Here's how it works:
* Stanza 1:
* "Up from the meadows rich with corn," (A)
* "Clear in the cool September morn," (B)
* "The clustered spires of Frederick stand," (A)
* "Green-walled by the hills of Maryland." (B)
* Stanza 2:
* "Here once the lordly men of war," (C)
* "Fought for the rights they held so dear," (D)
* "And here their starry banner tore," (C)
* "And dipped its crimson folds in fear." (D)
* Stanza 3:
* "Now, in the streets of Fredericktown," (E)
* "The dust of summer lay along," (F)
* "Like the first snowdrop's fragile crown," (E)
* "Upon the weary, withered throng." (F)
* Stanza 4:
* "The air was thick with summer's breath," (G)
* "And the faint scent of the sweet-brier." (G)
This pattern continues throughout the entire poem, creating a consistent and rhythmic flow.