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 MMII

IIA
Watchman what of the nightB
See you a streak of lightB
Whither O Captain of the questC
The course we steer for Port of RestC
-
How shall he answer heD
Who never put to seaD
Within his tabernacle wallE
He cannot even hear us callE
-
Behind the jealous doorF
That he must pass no moreF
And whence he scarcely dares to lookG
He keeps his eyes upon his bookG
The little candles litH
Where the disciples sitH
Light their small refuge round aboutI
But show no gleam to those withoutI
-
Spirits that cannot dwellJ
In such an airless cellJ
Sniffing the sea winds from afarK
Glimpsing the light of moon and starK
-
We must fare forth unspedI
From homely board and bedI
We must set sail for port unknownL
On an uncharted course aloneL
-
Push off We have to goM
Whether we choose or noM
The Call though faint and far awayN
Has reached us and we must obeyN
-
-
O but the night is darkO
Beyond that only arkO
The salt sea winds blow keen and coldI
Outside the shelter of the foldI
Boom of the deep sea swellJ
Solemn as funeral bellJ
Silence transcending sound to makeP
High courage falter and heart quakeP
-
What will the voyage costI
We are already lostI
Who turn from land and love to faceQ
This blank immensity of spaceQ
-
Push out We have to goM
Whether we fear or noM
And why stand shivering and appalledI
We go because the Voice has calledI
-
Noah's inspired doveR
Took wing to find her loveR
The sea is His safe as the landI
Within the hollow of His handI
-
Here are the breakers pullS
Before the boat is fullS
'Ware the sharp reefs that line the shoreF
Row for the open evermoreF
-
-
O but the night is darkO
Never the faintest sparkO
Where surf and shore and cities wereT
And not a whisper in the airU
-
The open heart of graceQ
It is a lonely placeQ
No light on any onward trackV
Too far too late for turning backV
-
Where is that little arkO
Those candles in the darkO
The Rock of Ages cleft for meD
The Cross uprising in the seaD
-
Whereto the drowning gropeW
With yearning faith and hopeW
And cling as to their mother's breastI
And find safe shelter and sweet restI
-
Gone gone for ever goneX
And still we must press onY
Steady true soul too brave to fretI
Press on we are not drowning yetI
-
-
-
The night is soft and stillZ
That was so wild and chillZ
The bosom of the mighty deepA2
Breathes like a tired child asleepA2
-
So peaceful so profoundI
The silence spread aroundI
The very breakers of the shoreF
Moan to the listening ear no moreF
-
Night but the stars are outI
Darkness of dread and doubtI
The way so lonely and so roughB2
Have cleared a little but enoughB2
-
We know not where we areK
Light cannot reach so farK
But shows us we have lost and gainedI
As the compelling Voice ordainedI
-
Gone gone beyond recallE
Candle and prisoning wallE
Last echo of the hue and cryC2
Last glint of an accusing eyeC2
-
Too late for looking backV
Over the darkening trackV
How should the life taught soul returnD2
That cannot unlive or unlearnD2
-
-
-
Changed changed for ever changedI
Since hitherward we rangedI
To vision in a space so vastI
All the perspectives of the pastI
-
How infinitely smallE
The once so broad and tallE
The aims the pursuit and the strifeE2
Shut in the sheltered grooves of lifeE2
-
Those terrifying lawsF2
The wrangles and the warsG2
Of church with church and state with stateI
The things men love the things men hateI
-
Money and gauds and fameH2
And neighbours' scorn and blameH2
The passion of desire and hasteI
To gather to possess to wasteI
-
How infinitely highC2
Broad as the sea and skyC2
The loyalty of man to manD2
Once almost missing from the planD2
-
The elemental lawI2
That codes and creeds ignoreF
Of duty to the trust we holdI
For heirs unborn and years untoldI
-
-
Night and the drifting soulJ2
Still without path or goalJ2
Yet was the voyage worth the costI
We are not drowned We are not lostI
'T'is I Be not afraidI
Moonlight and stars may fadeI
One walks the ocean and the nightI
We have no further need of lightI
-
What matters where we goM
We do not ask to knowM
He called us and we came The questI
For us is ended and we restI

Ada Cambridge



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