A Watch In The Night Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBAACAC ADDEAAEA AFFGAAGA AAAHAAHA AIIJAAJA ADDAAKAK ALLJAMJM AAAMADMD AAABANBN AAAOAAOA APQRAARA ASSTAATA AAARAUVU AFFKAJKJ AWWAAJAJ AXXYAUYU AJJJAJJJ ADDWAVWR ALLMAWMW

Watchman what of the nightA
Storm and thunder and rainB
Lights that waver and waneB
Leaving the watchfires unlitA
Only the balefires are brightA
And the flash of the lamps now and thenC
From a palace where spoilers sitA
Trampling the children of menC
-
Prophet what of the nightA
I stand by the verge of the seaD
Banished uncomforted freeD
Hearing the noise of the wavesE
And sudden flashes that smiteA
Some man's tyrannous headA
Thundering heard among gravesE
That hide the hosts of his deadA
-
Mourners what of the nightA
All night through without sleepF
We weep and we weep and we weepF
Who shall give us our sonsG
Beaks of raven and kiteA
Mouths of wolf and of houndA
Give us them back whom the gunsG
Shot for you dead on the groundA
-
Dead men what of the nightA
Cannon and scaffold and swordA
Horror of gibbet and cordA
Mowed us as sheaves for the graveH
Mowed us down for the rightA
We do not grudge or repentA
Freely to freedom we gaveH
Pledges till life should be spentA
-
Statesman what of the nightA
The night will last me my timeI
The gold on a crown or a crimeI
Looks well enough yet by the lampsJ
Have we not fingers to writeA
Lips to swear at a needA
Then when danger decampsJ
Bury the word with the deedA
-
Warrior what of the nightA
Whether it be not or beD
Night is as one thing to meD
I for one at the leastA
Ask not of dews if they blightA
Ask not of flames if they slayK
Ask not of prince or of priestA
How long ere we put them awayK
-
Master what of the nightA
Child night is not at allL
Anywhere fallen or to fallL
Save in our star stricken eyesJ
Forth of our eyes it takes flightA
Look we but once nor beforeM
Nor behind us but straight on the skiesJ
Night is not then any moreM
-
Exile what of the nightA
The tides and the hours run outA
The seasons of death and of doubtA
The night watches bitter and soreM
In the quicksands leftward and rightA
My feet sink down under meD
But I know the scents of the shoreM
And the broad blown breaths of the seaD
-
Captives what of the nightA
It rains outside overheadA
Always a rain that is redA
And our faces are soiled with the rainB
Here in the seasons' despiteA
Day time and night time are oneN
Till the curse of the kings and the chainB
Break and their toils be undoneN
-
Christian what of the nightA
I cannot tell I am blindA
I halt and hearken behindA
If haply the hours will go backO
And return to the dear dead lightA
To the watchfires and stars that of oldA
Shone where the sky now is blackO
Glowed where the earth now is coldA
-
High priest what of the nightA
The night is horrible hereP
With haggard faces and fearQ
Blood and the burning of fireR
Mine eyes are emptied of sightA
Mine hands are full of the dustA
If the God of my faith be a liarR
Who is it that I shall trustA
-
Princes what of the nightA
Night with pestilent breathS
Feeds us children of deathS
Clothes us close with her gloomT
Rapine and famine and frightA
Crouch at our feet and are fedA
Earth where we pass is a tombT
Life where we triumph is deadA
-
Martyrs what of the nightA
Nay is it night with you yetA
We for our part we forgetA
What night was if it wereR
The loud red mouths of the fightA
Are silent and shut where we areU
In our eyes the tempestuous airV
Shines as the face of a starU
-
England what of the nightA
Night is for slumber and sleepF
Warm no season to weepF
Let me alone till the dayK
Sleep would I still if I mightA
Who have slept for two hundred yearsJ
Once I had honour they sayK
But slumber is sweeter than tearsJ
-
France what of the nightA
Night is the prostitute's noonW
Kissed and drugged till she swoonW
Spat upon trod upon whoredA
With bloodred rose garlands dightA
Round me reels in the danceJ
Death my saviour my lordA
Crowned there is no more FranceJ
-
Italy what of the nightA
Ah child child it is longX
Moonbeam and starbeam and songX
Leave it dumb now and darkY
Yet I perceive on the heightA
Eastward not now very farU
A song too loud for the larkY
A light too strong for a starU
-
Germany what of the nightA
Long has it lulled me with dreamsJ
Now at midwatch as it seemsJ
Light is brought back to mine eyesJ
And the mastery of old and the mightA
Lives in the joints of mine handsJ
Steadies my limbs as they riseJ
Strengthens my foot as it standsJ
-
Europe what of the nightA
Ask of heaven and the seaD
And my babes on the bosom of meD
Nations of mine but ungrownW
There is one who shall surely requiteA
All that endure or that errV
She can answer aloneW
Ask not of me but of herR
-
Liberty what of the nightA
I feel not the red rains fallL
Hear not the tempest at allL
Nor thunder in heaven any moreM
All the distance is whiteA
With the soundless feet of the sunW
Night with the woes that it woreM
Night is over and doneW

Algernon Charles Swinburne



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about A Watch In The Night poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 2 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets