The maiden fair on horseback rides



The maiden fair on horseback rides
Through forest glen where danger lies
Around the bend she guides the mare
While rapist winds tear through her hair

A dream pervades her every thought
This very night her mind it caught
And even though her sleep is done
Its essence lives to drive her on

A mind awash in image dread
Of her perspective wedding bed
Herself beside a bloodless ghoul
Who speaks to her intentions cruel

She wakes to scream into the night
A witness to this frightful sight
And quickly to the door she tread
Before the ghoul upon her fed

Confused she grabbed the mare and flies
His ghostly image at her side
And mindless of the horse’s speed
She tries to wrest the demon freed

Although the moon illumes the sky
The trees grow denser by and by
Till darkness falls upon her soul
To cast her in her final dole

Despaired she sets her mind to pray
For God to turn the fiend away
But in the course of proffered vow
Her chest does strike against a bow

Thus from the saddle she is thrown
Her head to hit upon a stone
And ere she opens up her eyes
The apparition bleeds her dry

So in this manner they are tied
The beast and his reluctant bride
Whose beauty caught a demon’s eye
One yesteryear of days gone by
Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on March 06, 2022

Modified on April 27, 2023

1:12 min read
5

Quick analysis:

Scheme XABB XXXX CCXX DDCC AEFF GGHH IIJJ KKAG EEGG
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,221
Words 240
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Discuss the poem The maiden fair on horseback rides with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The maiden fair on horseback rides" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/121642/the-maiden-fair-on-horseback-rides>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    21
    hours
    2
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    What year was "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" originally published?
    A 1701
    B 1773
    C 1789
    D 1761