The Midnight Mass Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCDE FGFHIGJKJLDK MNMNON FPFPAP QRQRSR TU TUVU WQQQXQ YZYZA2Z B2C2B2C2UC2 ED2ED2E2D2 F2G2F2G2H2G2 I2J2I2J2K2J2 L2M2L2 M2N2M2 O2P2O2P2Q2P2 R2CR2CS2E QT2QU2A2V2 W2DW2DX2DAn incident of the French Revolution | A |
The light lay trembling in a silver bar | B |
Along the western borders of the sky | C |
From out the shadowy dome a little star | B |
Stole forth to keep its patient watch on high | C |
And night came down with solemn soft embrace | D |
On storied Brittany | E |
- | |
Another night lay over all the land | F |
The dark of hell and lurid with its fire | G |
She heard the roar of fiends she saw the brand | F |
Flung red and hissing over roof and spire | H |
She saw her golden spurs and reaping hooks | I |
Tossed on the funeral pyre | G |
She stood in calm defiance while the flood | J |
Swept over her while everywhere was seen | K |
Her dim majestic cities drenched in blood | J |
Ashes and smoke where temple walls had been | L |
And high on woodland knoll and market place | D |
The ghastly guillotine | K |
- | |
'Twas hard to tear her peasant souls apart | M |
From priest and liege and clinging faith of old | N |
'Twas hard to bend the strong and simple heart | M |
By fear of torture or by love of gold | N |
For naught those gory hands could offer them | O |
Might consciences be sold | N |
- | |
No tower or belfry shall be left to stand | F |
Saint Andr swore and waved his cap of red | P |
You shall have naught in all this curs d land | F |
For sign of your superstition it is dead | P |
A peasant heard and raised his eyes to heaven | A |
You'll leave the stars he said | P |
- | |
True were the priests and people each to each | Q |
And all alike to their unlettered creed | R |
No violent force of sophistry could reach | Q |
Their rough hewn faith in bitter time of need | R |
They died with deaf ears and dumb mouths and theirs | S |
Was martyrdom indeed | R |
- | |
Night midnight lay beneath her silver lamps | T |
Her deep sleep broken by the fitful glare | U |
- | |
Of bivouac fires in noisy village camps | T |
And hoarse shouts mellowed through the listening air | U |
Save only where the sea waves washed the coast | V |
'Twas still and quiet there | U |
- | |
The heave and swell and sudden plunging dash | W |
Against the low rocks lying in their reach | Q |
The hissing shingle and the sweet free plash | Q |
Of long drawn breakers on the open beach | Q |
And now and then in momentary pause | X |
The curlew's mournful screech | Q |
- | |
The soft low gurgle in the hollowed track | Y |
Through reef and boulder and the rippling fall | Z |
Of idle wandering waters swirling back | Y |
From secret tryst in Naiads' rocky hall | Z |
Only these sounds save that deep monotone | A2 |
Which held and hushed them all | Z |
- | |
Only these sounds Was nothing to be heard | B2 |
But voice of breaker as it rose and fell | C2 |
The kelpie's song the wailing of a bird | B2 |
Ay far and faint amid the restless swell | C2 |
One other voice stole whispering through the air | U |
The chime of a silver bell | C2 |
- | |
It came from dim mid ocean wild and free | E |
To listening ears in silence of the night | D2 |
And watchful eyes saw out upon the sea | E |
And 'neath the stars a little twinkling light | D2 |
Now lost behind a waving mountain top | E2 |
Now shining clear and bright | D2 |
- | |
Softly the fishers' boats began to glide | F2 |
From shadowy rock and sheltered cave and creek | G2 |
Bronzed men and gentle maidens side by side | F2 |
Dipped muffled oars no woman hand was weak | G2 |
All eyes turned wistful to the beacon lamp | H2 |
But no one dared to speak | G2 |
- | |
The scattered specks with each its little crowd | I2 |
Drew near converging on the distant bark | J2 |
The sweet bell rang out louder and more loud | I2 |
The light shone bright and brighter in the dark | J2 |
And soon a hundred lips burst forth in praise | K2 |
For all had reach'd the ark | J2 |
- | |
There was the priest with whom they came to sup | L2 |
White hair'd and holy by his humble board | M2 |
There amid light and darkness lifted up | L2 |
- | |
The blessed rood by simple eyes adored | M2 |
Each head was bowed each pious knee was bent | N2 |
In presence of the Lord | M2 |
- | |
Ah 'twas a grand cathedral where they knelt | O2 |
Grand was the organ music vast the crypt | P2 |
Wherein its wild mysterious echoes dwelt | O2 |
And fresh and pure the incense as it slipp'd | P2 |
Down shining floor and down wide altar steps | Q2 |
With frosted silver tipp'd | P2 |
- | |
Grand was the darken'd aisles and solemn nave | R2 |
The dom d roof magnificently high | C |
The airy walls and mighty architrave | R2 |
The sweet star tapers that could never die | C |
And grander still its purity of peace | S2 |
Its untouched sanctity | E |
- | |
The worn and weary ones came there to search | Q |
For rest and hope in holy Eucharist | T2 |
There in the splendour of that solemn church | Q |
They priest and people communed with the Christ | U2 |
Thus with all other temples overthrown | A2 |
They kept his sacred tryst | V2 |
- | |
With calm grave eyes and even pulsing breath | W2 |
They dipp'd their still oars in the darken'd space | D |
Strong now the hands fast rowing back to death | W2 |
And strong the simple hearts new clothed in grace | D |
The hush'd and quiet souls ere long to meet | X2 |
Their Saviour face to face | D |
Ada Cambridge
(1)
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