Ode In Memory Of The American Volunteers Fallen For France Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABC CDCCDDDEDEDDFFD GDDGDDDDHHHH HIHIHJHKJK D LDDMDDDDDDDNODDDDDPD PDDDQQDDDDDHDHHHHH D HHHHHHRRHSSHDTDTJDTJ HHHHTo have been read before the statue of | A |
Lafayette and Washington in Paris | B |
on Decoration Day May | C |
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I | - |
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Ay it is fitting on this holiday | C |
Commemorative of our soldier dead | D |
When with sweet flowers of our New England May | C |
Hiding the lichened stones by fifty years made gray | C |
Their graves in every town are garlanded | D |
That pious tribute should be given too | D |
To our intrepid few | D |
Obscurely fallen here beyond the seas | E |
Those to preserve their country's greatness died | D |
But by the death of these | E |
Something that we can look upon with pride | D |
Has been achieved nor wholly unreplied | D |
Can sneerers triumph in the charge they make | F |
That from a war where Freedom was at stake | F |
America withheld and daunted stood aside | D |
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II | - |
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Be they remembered here with each reviving spring | G |
Not only that in May when life is loveliest | D |
Around Neuville Saint Vaast and the disputed crest | D |
Of Vimy they superb unfaltering | G |
In that fine onslaught that no fire could halt | D |
Parted impetuous to their first assault | D |
But that they brought fresh hearts and springlike too | D |
To that high mission and 'tis meet to strew | D |
With twigs of lilac and spring's earliest rose | H |
The cenotaph of those | H |
Who in the cause that history most endears | H |
Fell in the sunny morn and flower of their young years | H |
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III | - |
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Yet sought they neither recompense nor praise | H |
Nor to be mentioned in another breath | I |
Than their blue coated comrades whose great days | H |
It was their pride to share ay share even to the death | I |
Nay rather France to you they rendered thanks | H |
Seeing they came for honor not for gain | J |
Who opening to them your glorious ranks | H |
Gave them that grand occasion to excel | K |
That chance to live the life most free from stain | J |
And that rare privilege of dying well | K |
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IV | D |
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O friends I know not since that war began | L |
From which no people nobly stands aloof | D |
If in all moments we have given proof | D |
Of virtues that were thought American | M |
I know not if in all things done and said | D |
All has been well and good | D |
Or if each one of us can hold his head | D |
As proudly as he should | D |
Or from the pattern of those mighty dead | D |
Whose shades our country venerates to day | D |
If we've not somewhat fallen and somewhat gone astray | D |
But you to whom our land's good name is dear | N |
If there be any here | O |
Who wonder if her manhood be decreased | D |
Relaxed its sinews and its blood less red | D |
Than that at Shiloh and Antietam shed | D |
Be proud of these have joy in this at least | D |
And cry Now heaven be praised | D |
That in that hour that most imperilled her | P |
Menaced her liberty who foremost raised | D |
Europe's bright flag of freedom some there were | P |
Who not unmindful of the antique debt | D |
Came back the generous path of Lafayette | D |
And when of a most formidable foe | D |
She checked each onset arduous to stem | Q |
Foiled and frustrated them | Q |
On those red fields where blow with furious blow | D |
Was countered whether the gigantic fray | D |
Rolled by the Meuse or at the Bois Sabot | D |
Accents of ours were in the fierce melee | D |
And on those furthest rims of hallowed ground | D |
Where the forlorn the gallant charge expires | H |
When the slain bugler has long ceased to sound | D |
And on the tangled wires | H |
The last wild rally staggers crumbles stops | H |
Withered beneath the shrapnel's iron showers | H |
Now heaven be thanked we gave a few brave drops | H |
Now heaven be thanked a few brave drops were ours | H |
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V | D |
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There holding still in frozen steadfastness | H |
Their bayonets toward the beckoning frontiers | H |
They lie our comrades lie among their peers | H |
Clad in the glory of fallen warriors | H |
Grim clusters under thorny trellises | H |
Dry furthest foam upon disastrous shores | H |
Leaves that made last year beautiful still strewn | R |
Even as they fell unchanged beneath the changing moon | R |
And earth in her divine indifference | H |
Rolls on and many paltry things and mean | S |
Prate to be heard and caper to be seen | S |
But they are silent calm their eloquence | H |
Is that incomparable attitude | D |
No human presences their witness are | T |
But summer clouds and sunset crimson hued | D |
And showers and night winds and the northern star | T |
Nay even our salutations seem profane | J |
Opposed to their Elysian quietude | D |
Our salutations calling from afar | T |
From our ignobler plane | J |
And undistinction of our lesser parts | H |
Hail brothers and farewell you are twice blest brave hearts | H |
Double your glory is who perished thus | H |
For you have died for France and vindicated us | H |
Alan Seeger
(1)
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