Juana
It is but dust thou look’st upon. This love,This wild and passionate idolatry,What doth it in the shadow of the grave?Gather it back within thy lonely heart,So must it ever end: too much we giveUnto the things that perish.
The night-wind shook the tapestry round an ancient palace room,And torches, as it rose and fell, waved through the gorgeous gloom,And o’er a shadowy regal couch threw fitful gleams and red,Where a woman with long raven hair sat watching by the dead.
Pale shone the features of the dead, yet glorious still to see,Like a hunter or a chief struck down while his heart and step werefree:No shroud he wore, no robe of death, but there majestic lay,Proudly and sadly glittering in royalty’s array.
But she that with the dark hair watch’d by the cold slumberer’sside,On her wan cheek no beauty dwelt, and in her garb no pride;Only her full impassion’d eyes as o’er that clay she bent,A wildness and a tenderness in strange resplendence blent.
And as the swift thoughts cross’d her soul, like shadows of a cloud,Amidst the silent room of death the dreamer spoke aloud;She spoke to him that could not hear, and cried,“Thou yet wilt wake,And learn my watchings and my tears, beloved one! for thy sake.
“They told me this was death, but well I knew it could not be;Fairest and stateliest of the earth! who spoke of death for thee?They would have wrapp’d the funeral shroud thy gallant form around,But I forbade--and there thou art, a monarch, robed and crown’d!
“With all thy bright locks gleaming still, their coronal beneath,And thy brow so proudly beautiful--who said that this was death?Silence hath been upon thy lips, and stillness round thee long,But the hopeful spirit in my breast is all undimm’d and strong.
“I know thou hast not loved me yet; I am not fair like thee,The very glance of whose clear eye threw round a light of glee!A frail and drooping form is mine--a cold unsmiling cheek--Oh! I have but a woman’s heart wherewith thy heart to seek.
“But when thou wakest, my prince, my lord! and hear’st how I havekeptA lonely vigil by thy side, and o’er thee pray’d and wept--How in one long deep dream of thee my nights, and days have past--Surely that humble patient love must win back love at last!
“And thou wilt smile--my own, my own, shall be the sunny smile,Which brightly fell, and joyously, on all but me erewhile!No more in vain affection’s thirst my weary soul shall pine--Oh! years of hope deferr’d were paid by one fond glance of thine!
“Thou’lt meet me with that radiant look when thou comest from thechase--For me, for me, in festal halls it shall kindle o’er thy face!Thou’lt reck no more though beauty’s gift mine aspect may not bless;In thy kind eyes this deep, deep love shall give me loveliness.
“But wake! my heart within me burns, yet once more to rejoiceIn the sound to which it ever leap’d, the music of thy voice.Awake! I sit in solitude, that thy first look and tone,And the gladness of thine opening eyes, may all be mine alone.”
In the still chambers of the dust, thus pour’d forth day by day,The passion of that loving dream from a troubled soul found way,Until the shadows of the grave had swept o’er every grace,Left midst the awfulness of death on the princely form and face.
And slowly broke the fearful truth upon the watcher’s breast,And they bore away the royal dead with requiems to his rest,With banners and with knightly plumes all waving in the wind--But a woman’s broken heart was left in its lone despair behind.
Words in this poem 31
- shook v. t.
- To pack, as staves, in a shook.
- gorgeous a.
- Imposing through splendid or various colors; showy; fine; magnificent. [OF. gorgias beautiful, glorious, vain, luxurious; cf. OF. gorgias ruff, neck handkerchief, and F. gorge throat, and se pengorger to assume airs. Cf. Gorge, n.]
- fitful a.
- Full of fits; irregularly variable; impulsive and unstable. [From 7th Fit.]
- glorious a.
- Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory; noble; praiseworthy; excellent; splendid; illustrious; inspiring admiration; as, glorious deeds. [OF. glorios, glorious, F. glorieux, fr. L. gloriosus. See Glory, n.]
- sadly adv.
- Wearily; heavily; firmly.
- slumberer n.
- One who slumbers; a sleeper.
- garb n.
- External appearance, as expressive of the feelings or character; looks; fashion or manner, as of speech. [OF. garbe looks, countenance, grace, ornament, fr. OHG. garawi, garwi, ornament, dress. akin to E. gear. See Gear, n.]
- resplendence n.
- The quality or state of being resplendent; brilliant luster; vivid brightness; splendor. [L. resplendentia.]
- blent p. p.
- Blinded. Also (Chaucer), 3d sing. pres. Blindeth.
- amidst prep.
- In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a la]
- dreamer n.
- One who dreams.
- spoke n.
