Old Japan Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABBCBC ABACBCBC CDCBBCBC CBCBBCBC CBCBBCBC CBCBBCBC CDCDBCBC CDCBBCBC EBCBBCBC CDCDBCBC CBCCBCBC

In old Japan by creek and bayA
The blue plum blossoms blowB
Where birds with sea blue plumage gayA
Through sea blue branches goB
Dragons are coiling down belowB
Like dragons on a fanC
And pig tailed sailors lurching slowB
Through streets of old JapanC
-
There in the dim blue death of dayA
Where white tea roses growB
Petals and scents are strewn astrayA
Till night be sweet enowC
Then lovers wander whispering lowB
As lovers only canC
Where rosy paper lanterns glowB
Through streets of old JapanC
-
From Wonderland to Yea or NayC
The junks with painted prowD
Dream on the purple water wayC
Nor ever meet a foeB
Though still with stiff mustachioB
And crooked ataghanC
Their pirates guard with pomp and showB
The ships of old JapanC
-
How far beyond the dawning dayC
The glories ebb and flowB
Where still the wonder children playC
The witches mop and mowB
How far how far no chart may showB
The heart of mortal manC
The light the splendour and the glowB
That once were old JapanC
-
That land is very far awayC
We lost it long agoB
In old Japan the grass is greyC
The trees are white with snowB
The sea blue bird became a crowB
The lizards leapt and ranC
No dragon mourned that overthrowB
The dream of old JapanC
-
In old Japan at windows greyC
Where scents of opium flowB
Strange smiling faces white as clayC
Nod idly to and froB
There life and death may come and goB
With blessing or with banC
And still no better gift bestowB
Than this in old JapanC
-
And now the wistful years delayC
To wonder why and howD
The blue fantastic twisted dayC
When Emperor Hwang or ChowD
Dreamed in the colour and the glowB
That light the heart of manC
Could e er such hours of flowers bestrowB
Through streets of old JapanC
-
In old Japan they used to playC
A game forgotten nowD
They filled a nacre coloured trayC
With perfumes in a rowB
Breathing of all the flowers that blowB
Where dark blue rivers ranC
Like those upon the plates you knowB
Through fields of old JapanC
-
Then with silver spatulaE
The mandarins would goB
To test the scented dust and sayC
With many a hum and hoB
What flower of all the flowers that growB
For joy of maid or manC
Conceived the scents that puzzled soB
The brains of old JapanC
-
In old Japan where poets prayC
With white uplifted browD
What mystic floating scents delayC
Below the purple boughD
O er plains no scythe of death may mowB
Nor power of reason scanC
What mandarin musicians knowB
The flower of old JapanC
-
There in the dim blue death of dayC
Where white tea roses growB
Petals and scents are strewn astrayC
Till night be sweet enowC
Then lovers wander whispering lowB
As lovers only canC
Where rosy paper lanterns glowB
Through streets of old JapanC

Alfred Noyes



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