The King Of Denmark’s Ride

Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton 1808 (Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Sheridan London) – 1877 (London)



WORD was brought to the Danish king  
   (Hurry!)  
That the love of his heart lay suffering,  
And pin’d for the comfort his voice would bring;  
   (Oh! ride as though you were flying!)
Better he loves each golden curl  
On the brow of that Scandinavian girl  
Than his rich crown jewels of ruby and pearl;  
   And his rose of the isles is dying!  
 
Thirty nobles saddled with speed,
   (Hurry!)  
Each one mounting a gallant steed  
Which he kept for battle and days of need;  
   (Oh! ride as though you were flying!)  
Spurs were struck in the foaming flank;
Worn-out chargers stagger’d and sank;  
Bridles were slacken’d, and girths were burst;  
But ride as they would, the king rode first,  
   For his rose of the isles lay dying!  
 
His nobles are beaten, one by one;
   (Hurry!)  
They have fainted, and falter’d, and homeward gone;  
His little fair page now follows alone,  
   For strength and for courage trying.  
The king look’d back at that faithful child;
Wan was the face that answering smil’d;  
They passed the drawbridge with clattering din,  
Then he dropp’d; and only the king rode in  
   Where his rose of the isles lay dying!  
 
The king blew a blast on his bugle horn;
   (Silence!)  
No answer came; but faint and forlorn  
An echo return’d on the cold gray morn,  
   Like the breath of a spirit sighing.  
The castle portal stood grimly wide;
None welcom’d the king from that weary ride;  
For dead, in the light of the dawning day,  
The pale sweet form of the welcomer lay,  
   Who had yearn’d for his voice while dying!  
 
The panting steed, with a drooping crest,
   Stood weary.  
The king return’d from her chamber of rest,  
The thick sobs choking in his breast;  
   And, that dumb companion eyeing,  
The tears gush’d forth which he strove to check;
He bowed his head on his charger’s neck:  
“O steed—that every nerve didst strain,  
Dear steed, our ride hath been in vain  
   To the halls where my love lay dying!”

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:42 min read
53

Quick analysis:

Scheme aBaaAccca dBddAeeffa xBxxaxdgga hxhhaiijja kbkkallmma
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,954
Words 342
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 9, 10, 10, 10, 10

Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton

Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton was an English feminist, social reformer, and author of the early and mid-nineteenth century. more…

All Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton poems | Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton Books

0 fans

Discuss the poem The King Of Denmark’s Ride with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The King Of Denmark’s Ride" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/4802/the-king-of-denmark’s-ride>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    3
    hours
    8
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Which poet is associated with the poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"?
    A Emily Dickinson
    B Maya Angelou
    C Ralph Waldo Emerson
    D Langston Hughes