A Tent
BASMANOV. Here enter, and speak freely. So to meHe sent thee.
PUSHKIN. He doth offer thee his friendshipAnd the next place to his in the realm of Moscow.
BASMANOV. But even thus highly by Feodor am IAlready raised; the army I command;For me he scorned nobility of rankAnd the wrath of the boyars. I have sworn to himAllegiance.
PUSHKIN. To the throne's lawful successorAllegiance thou hast sworn; but what if oneMore lawful still be living?
BASMANOV. Listen, Pushkin:Enough of that; tell me no idle tales!I know the man.
PUSHKIN. Russia and LithuaniaHave long acknowledged him to be Dimitry;But, for the rest, I do not vouch for it.Perchance he is indeed the real Dimitry;Perchance but a pretender; only thisI know, that soon or late the son of BorisWill yield Moscow to him.
BASMANOV. So long as IStand by the youthful tsar, so long he will notForsake the throne. We have enough of troops,Thank God! With victory I will inspire them.And whom will you against me send, the CossackKarel or Mnishek? Are your numbers many?In all, eight thousand.
PUSHKIN. You mistake; they will notAmount even to that. I say myselfOur army is mere trash, the Cossacks onlyRob villages, the Poles but brag and drink;The Russians--what shall I say?--with you I'll notDissemble; but, Basmanov, dost thou knowWherein our strength lies? Not in the army, no.Nor Polish aid, but in opinion--yes,In popular opinion. Dost rememberThe triumph of Dimitry, dost rememberHis peaceful conquests, when, without a blowThe docile towns surrendered, and the mobBound the recalcitrant leaders? Thou thyselfSaw'st it; was it of their free-will our troopsFought with him? And when did they so? BorisWas then supreme. But would they now?--Nay, nay,It is too late to blow on the cold embersOf this dispute; with all thy wits and firmnessThou'lt not withstand him. Were't not better for theeTo furnish to our chief a wise example,Proclaim Dimitry tsar, and by that actBind him your friend for ever? How thinkest thou?BASMANOV. Tomorrow thou shalt know.
PUSHKIN. Resolve.
BASMANOV. Farewell.
PUSHKIN. Ponder it well, Basmanov.
BASMANOV. He is right.Everywhere treason ripens; what shall I do?Wait, that the rebels may deliver meIn bonds to the Otrepiev? Had I not betterForestall the stormy onset of the flood,Myself to--ah! But to forswear mine oath!Dishonour to deserve from age to age!The trust of my young sovereign to requiteWith horrible betrayal! 'Tis a light thingFor a disgraced exile to meditateSedition and conspiracy; but I?Is it for me, the favourite of my lord?--But death--but power--the people's miseries...
Here! Who is there? (Whistles.) A horse here!Sound the muster!
Words in this poem 15
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- vouch v. t.
- To call; to summon. [OE. vouchen, OF. vochier to call, fr. L. vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, voice. See Voice, and cf. Avouch.]
- tsar n.
- The title of the emperor of Russia. See Czar.
- thank n.
- A expression of gratitude; an acknowledgment expressive of a sense of favor or kindness received; obligation, claim, or desert, or gratitude; -- now generally used in the plural. [AS. Þanc, Þonc, thanks, favor, thought; akin to OS. thank favor, pleasure, thanks, D. & G. dank thanks, Icel. Þ\'94kk, Dan. tak, Sw. tack, Goth. Þagks thanks; -]
- 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,]
- dissemble v. t.
- To hide under a false semblance or seeming; to feign (something) not to be what it really is; to put an untrue appearance upon; to disguise; to mask. [OF. dissembler to be dissimilar; pref. dis- (L. dis-) + F. sembler to seem, L. simulare to simulate; cf. L. dissimulare to dissemble. See Simulate, and cf. Diss]
- docile a.
- Teachable; easy to teach; docible. [L. docilis,fr. docere to teach; cf. Gr. discere to learn, Gr. docile. Cf. Doctor, Didactic, Disciple.]
- recalcitrant a.
- Kicking back; recalcitrating; hence, showing repugnance or opposition; refractory. [L. recalcitrans, p. pr. of recalcitrare to kick back; pref. re- re- + calcitrare to kick, fr. calx heel. Cf. Inculcate.]
- tomorrow adv.
- On the day after the present day; on the next day; on the morrow. [Prep. to + morrow.]
- shalt
- 2d per. sing. of Shall.
- forestall v. t.
- To take beforehand, or in advance; to anticipate. [OE. forstallen to stop, to obstruct; to stop (goods) on the way to the market by buying them beforehand, from forstal obstruction, AS. forsteal, foresteall, pro]
- forswear v. t.
- To reject or renounce upon oath; hence, to renounce earnestly, determinedly, or with protestations. [OE. forsweren, forswerien, AS. forswerian; pref. for- + swerian to swear. See For-, and Swear, v. i.]
- dishonour n.
- Lack of honor; disgrace; ignominy; shame; reproach. [OE. deshonour, dishonour, OF. deshonor, deshonur, F. déshonneur; pref. des- (L. dis-) + honor, honur, F. honneur, fr. L. honor. See Honor.]
- betrayal n.
- The act or the result of betraying.
- muster n.
- Something shown for imitation; a pattern. [OE. moustre, OF. mostre, moustre, F. montre, LL. monstra. See Muster, v. t.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
A Tent is in the public domain. This text is taken from Boris Godunov: a drama in verse, Project Gutenberg ebook #5089; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Alexander Pushkin, A Tent, in Boris Godunov (1918), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #5089, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/pushkin-boris-godunov/a-tent.html, id L25965.
Form and metre
A Tent is 70 lines in 13 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 81%).