- The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly. [OE. spoke, spake, AS, spaca; akin to D. speek, LG. speke, OHG. speihha, G. speiche. sq. root170. Cf. Spike a nail.]
- aloud adv.
- With a loud voice, or great noise; loudly; audibly. [Pref. a- + loud.]
- coronal a.
- Of or pertaining to a corona (in any of the senses). [L. coronalis: cf. F. coronal.]
- stillness n.
- The quality or state of being still; quietness; silence; calmness; inactivity.
- hopeful a.
- Full of hope, or agreeable expectation; inclined to hope; expectant.
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- glee n.
- Music; minstrelsy; entertainment.
- wherewith adv.
- With which; -- used relatively.
- vigil n.
- Abstinence from sleep, whether at a time when sleep is customary or not; the act of keeping awake, or the state of being awake, or the state of being awake; sleeplessness; wakefulness; watch. [OE. vigile, L. vigilia, from vigil awake, watchful, probably akin to E. wake: cf. F. vigile. See Wake, v. i., and cf. Reveille, Surveillance, Vedette, Vegetable]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- sunny a.
- Of or pertaining to the sun; proceeding from, or resembling the sun; hence, shining; bright; brilliant; radiant.
- erewhile adv.
- Some time ago; a little while before; heretofore.
- festal a.
- Of or pertaining to a holiday or a feast; joyous; festive. [L. festum holiday, feast. See feast.]
- reck v. t.
- To make account of; to care for; to heed; to regard. [AS. reccan, remccan, to care for; akin to OS. rokian, OHG. ruochan, G. geruhen, Icel. rækja, also to E. reckon, rake an implement. See Rake, and cf. Reckon.]
- loveliness n.
- The state or quality of being lovely. [From Lovely.]
- awfulness n.
- The quality of striking with awe, or with reverence; dreadfulness; solemnity; as, the awfulness of this sacred place.
- broke v. i.
- To transact business for another. Brome. [See Broker, and cf. Brook.]
- watcher n.
- One who watches; one who sits up or continues; a diligent observer; specifically, one who attends upon the sick during the night.
- knightly a.
- Of or pertaining to a knight; becoming a knight; chivalrous; as, a knightly combat; a knightly spirit. [AS. cnihtlic boyish.]
- lone n.
- A lane. See Loanin.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Juana is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of Felicia Hemans, Project Gutenberg ebook #66785; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Felicia Hemans, Juana, in Poems (1808–1835), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #66785, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/hemans-poems/juana.html, id L19421.
Form and metre
Juana is 63 lines in 14 stanzas. The rhyme scheme is AABB, complete in 7 of its 14 stanzas. The metre is iambic heptameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 83%).
See other poems in iambic heptameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 2 AABB roomA · gloomA · redB · deadB
- 3 A-ABB seeA · were · freeA · layB · arrayB
- 4 -AABB slumberer's · sideA · prideA · bentB · blentB
- 5 AA-BB cloudA · aloudA · cried · wakeB · sakeB
- 6 AABB beA · theeA · aroundB · crown'dB
- 7 --AA beneath · death · longA · strongA
- 8 AABB theeA · gleeA · cheekB · seekB
- 9 -AABB have · keptA · weptA · pastB · lastB
- 10 AABB smileA · erewhileA · pineB · thineB
- 11 -AABB the · chaseA · faceA · blessB · lovelinessB
- 12 AABB rejoiceA · voiceA · toneB · aloneB
- 13 AABB dayA · wayA · graceB · faceB
- 14 AABB breastA · restA · windB · behindB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic heptameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| It is but dust thou look’st upon. This love, | 10 | ·········· |
| This wild and passionate idolatry, | 10 | ···/˘˘˘/˘˘ |
| What doth it in the shadow of the grave? | 10 | ·····/···· |
| Gather it back within thy lonely heart, | 10 | /˘·····/˘· |
| So must it ever end: too much we give | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Unto the things that perish. | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| The night-wind shook the tapestry round an ancient palace room, | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘/˘· |
| And torches, as it rose and fell, waved through the gorgeous gloom, | 14 | ·/˘········/˘· |
| And o’er a shadowy regal couch threw fitful gleams and red, | 14 | ···/˘/˘··/˘··· |
| Where a woman with long raven hair sat watching by the dead. | 15 | ··/˘··/˘··/˘··· |
| Pale shone the features of the dead, yet glorious still to see, | 14 | ···/˘····/˘··· |
