A Song In Time Of Revolution. 1860 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AA BB CC DD EE FF BB GG HH II JJ KK LL MM NN JJ JJ JJ JJ KK OO PP AA| THE HEART of the rulers is sick and the high priest covers his head | A |
| For this is the song of the quick that is heard in the ears of the dead | A |
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| The poor and the halt and the blind are keen and mighty and fleet | B |
| Like the noise of the blowing of wind is the sound of the noise of their feet | B |
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| The wind has the sound of a laugh in the clamour of days and of deeds | C |
| The priests are scattered like chaff and the rulers broken like reeds | C |
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| The high priest sick from qualms with his raiment bloodily dashed | D |
| The thief with branded palms and the liar with cheeks abashed | D |
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| They are smitten they tremble greatly they are pained for their pleasant things | E |
| For the house of the priests made stately and the might in the mouth of the kings | E |
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| They are grieved and greatly afraid they are taken they shall not flee | F |
| For the heart of the nations is made as the strength of the springs of the sea | F |
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| They were fair in the grace of gold they walked with delicate feet | B |
| They were clothed with the cunning of old and the smell of their garments was sweet | B |
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| For the breaking of gold in their hair they halt as a man made lame | G |
| They are utterly naked and bare their mouths are bitter with shame | G |
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| Wilt thou judge thy people now O king that wast found most wise | H |
| Wilt thou lie any more O thou whose mouth is emptied of lies | H |
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| Shall God make a pact with thee till his hook be found in thy sides | I |
| Wilt thou put back the time of the sea or the place of the season of tides | I |
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| Set a word in thy lips to stand before God with a word in thy mouth | J |
| That the rain shall return in the land and the tender dew after drouth | J |
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| But the arm of the elders is broken their strength is unbound and undone | K |
| They wait for a sign of a token they cry and there cometh none | K |
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| Their moan is in every place the cry of them filleth the land | L |
| There is shame in the sight of their face there is fear in the thews of their hand | L |
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| They are girdled about the reins with a curse for the girdle thereon | M |
| For the noise of the rending of chains the face of their colour is gone | M |
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| For the sound of the shouting of men they are grievously stricken at heart | N |
| They are smitten asunder with pain their bones are smitten apart | N |
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| There is none of them all that is whole their lips gape open for breath | J |
| They are clothed with sickness of soul and the shape of the shadow of death | J |
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| The wind is thwart in their feet it is full of the shouting of mirth | J |
| As one shaketh the sides of a sheet so it shaketh the ends of the earth | J |
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| The sword the sword is made keen the iron has opened its mouth | J |
| The corn is red that was green it is bound for the sheaves of the south | J |
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| The sound of a word was shed the sound of the wind as a breath | J |
| In the ears of the souls that were dead in the dust of the deepness of death | J |
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| Where the face of the moon is taken the ways of the stars undone | K |
| The light of the whole sky shaken the light of the face of the sun | K |
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| Where the waters are emptied and broken the waves of the waters are stayed | O |
| Where God has bound for a token the darkness that maketh afraid | O |
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| Where the sword was covered and hidden and dust had grown in its side | P |
| A word came forth which was bidden the crying of one that cried | P |
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| The sides of the two edged sword shall be bare and its mouth shall be red | A |
| For the breath of the face of the Lord that is felt in the bones of the dead | A |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1)
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