Act V: Scene II
ABBESS.Is the poor creature roused?
LAY-SISTER.Nay, she still sleeps.'T would break your pious heart to see her, mother.She begged our meanest cell, though 't is past doubtShe has been bred to delicate luxury.I deemed her spent, had not the soft breast heavedAs gently as a babe's and even in dreamsTwo crystal drops oozed from her swollen lids,And trickled down her cheeks. Her grief sleeps not,Although the fragile body craves its rest.
ABBESS.Poor child! I fear she hath sore need of prayer.Hath she yet spoken?
LAY-SISTER.Only such scant wordsOf thanks or answer as our proffered serviceOr questionings demand. When we are silent,Even if she wake, she seemeth unawareOf any presence. She will sit and wail,Rocking upon the ground, with dull, wide eyes,Wherefrom the streaming tears unceasing course;The only sound that then escapes her lipsIs, "Father, Father!" in such piteous strainAs though her rent heart bled to utter it.
ABBESS.Still she abides then by her first requestTo take the black veil and its vows to-morrow?
LAY-SISTER.Yea, to that purpose desperately she clings.This evening, if she rouse, she makes confession.Even now a holy friar waits without,Fra Bruno, of the order of Carthusians,Beyond Palermo.
ABBESS.I will speak with him,Ere he confess her, since we know him not.Follow me, child, and see if she have waked.
Words in this poem
- abbess n.
- A female superior or governess of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks. See Abbey. [OF.abaesse, abeesse, F. abbesse, L. abbatissa, fem. of abbas, abbatis, abbot. See Abbot.]
- unaware a.
- Not aware; not noticing; giving no heed; thoughtless; inattentive.
- streaming a.
- Sending forth streams.
- desperately adv.
- In a desperate manner; without regard to danger or safety; recklessly; extremely; as, the troops fought desperately.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Act V: Scene II is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of Emma Lazarus, Volume 1, Project Gutenberg ebook #3295; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Emma Lazarus, Act V: Scene II, in The Spagnoletto (1876), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #3295, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/lazarus-spagnoletto/act-v-scene-ii.html, id L19152.
Form and metre
Act V: Scene II is 39 lines in 7 stanzas.
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.
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. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| ABBESS. | 2 | /˘ |
| Is the poor creature roused? | 6 | ···/˘· |
| LAY-SISTER. | 3 | ·/˘ |
| Nay, she still sleeps. | 4 | ···· |
| 'T would break your pious heart to see her, mother. | 11 | ····/····/˘ |
| She begged our meanest cell, though 't is past doubt | 11 | ··//˘······ |
| She has been bred to delicate luxury. | 11 | ·····/˘˘/˘˘ |
| I deemed her spent, had not the soft breast heaved | 10 | ·········· |
| As gently as a babe's and even in dreams | 10 | ·/˘····/·· |
| Two crystal drops oozed from her swollen lids, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| And trickled down her cheeks. Her grief sleeps not, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Although the fragile body craves its rest. | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| ABBESS. | 2 | /˘ |
| Poor child! I fear she hath sore need of prayer. | 10 | ·········· |
| Hath she yet spoken? | 5 | ···/˘ |
| LAY-SISTER. | 3 | ·/˘ |
| Only such scant words | 5 | /˘··· |
| Of thanks or answer as our proffered service | 11 | ···/˘·//˘/˘ |
| Or questionings demand. When we are silent, | 11 | ·/˘˘˘/···/˘ |
| Even if she wake, she seemeth unaware | 10 | /····/˘·˘/ |
| Of any presence. She will sit and wail, | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| Rocking upon the ground, with dull, wide eyes, | 10 | /˘········ |
| Wherefrom the streaming tears unceasing course; | 11 | ····/˘·˘/˘· |
| The only sound that then escapes her lips | 10 | ·/˘···˘/·· |
| Is, "Father, Father!" in such piteous strain | 11 | ·/˘/˘··/˘˘· |
| As though her rent heart bled to utter it. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| ABBESS. | 2 | /˘ |
| Still she abides then by her first request | 10 | ··˘/····˘/ |
| To take the black veil and its vows to-morrow? | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| LAY-SISTER. | 3 | ·/˘ |
| Yea, to that purpose desperately she clings. | 10 | ···/˘/˘˘·· |
| This evening, if she rouse, she makes confession. | 11 | ·/˘·····˘/˘ |
| Even now a holy friar waits without, | 10 | /··/˘/˘··· |
| Fra Bruno, of the order of Carthusians, | 11 | ·/˘··/˘···· |
| Beyond Palermo. | 5 | ··˘/˘ |
| ABBESS. | 2 | /˘ |
| I will speak with him, | 5 | ····· |
| Ere he confess her, since we know him not. | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Follow me, child, and see if she have waked. | 10 | /˘········ |
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