A Lamentation Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDBCDEFGHIIGH JKLMJKLMJKLM NONOPQQPRSRSTUTUVWVW AXYXXYZPSPA2GA2GYB2Y B2C2RC2D2E2F2E2F2D2Y D2YRARARRRRPG2PG2 A2H2I2A2H2I2 J2CK2J2CK2 AL2D2PL2D2PL2D2P M2UN2M2UN2M2M2N2 M2O2M2M2O2M2M2O2M2

IA
WHO hath known the ways of timeB
Or trodden behind his feetC
There is no such man among menD
For chance overcomes him or crimeB
Changes for all things sweetC
In time wax bitter againD
Who shall give sorrow enoughE
Or who the abundance of tearsF
Mine eyes are heavy with loveG
And a sword gone thorough mine earsH
A sound like a sword and fireI
For pity for great desireI
Who shall ensure me thereofG
Lest I die being full of my fearsH
-
Who hath known the ways and the wrathJ
The sleepless spirit the rootK
And blossom of evil willL
The divine device of a godM
Who shall behold it or hathJ
The twice tongued prophets are muteK
The many speakers are stillL
No foot has travelled or trodM
No hand has meted his pathJ
Man s fate is a blood red fruitK
And the mighty gods have their fillL
And relax not the rein or the rodM
-
Ye were mighty in heart from of oldN
Ye slew with the spear and are slainO
Keen after heat is the coldN
Sore after summer is rainO
And melteth man to the boneP
As water he weareth awayQ
As a flower as an hour in a dayQ
Fallen from laughter to moanP
But my spirit is shaken with fearR
Lest an evil thing beginS
New born a spear for a spearR
And one for another sinS
Or ever our tears beganT
It was known from of old and saidU
One law for a living manT
And another law for the deadU
For these are fearful and sadV
Vain and things without breathW
While he lives let a man be gladV
For none hath joy of his deathW
-
IIA
Who hath known the pain the old pain of earthX
Or all the travail of the seaY
The many ways and waves the birthX
Fruitless the labour nothing worthX
Who hath known who knoweth O gods not weY
There is none shall say he hath seenZ
There is none he hath knownP
Though he saith Lo a lord have I beenS
I have reaped and sownP
I have seen the desire of mine eyesA2
The beginning of loveG
The season of kisses and sighsA2
And the end thereofG
I have known the ways of the seaY
All the perilous waysB2
Strange winds have spoken with meY
And the tongues of strange daysB2
I have hewn the pine for shipsC2
Where steeds run arowR
I have seen from their bridled lipsC2
Foam blown as the snowD2
With snapping of chariot polesE2
And with straining of oarsF2
I have grazed in the race the goalsE2
In the storm the shoresF2
As a greave is cleft with an arrowD2
At the joint of the kneeY
I have cleft through the sea straits narrowD2
To the heart of the seaY
When air was smitten in sunderR
I have watched on highA
The ways of the stars and the thunderR
In the night of the skyA
Where the dark brings forth light as a flowerR
As from lips that disseverR
One abideth the space of an hourR
One endureth for everR
Lo what hath he seen or knownP
Of the way and the waveG2
Unbeholden unsailed on unsownP
From the breast to the graveG2
-
Or ever the stars were made or skiesA2
Grief was born and the kinless nightH2
Mother of gods without form or nameI2
And light is born out of heaven and diesA2
And one day knows not another s lightH2
But night is one and her shape the sameI2
-
But dumb the goddesses undergroundJ2
Wait and we hear not on earth if their feetC
Rise and the night wax loud with their wingsK2
Dumb without word or shadow of soundJ2
And sift in scales and winnow as wheatC
Men s souls and sorrow of manifold thingsK2
-
IIIA
Nor less of grief than oursL2
The gods wrought long agoD2
To bruise men one by oneP
But with the incessant hoursL2
Fresh grief and greener woeD2
Spring as the sudden sunP
Year after year makes flowersL2
And these die down and growD2
And the next year lacks noneP
-
As these men sleep have sleptM2
The old heroes in time fledU
No dream divided sleepN2
And holier eyes have weptM2
Than ours when on her deadU
Gods have seen Thetis weepN2
With heavenly hair far sweptM2
Back heavenly hands outspreadM2
Round what she could not keepN2
-
Could not one day withholdM2
One night and like as theseO2
White ashes of no weightM2
Held not his urn the coldM2
Ashes of HeraclesO2
For all things born one gateM2
Opens no gate of goldM2
Opens and no man seesO2
Beyond the gods and fateM2

Algernon Charles Swinburne



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