| Like a hunter or a chief struck down while his heart and step were | 15 | ··/˘··········· |
| free: | 1 | · |
| No shroud he wore, no robe of death, but there majestic lay, | 14 | ··········˘/˘· |
| Proudly and sadly glittering in royalty’s array. | 14 | /˘·/˘/˘˘·/˘˘˘/ |
| But she that with the dark hair watch’d by the cold slumberer’s | 14 | ·············· |
| side, | 1 | · |
| On her wan cheek no beauty dwelt, and in her garb no pride; | 14 | ·····/˘······· |
| Only her full impassion’d eyes as o’er that clay she bent, | 14 | /˘··˘/˘······· |
| A wildness and a tenderness in strange resplendence blent. | 14 | ·/˘··/˘˘······ |
| And as the swift thoughts cross’d her soul, like shadows of a cloud, | 14 | ·········/···· |
| Amidst the silent room of death the dreamer spoke aloud; | 14 | ˘/·/˘····/˘·˘/ |
| She spoke to him that could not hear, and cried, | 10 | ·········· |
| “Thou yet wilt wake, | 4 | ···· |
| And learn my watchings and my tears, beloved one! for thy sake. | 14 | ···/˘···˘/···· |
| “They told me this was death, but well I knew it could not be; | 14 | ·············· |
| Fairest and stateliest of the earth! who spoke of death for thee? | 15 | /˘············· |
| They would have wrapp’d the funeral shroud thy gallant form around, | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘··· |
| But I forbade--and there thou art, a monarch, robed and crown’d! | 14 | ··˘/·····/···· |
| “With all thy bright locks gleaming still, their coronal beneath, | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘˘·· |
| And thy brow so proudly beautiful--who said that this was death? | 14 | ····/˘/˘······ |
| Silence hath been upon thy lips, and stillness round thee long, | 14 | /˘·······/˘··· |
| But the hopeful spirit in my breast is all undimm’d and strong. | 14 | ··/˘/········· |
| “I know thou hast not loved me yet; I am not fair like thee, | 14 | ·············· |
| The very glance of whose clear eye threw round a light of glee! | 14 | ·/˘··········· |
| A frail and drooping form is mine--a cold unsmiling cheek-- | 14 | ···/˘·····˘/˘· |
| Oh! I have but a woman’s heart wherewith thy heart to seek. | 14 | ·····/˘·˘/···· |
| “But when thou wakest, my prince, my lord! and hear’st how I have | 14 | ·············· |
| kept | 1 | · |
| A lonely vigil by thy side, and o’er thee pray’d and wept-- | 14 | ·/˘/˘········· |
| How in one long deep dream of thee my nights, and days have past-- | 14 | ·············· |
| Surely that humble patient love must win back love at last! | 14 | /˘·/˘/˘······· |
| “And thou wilt smile--my own, my own, shall be the sunny smile, | 14 | ···········/˘· |
| Which brightly fell, and joyously, on all but me erewhile! | 15 | ·/˘············ |
| No more in vain affection’s thirst my weary soul shall pine-- | 14 | ····˘/˘··/˘··· |
| Oh! years of hope deferr’d were paid by one fond glance of thine! | 14 | ····˘/········ |
| “Thou’lt meet me with that radiant look when thou comest from the | 14 | ·····/˘······· |
| chase-- | 1 | · |
| For me, for me, in festal halls it shall kindle o’er thy face! | 15 | ·····/˘···/˘··· |
| Thou’lt reck no more though beauty’s gift mine aspect may not bless; | 14 | ·····/˘··/···· |
| In thy kind eyes this deep, deep love shall give me loveliness. | 14 | ···········/˘˘ |
| “But wake! my heart within me burns, yet once more to rejoice | 14 | ············˘/ |
| In the sound to which it ever leap’d, the music of thy voice. | 14 | ······/··/˘··· |
| Awake! I sit in solitude, that thy first look and tone, | 14 | ˘/···/˘······· |
| And the gladness of thine opening eyes, may all be mine alone.” | 15 | ··/˘··/˘·····˘/ |
| In the still chambers of the dust, thus pour’d forth day by day, | 14 | ···/˘········· |
| The passion of that loving dream from a troubled soul found way, | 15 | ·/˘··/˘···/˘··· |
| Until the shadows of the grave had swept o’er every grace, | 14 | ···/·······/˘· |
| Left midst the awfulness of death on the princely form and face. | 14 | ···/˘····/˘··· |
| And slowly broke the fearful truth upon the watcher’s breast, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘····/˘· |
| And they bore away the royal dead with requiems to his rest, | 15 | ···˘/·/˘··/˘··· |
| With banners and with knightly plumes all waving in the wind-- | 14 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘··· |
| But a woman’s broken heart was left in its lone despair behind. | 16 | ··/˘/˘······˘/·· |
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