The Phantom Fleet Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGI JKJK LMLM NONO PQPQ RSRTSDSUD VAVAAWAWW XYXYYHYHH ZTZTTA2TA2A2 RB2RB2B2C2B2D2C2 E2F2E2F2G2H2I2H2H2 TE2TE2E2LE2LL J2SJ2STK2SL2L2 WAWA M2TM2T IN2IN2 D2SC2S M2O2M2O2 P2K2P2L2Q2R2 R2 S2S2S2S2 T2U2T2U2

The sunset lingered in the pale green WestA
In rosy wastes the low soft evening starB
Woke while the last white sea mew sought for restA
And tawny sails came stealing o'er the barB
-
But in the hillside cottage through the panesC
The light streamed like a thin far trumpet callD
And quickened as with quivering battle stainsC
The printed ships that decked the parlour wallD
-
From oaken frames old admirals looked downE
They saw the lonely slumberer at their feetF
They saw the paper headed Talk from TownE
Our rusting trident and our phantom fleetF
-
And from a neighbouring tavern surged a songG
Of England laughing in the face of warH
With eyes unconquerably proud and strongG
And lips triumphant from her TrafalgarI
-
But he the slumberer in that glimmering roomJ
Saw distant waters glide and heave and gleamK
Around him in the softly coloured gloomJ
The pictures clustered slowly to a dreamK
-
He saw how England resting on her pastL
Among the faded garlands of her deadM
Woke for a whisper reached her heart at lastL
And once again she raised her steel clad headM
-
Her eyes were filled with sudden strange alarmsN
She heard the westering waters change and chimeO
She heard the distant tumult of her armsN
Defeated not by courage but by TimeO
-
Knowledge had made a deadlier pact with deathP
Nor strength nor steel availed against that bondQ
Slowly approached and Britain held her breathP
The battle booming from the deeps beyondQ
-
O then what darkness rolled upon the windR
Threatening the torch that Britain held on highS
Where all her navies baffled broken blindR
Slunk backward snarling in their agonyT
Who guards the gates of Freedom now The cryS
Stabbed heaven England the shattered ramparts fallD
Then like a trumpet shivering through the skyS
O like white lightning rending the black pallU
Of heaven an answer pealed Her dead shall hear that callD
-
Then came a distant light of great waves breakingV
That brought the sunset on each crumbling crestA
A rumour as of buried ages wakingV
And mighty spirits rising from their restA
Then ghostly clouds arose with billowing breastA
White clouds that turned to sails upon their wayW
Red clouds that burned like flags against the WestA
Till even the conquering fleet in silence layW
Dazed with that strange old light and night grew bright as dayW
-
We come to fight for Freedom The great EastX
Heard and was rent asunder like a veilY
Host upon host out of the night increasedX
Its towering clouds and crowded zones of sailY
England our England canst thou faint or failY
We come to fight for Freedom yet once moreH
This this is ours at least Count the great taleY
Of all these dead that rise to guard thy shoreH
By right of the red life they never feared to pourH
-
We come to fight for Freedom On they cameZ
One cloud of beauty sweeping the wild seaT
And there through all their thousands flashed like flameZ
That star born signal of the VictoryT
Duty that deathless lantern of the freeT
Duty that makes a god of every manA2
And there was Nelson watching silentlyT
As through the phantom fleet the message ranA2
And his tall frigate rushed before the stormy vanA2
-
Nelson our Nelson frail and maimed and blindR
Stretched out his dead cold face against the foeB2
And England's Raleigh followed hard behindR
With all his eager fighting heart aglowB2
Glad glad for England's sake once more to knowB2
The old joy of battle and contempt of painC2
Glad glad to die if England willed it soB2
The traitor's and the coward's death againD2
But hurl the world back now as once he hurled back SpainC2
-
And there were all those others Drake and BlakeE2
Rodney and Howard Byron CollingwoodF2
With deathless eyes aflame for England's sakeE2
As on their ancient decks they proudly stoodF2
Decks washed of old with England's purplest bloodG2
And there once more each rushing oaken sideH2
Bared its dark throated thirsty gleaming broodI2
Of cannon watched by laughing lads who diedH2
Long long ago for England and her ancient prideH2
-
We come to fight for England The great seaT
In a wild light of song began to breakE2
Round that tall phantom of the VictoryT
And all the foam was music in her wakeE2
Ship after phantom ship with guns a rakeE2
And shot rent flags a stream from every mastL
Moved in a deepening splendour not to makeE2
A shield for England of her own dead pastL
But with a living dream to arm her soul at lastL
-
We come to die for England through the hushJ2
Of gathered nations rose that regal cryS
From naked oaken walls one word could crushJ2
If those vast armoured throats dared to replyS
But there the most implacable enemyT
Felt his eyes fill with gladder prouder tearsK2
As Nelson's calm eternal face went byS
Gazing beyond all perishable fearsL2
To some diviner goal above the waste of yearsL2
-
Through the hushed fleets the vision streamed awayW
Then slowly turned once more to that deep WestA
While voices cried O England the new dayW
Is dawning but thy soul can take no restA
-
Thy freedom and thy peace are only thineM2
By right of toil on every land and seaT
And by that crimson sacrificial wineM2
Of thine own heart and thine own agonyT
-
Peace is not slumber Peace in every hourI
Throbs like the heart of music This aloneN2
Can save thy heritage and confirm that powerI
Whereof the past is but the cushioned throneN2
-
Look to the fleet Again and yet againD2
Hear us who storm thy heart with this one cryS
Hear us who cannot help though fair and fainC2
To hold thy seas before thee and to dieS
-
Look to the fleet Thy fleet the first last lineM2
The sword of Liberty her strength her shieldO2
Her food her life blood Britain it is thineM2
Here now to hold that birth right or to yieldO2
-
So through the dark those phantom ships of oldP2
Faded it seemed through mists of blood and tearsK2
Sails turned to clouds and slowly westward rolledP2
The sad returning pageant of the yearsL2
On tides of light where all our tumults ceaseQ2
Through that rich West the Victory returnedR2
And all the waves around her whispered 'peace '-
And from her mast no battle message burnedR2
-
Like clouds like fragments of those fading skiesS2
The pageant passed with all its misty sparsS2
While the hushed nations raised their dreaming eyesS2
To that great light which brings the end of warsS2
-
Ship after ship in some strange glory drownedT2
Cloud after cloud was lost in that deep lightU2
Each with a sovran stillness haloed roundT2
Then that high fleet of stars led on the nightU2

Alfred Noyes



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