The Aisne (1914-15) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD BEBE FBFB GHGH IBIB JKJK LBLB JMNJ BOOB PBBP QRRQ BBSBWe first saw fire on the tragic slopes | A |
Where the flood tide of France's early gain | B |
Big with wrecked promise and abandoned hopes | A |
Broke in a surf of blood along the Aisne | B |
- | |
The charge her heroes left us we assumed | C |
What dying they reconquered we preserved | D |
In the chill trenches harried shelled entombed | C |
Winter came down on us but no man swerved | D |
- | |
Winter came down on us The low clouds torn | B |
In the stark branches of the riven pines | E |
Blurred the white rockets that from dusk till morn | B |
Traced the wide curve of the close grappling lines | E |
- | |
In rain and fog that on the withered hill | F |
Froze before dawn the lurking foe drew down | B |
Or light snows fell that made forlorner still | F |
The ravaged country and the ruined town | B |
- | |
Or the long clouds would end Intensely fair | G |
The winter constellations blazing forth | H |
Perseus the Twins Orion the Great Bear | G |
Gleamed on our bayonets pointing to the north | H |
- | |
And the lone sentinel would start and soar | I |
On wings of strong emotion as he knew | B |
That kinship with the stars that only War | I |
Is great enough to lift man's spirit to | B |
- | |
And ever down the curving front aglow | J |
With the pale rockets' intermittent light | K |
He heard like distant thunder growl and grow | J |
The rumble of far battles in the night | K |
- | |
Rumors reverberant indistinct remote | L |
Borne from red fields whose martial names have won | B |
The power to thrill like a far trumpet note | L |
Vic Vailly Soupir Hurtelise Craonne | B |
- | |
Craonne before thy cannon swept plateau | J |
Where like sere leaves lay strewn September's dead | M |
I found for all dear things I forfeited | N |
A recompense I would not now forego | J |
- | |
For that high fellowship was ours then | B |
With those who championing another's good | O |
More than dull Peace or its poor votaries could | O |
Taught us the dignity of being men | B |
- | |
There we drained deeper the deep cup of life | P |
And on sublimer summits came to learn | B |
After soft things the terrible and stern | B |
After sweet Love the majesty of Strife | P |
- | |
There where we faced under those frowning heights | Q |
The blast that maims the hurricane that kills | R |
There where the watchlights on the winter hills | R |
Flickered like balefire through inclement nights | Q |
- | |
There where firm links in the unyielding chain | B |
Where fell the long planned blow and fell in vain | B |
Hearts worthy of the honor and the trial | S |
We helped to hold the lines along the Aisne | B |
Alan Seeger
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation