Ars Longa - A Song Of Pilgrimage Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAAABABA CDCDCACA EFEGCACA CDCDCACA HGIGJAJA GKGKAAAA CACAAAAA GCGCCACA CKCKCACAOur hopes are wild imaginings | A |
Our schemes are airy castles | A |
Yet these on earth are lords and kings | A |
And we their slaves and vassals | A |
Your dream forsooth of buoyant youth | B |
Most ready to deceive is | A |
But age will own the bitter truth | B |
Ars longa vita brevis | A |
- | |
The hill of life with eager feet | C |
We climbed in merry morning | D |
But on the downward track we meet | C |
The shades of twilight warning | D |
The shadows gaunt they fall aslant | C |
And those who scaled Ben Nevis | A |
Against the mole hills toil and pant | C |
Ars longa vita brevis | A |
- | |
The obstacles that barr'd our path | E |
We seldom quail'd to dash on | F |
In youth for youth one motto hath | E |
The will the way must fashion | G |
Those words I wot blood thick and hot | C |
Too ready to believe is | A |
But thin and cold our blood hath got | C |
Ars longa vita brevis | A |
- | |
And art is long and life is short | C |
And man is slow at learning | D |
And yet by divers dealings taught | C |
For divers follies yearning | D |
He owns at last with grief downcast | C |
For man disposed to grieve is | A |
One adage old stands true and fast | C |
Ars longa vita brevis | A |
- | |
We journey manhood youth and age | H |
The matron and the maiden | G |
Like pilgrims on a pilgrimage | I |
Loins girded heavy laden | G |
Each pilgrim strong who joins our throng | J |
Most eager to achieve is | A |
Foredoom'd ere long to swell the song | J |
Ars longa vita brevis | A |
- | |
At morn with staff and sandal shoon | G |
We travel brisk and cheery | K |
But some have laid them down ere noon | G |
And all at eve are weary | K |
The noontide glows with no repose | A |
And bitter chill the eve is | A |
The grasshopper a burden grows | A |
Ars longa vita brevis | A |
- | |
The staff is snapp'd the sandal fray'd | C |
The flint stone galls and blisters | A |
Our brother's steps we cannot aid | C |
Ah me nor aid our sister's | A |
The pit prepares its hidden snares | A |
The rock prepared to cleave is | A |
We cry in falling unawares | A |
Ars longa vita brevis | A |
- | |
Oh Wisdom which we sought to win | G |
Oh Strength in which we trusted | C |
Oh Glory which we gloried in | G |
Oh puppets we adjusted | C |
On barren land our seed is sand | C |
And torn the web we weave is | A |
The bruised reed hath pierced the hand | C |
Ars longa vita brevis | A |
- | |
We too Job's comforters have met | C |
With steps like ours unsteady | K |
They could not help themselves and yet | C |
To judge us they were ready | K |
Life's path is trod at last and God | C |
More ready to reprieve is | A |
They know who rest beneath the sod | C |
Mors gratum vita brevis | A |
Adam Lindsay Gordon
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