The Tune of Seven Towers
No one goes there now:For what is left to fetch awayFrom the desolate battlements all arow,And the lead roof heavy and grey?Therefore, said fair Yoland of the flowers,This is the tune of Seven Towers.
No one walks there now;Except in the white moonlightThe white ghosts walk in a row;If one could see it, an awful sight,Listen! said fair Yoland of the flowers,This is the tune of Seven Towers.
But none can see them now,Though they sit by the side of the moat,Feet half in the water, there in a row,Long hair in the wind afloat.Therefore, said fair Yoland of the flowers,This is the tune of Seven Towers.
If any will go to it now,He must go to it all alone,Its gates will not open to any rowOf glittering spears: will you go alone?Listen! said fair Yoland of the flowers,This is the tune of Seven Towers.
By my love go there now,To fetch me my coif away,My coif and my kirtle, with pearls arow,Oliver, go to-day!Therefore, said fair Yoland of the flowers,This is the tune of Seven Towers.
I am unhappy now,I cannot tell you why;If you go, the priests and I in a rowWill pray that you may not die.Listen! said fair Yoland of the flowers,This is the tune of Seven Towers.
If you will go for me now,I will kiss your mouth at last;(The graves stand grey in a row.)Oliver, hold me fast!Therefore, said fair Yoland of the flowers,This is the tune of Seven Towers.
Words in this poem
- arow adv.
- In a row, line, or rank; successively; in order. [Pref. a- + row.]
- afloat adv.
- Borne on the water; floating; on board ship. [Pref. a- + float.]
- kirtle n.
- A garment varying in form and use at different times, and worn doth by men and women. [OE. kirtel, curtel, AS. cyrtel; skin to Icel. kyrtill, Sw. kjortel, Dan. kiortel, kiole.]
- oliver n.
- Etym: [OF. oliviere.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Tune of Seven Towers is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #22650; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: William Morris, The Tune of Seven Towers, in The Defence of Guenevere (1858), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #22650, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/morris-defence-guenevere/the-tune-of-seven-towers.html, id L07146.
Form and metre
The Tune of Seven Towers is 42 lines in 7 stanzas of 6 lines each. The metre is trochaic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 73%). 94% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 8.2 syllables. 14 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 10% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in trochaic pentameter.
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.
- 1 -A-ABB now · awayA · arow · greyA · flowersB · towersB
- 2 -A-ABB now · moonlightA · row · sightA · flowersB · towersB
- 3 -A-ABB now · moatA · row · afloatA · flowersB · towersB
- 4 -A-ABB now · aloneA · row · aloneA · flowersB · towersB
- 5 -A-ABB now · awayA · arow · dayA · flowersB · towersB
- 6 -A-ABB now · whyA · row · dieA · flowersB · towersB
- 7 -A-ABB now · lastA · row · fastA · flowersB · towersB
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 trochaic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| No one goes there now: | 5 | ····· |
| For what is left to fetch away | 8 | ······˘/ |
| From the desolate battlements all arow, | 10 | ··/˘/˘˘·˘/ |
| And the lead roof heavy and grey? | 8 | ····/˘·· |
| Therefore, said fair Yoland of the flowers, | 10 | ········/˘ |
| This is the tune of Seven Towers. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| No one walks there now; | 5 | ····· |
| Except in the white moonlight | 7 | ·····/· |
| The white ghosts walk in a row; | 7 | ······· |
| If one could see it, an awful sight, | 9 | ······/˘· |
| Listen! said fair Yoland of the flowers, | 10 | /˘······/˘ |
| This is the tune of Seven Towers. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| But none can see them now, | 6 | ······ |
| Though they sit by the side of the moat, | 9 | ········· |
| Feet half in the water, there in a row, | 10 | ····/˘···· |
| Long hair in the wind afloat. | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Therefore, said fair Yoland of the flowers, | 10 | ········/˘ |
| This is the tune of Seven Towers. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| If any will go to it now, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| He must go to it all alone, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Its gates will not open to any row | 10 | ····/˘·/˘· |
| Of glittering spears: will you go alone? | 10 | ·/˘˘····˘/ |
| Listen! said fair Yoland of the flowers, | 10 | /˘······/˘ |
| This is the tune of Seven Towers. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| By my love go there now, | 6 | ······ |
| To fetch me my coif away, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| My coif and my kirtle, with pearls arow, | 10 | ····/˘··˘/ |
| Oliver, go to-day! | 6 | /˘˘··· |
| Therefore, said fair Yoland of the flowers, | 10 | ········/˘ |
| This is the tune of Seven Towers. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| I am unhappy now, | 6 | ··˘/˘· |
| I cannot tell you why; | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| If you go, the priests and I in a row | 10 | ·········· |
| Will pray that you may not die. | 7 | ······· |
| Listen! said fair Yoland of the flowers, | 10 | /˘······/˘ |
| This is the tune of Seven Towers. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| If you will go for me now, | 7 | ······· |
| I will kiss your mouth at last; | 7 | ······· |
| (The graves stand grey in a row.) | 7 | ······· |
| Oliver, hold me fast! | 6 | /˘˘··· |
| Therefore, said fair Yoland of the flowers, | 10 | ········/˘ |
| This is the tune of Seven Towers. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.