The Night Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCC DDEE FFGGHHII JJKK IILL MMNN OOIIJJPP IIQQ MMII RRII SSFF OOTU QQVV OODD WWII XYII ZZA2A2 IIFF IIB2B2 KKII EEC2C2 VVD2D2 IIII EEE2E2 F2G2II H2H2II C2C2D2D2 I2FII J2J2IIIIII MMIIII | A |
Watchman what of the night | B |
See you a streak of light | B |
Whither O Captain of the quest | C |
The course we steer for Port of Rest | C |
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How shall he answer he | D |
Who never put to sea | D |
Within his tabernacle wall | E |
He cannot even hear us call | E |
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Behind the jealous door | F |
That he must pass no more | F |
And whence he scarcely dares to look | G |
He keeps his eyes upon his book | G |
The little candles lit | H |
Where the disciples sit | H |
Light their small refuge round about | I |
But show no gleam to those without | I |
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Spirits that cannot dwell | J |
In such an airless cell | J |
Sniffing the sea winds from afar | K |
Glimpsing the light of moon and star | K |
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We must fare forth unsped | I |
From homely board and bed | I |
We must set sail for port unknown | L |
On an uncharted course alone | L |
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Push off We have to go | M |
Whether we choose or no | M |
The Call though faint and far away | N |
Has reached us and we must obey | N |
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- | |
O but the night is dark | O |
Beyond that only ark | O |
The salt sea winds blow keen and cold | I |
Outside the shelter of the fold | I |
Boom of the deep sea swell | J |
Solemn as funeral bell | J |
Silence transcending sound to make | P |
High courage falter and heart quake | P |
- | |
What will the voyage cost | I |
We are already lost | I |
Who turn from land and love to face | Q |
This blank immensity of space | Q |
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Push out We have to go | M |
Whether we fear or no | M |
And why stand shivering and appalled | I |
We go because the Voice has called | I |
- | |
Noah's inspired dove | R |
Took wing to find her love | R |
The sea is His safe as the land | I |
Within the hollow of His hand | I |
- | |
Here are the breakers pull | S |
Before the boat is full | S |
'Ware the sharp reefs that line the shore | F |
Row for the open evermore | F |
- | |
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O but the night is dark | O |
Never the faintest spark | O |
Where surf and shore and cities were | T |
And not a whisper in the air | U |
- | |
The open heart of grace | Q |
It is a lonely place | Q |
No light on any onward track | V |
Too far too late for turning back | V |
- | |
Where is that little ark | O |
Those candles in the dark | O |
The Rock of Ages cleft for me | D |
The Cross uprising in the sea | D |
- | |
Whereto the drowning grope | W |
With yearning faith and hope | W |
And cling as to their mother's breast | I |
And find safe shelter and sweet rest | I |
- | |
Gone gone for ever gone | X |
And still we must press on | Y |
Steady true soul too brave to fret | I |
Press on we are not drowning yet | I |
- | |
- | |
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The night is soft and still | Z |
That was so wild and chill | Z |
The bosom of the mighty deep | A2 |
Breathes like a tired child asleep | A2 |
- | |
So peaceful so profound | I |
The silence spread around | I |
The very breakers of the shore | F |
Moan to the listening ear no more | F |
- | |
Night but the stars are out | I |
Darkness of dread and doubt | I |
The way so lonely and so rough | B2 |
Have cleared a little but enough | B2 |
- | |
We know not where we are | K |
Light cannot reach so far | K |
But shows us we have lost and gained | I |
As the compelling Voice ordained | I |
- | |
Gone gone beyond recall | E |
Candle and prisoning wall | E |
Last echo of the hue and cry | C2 |
Last glint of an accusing eye | C2 |
- | |
Too late for looking back | V |
Over the darkening track | V |
How should the life taught soul return | D2 |
That cannot unlive or unlearn | D2 |
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- | |
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Changed changed for ever changed | I |
Since hitherward we ranged | I |
To vision in a space so vast | I |
All the perspectives of the past | I |
- | |
How infinitely small | E |
The once so broad and tall | E |
The aims the pursuit and the strife | E2 |
Shut in the sheltered grooves of life | E2 |
- | |
Those terrifying laws | F2 |
The wrangles and the wars | G2 |
Of church with church and state with state | I |
The things men love the things men hate | I |
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Money and gauds and fame | H2 |
And neighbours' scorn and blame | H2 |
The passion of desire and haste | I |
To gather to possess to waste | I |
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How infinitely high | C2 |
Broad as the sea and sky | C2 |
The loyalty of man to man | D2 |
Once almost missing from the plan | D2 |
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The elemental law | I2 |
That codes and creeds ignore | F |
Of duty to the trust we hold | I |
For heirs unborn and years untold | I |
- | |
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Night and the drifting soul | J2 |
Still without path or goal | J2 |
Yet was the voyage worth the cost | I |
We are not drowned We are not lost | I |
'T'is I Be not afraid | I |
Moonlight and stars may fade | I |
One walks the ocean and the night | I |
We have no further need of light | I |
- | |
What matters where we go | M |
We do not ask to know | M |
He called us and we came The quest | I |
For us is ended and we rest | I |
Ada Cambridge
(1)
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