A Baby's Death Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB BAB ABAB CDCD DCD EDCD FGFG GFG FGFG HIHI IHJ HJFJ KLKL LKL KLK MNON NMN MNMN PFMF FQF QFPF| A little soul scarce fledged for earth | A |
| Takes wing with heaven again for goal | B |
| Even while we hailed as fresh from birth | A |
| A little soul | B |
| - | |
| Our thoughts ring sad as bells that toll | B |
| Not knowing beyond this blind world's girth | A |
| What things are writ in heaven's full scroll | B |
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| Our fruitfulness is there but dearth | A |
| And all things held in time's control | B |
| Seem there perchance ill dreams not worth | A |
| A little soul | B |
| - | |
| - | |
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| The little feet that never trod | C |
| Earth never strayed in field or street | D |
| What hand leads upward back to God | C |
| The little feet | D |
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| A rose in June's most honied heat | D |
| When life makes keen the kindling sod | C |
| Was not so soft and warm and sweet | D |
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| Their pilgrimage's period | E |
| A few swift moons have seen complete | D |
| Since mother's hands first clasped and shod | C |
| The little feet | D |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| The little hands that never sought | F |
| Earth's prizes worthless all as sands | G |
| What gift has death God's servant brought | F |
| The little hands | G |
| - | |
| We ask but love's self silent stands | G |
| Love that lends eyes and wings to thought | F |
| To search where death's dim heaven expands | G |
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| Ere this perchance though love know nought | F |
| Flowers fill them grown in lovelier lands | G |
| Where hands of guiding angels caught | F |
| The little hands | G |
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| - | |
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| The little eyes that never knew | H |
| Light other than of dawning skies | I |
| What new life now lights up anew | H |
| The little eyes | I |
| - | |
| Who knows but on their sleep may rise | I |
| Such light as never heaven let through | H |
| To lighten earth from Paradise | J |
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| No storm we know may change the blue | H |
| Soft heaven that haply death descries | J |
| No tears like these in ours bedew | F |
| The little eyes | J |
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| - | |
| - | |
| Was life so strange so sad the sky | K |
| So strait the wide world's range | L |
| He would not stay to wonder why | K |
| Was life so strange | L |
| - | |
| Was earth's fair house a joyless grange | L |
| Beside that house on high | K |
| Whence Time that bore him failed to estrange | L |
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| That here at once his soul put by | K |
| All gifts of time and change | L |
| And left us heavier hearts to sigh | K |
| 'Was life so strange ' | - |
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| - | |
| - | |
| Angel by name love called him seeing so fair | M |
| The sweet small frame | N |
| Meet to be called if ever man's child were | O |
| Angel by name | N |
| - | |
| Rose bright and warm from heaven's own heart he came | N |
| And might not bear | M |
| The cloud that covers earth's wan face with shame | N |
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| His little light of life was all too rare | M |
| And soft a flame | N |
| Heaven yearned for him till angels hailed him there | M |
| Angel by name | N |
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| The song that smiled upon his birthday here | P |
| Weeps on the grave that holds him undefiled | F |
| Whose loss makes bitterer than a soundless tear | M |
| The song that smiled | F |
| - | |
| His name crowned once the mightiest ever styled | F |
| Sovereign of arts and angel fate and fear | Q |
| Knew then their master and were reconciled | F |
| - | |
| But we saw born beneath some tenderer sphere | Q |
| Michael an angel and a little child | F |
| Whose loss bows down to weep upon his bier | P |
| The song that smiled | F |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1)
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