See other poems in iambic 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 AA meA · theeA
- 5 A-A pushkinA · tales · manA
- 6 -A-ABB- lithuania · dimitryA · it · dimitryA · thisB · borisB · him
- 8 AB--ACC-DDC-B---------C notA · myselfB · only · drink · notA · knowC · noC · yes · rememberD · rememberD · blowC · mob · thyselfB · troops · boris · nay · embers · firmness · thee · example · act · thou · knowC
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 pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| BASMANOV. Here enter, and speak freely. So to me | 13 | ····/˘··/˘··· |
| He sent thee. | 3 | ··· |
| PUSHKIN. He doth offer thee his friendship | 10 | /˘··/˘··/˘ |
| And the next place to his in the realm of Moscow. | 12 | ··········/· |
| BASMANOV. But even thus highly by Feodor am I | 13 | ····/·/˘·/˘·· |
| Already raised; the army I command; | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| For me he scorned nobility of rank | 10 | ····˘/˘˘·· |
| And the wrath of the boyars. I have sworn to him | 12 | ·····˘/····· |
| Allegiance. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| PUSHKIN. To the throne's lawful successor | 10 | /˘···/˘˘/˘ |
| Allegiance thou hast sworn; but what if one | 10 | ˘/˘······· |
| More lawful still be living? | 7 | ·/˘··/˘ |
| BASMANOV. Listen, Pushkin: | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| Enough of that; tell me no idle tales! | 10 | ˘/·····/˘· |
| I know the man. | 4 | ···· |
| PUSHKIN. Russia and Lithuania | 10 | /˘/˘··˘/˘˘ |
| Have long acknowledged him to be Dimitry; | 11 | ··˘/˘······ |
| But, for the rest, I do not vouch for it. | 10 | ·········· |
| Perchance he is indeed the real Dimitry; | 11 | ˘/··˘/····· |
| Perchance but a pretender; only this | 10 | ˘/··˘/˘/˘· |
| I know, that soon or late the son of Boris | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| Will yield Moscow to him. | 6 | ··/··· |
| BASMANOV. So long as I | 7 | ······· |
| Stand by the youthful tsar, so long he will not | 11 | ···/˘······ |
| Forsake the throne. We have enough of troops, | 10 | ˘/····˘/·· |
| Thank God! With victory I will inspire them. | 10 | ···/˘··˘/· |
| And whom will you against me send, the Cossack | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| Karel or Mnishek? Are your numbers many? | 11 | /˘·····/˘/˘ |
| In all, eight thousand. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| PUSHKIN. You mistake; they will not | 8 | /˘·˘/··· |
| Amount even to that. I say myself | 10 | ˘//˘·····/ |
| Our army is mere trash, the Cossacks only | 11 | //˘····/˘/˘ |
| Rob villages, the Poles but brag and drink; | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| The Russians--what shall I say?--with you I'll not | 11 | ·/˘········ |
| Dissemble; but, Basmanov, dost thou know | 10 | ˘/˘······· |
| Wherein our strength lies? Not in the army, no. | 11 | ··/·····/˘· |
| Nor Polish aid, but in opinion--yes, | 10 | ·/˘···˘/˘· |
| In popular opinion. Dost remember | 11 | ·/˘˘˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| The triumph of Dimitry, dost remember | 11 | ·/˘·····˘/˘ |
| His peaceful conquests, when, without a blow | 10 | ·/˘/······ |
| The docile towns surrendered, and the mob | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘··· |
| Bound the recalcitrant leaders? Thou thyself | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘·˘/ |
| Saw'st it; was it of their free-will our troops | 10 | ········/· |
| Fought with him? And when did they so? Boris | 10 | ········/˘ |
| Was then supreme. But would they now?--Nay, nay, | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| It is too late to blow on the cold embers | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| Of this dispute; with all thy wits and firmness | 11 | ··˘/·····/˘ |
| Thou'lt not withstand him. Were't not better for thee | 12 | ··˘/····/˘·· |
| To furnish to our chief a wise example, | 11 | ·/˘·/···˘/˘ |
| Proclaim Dimitry tsar, and by that act | 10 | ˘/········ |
| Bind him your friend for ever? How thinkest thou? | 10 | ·····/·/˘· |
| BASMANOV. Tomorrow thou shalt know. | 9 | ···˘/···· |
| PUSHKIN. Resolve. | 4 | /˘˘/ |
| BASMANOV. Farewell. | 5 | ····/ |
| PUSHKIN. Ponder it well, Basmanov. | 9 | /˘/˘····· |
| BASMANOV. He is right. | 6 | ······ |
| Everywhere treason ripens; what shall I do? | 11 | /˘·/˘/˘···· |
| Wait, that the rebels may deliver me | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘· |
| In bonds to the Otrepiev? Had I not better | 12 | ··········/˘ |
| Forestall the stormy onset of the flood, | 10 | ˘/·/˘/···· |
| Myself to--ah! But to forswear mine oath! | 10 | ·/····˘/·· |
| Dishonour to deserve from age to age! | 10 | ˘/˘·˘/···· |
| The trust of my young sovereign to requite | 10 | ·····/˘·/˘ |
| With horrible betrayal! 'Tis a light thing | 10 | ·/˘˘/˘···· |
| For a disgraced exile to meditate | 10 | ··˘//··/˘· |
| Sedition and conspiracy; but I? | 10 | ˘/˘·˘/˘˘·· |
| Is it for me, the favourite of my lord?-- | 11 | ··········· |
| But death--but power--the people's miseries... | 11 | ···/˘·/˘/˘˘ |
| Here! Who is there? (Whistles.) A horse here! | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| Sound the muster! | 4 | ··/˘ |
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.