 |
| With thunder peals clap after clap | H3 |
| Close treading on the silent flashes | Q2 |
| And somewhere as he thinks by crashes | Q2 |
| Among the rocks with weight of rain | V |
| And sullen motions long and slow | V |
| That to a dreary distance go | V |
| Till breaking in upon the dying strain | V |
| A rending o'er his head begins the fray again | V |
| Meanwhile uncertain what to do | I3 |
| And oftentimes compelled to halt | J3 |
| The horses cautiously pursue | I3 |
| Their way without mishap or fault | J3 |
| And now have reached that pile of stones | Q2 |
| Heaped over brave King Dunmail's bones | Q2 |
| His who had once supreme command | P2 |
| Last king of rocky Cumberland | K3 |
| His bones and those of all his Power | W |
| Slain here in a disastrous hour | W |
| When passing through this narrow strait | G |
| Stony and dark and desolate | L3 |
| Benjamin can faintly hear | W |
| A voice that comes from some one near | W |
| A female voice Whoe'er you be | Y |
| Stop ' it exclaimed 'and pity me ' | M3 |
| And less in p | Y |
William Wordsworth
(1)
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