A Folk Song
Jessie Mackay 1864 (Rakaia Gorge) – 1938 (Christchurch)
I came to your town, my love,
And you were away, away!
I said "She is with the Queen's maidens:
They tarry long at their play.
They are stringing her words like pearls
To throw to the dukes and earls."
But O, the pity!
I had but a morn of windy red
To come to the town where you were bred,
And you were away, away!
I came to your town, my love,
And you were away, away!
I said, "She is with the mountain elves
And misty and fair as they.
They are spinning a diamond net
To cover her curls of jet."
But O, the pity!
I had but a noon of searing heat
To come to your town, my love, my sweet,
And you were away, away!
I came to your town, my love,
And you were away, away!
I said, "She is with the pale white saints,
And they tarry long to pray.
They give her a white lily-crown,
And I fear she will never come down."
But O, the pity!
I had but an even grey and wan
To come to your town and plead as man,
And you were away, away!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:00 min read
- 58 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABxbccDeeB ABxbffDggB ABxbhhDxxB |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 969 |
Words | 202 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 10, 10, 10 |
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"A Folk Song" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/21329/a-folk-song>.
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