A Word For The Nation Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCDDEEFGHG ABIBIJJKKLLLL AMNMNOOPPFGFG QBRBRMMSSFLFL LTQTQBBUUHGHG QBVVVLLWWVVVV QVXVXXXYYVGVG QVZVZHHFFGVGV VFVFVFFVVVVVV

IA
A word across the waterB
Against our ears is borneC
Of threatenings and of slaughterB
Of rage and spite and scornC
We have not alack an ally to befriend usD
And the season is ripe to extirpate and end usD
Let the German touch hands with the GaulE
And the fortress of England must fallE
And the sea shall be swept of her seamenF
And the waters they ruled be their gravesG
And Dutchmen and Frenchmen be free menH
And Englishmen slavesG
-
IIA
Our time once more is overB
Once more our end is nearI
A bull without a droverB
The Briton reels to rearI
And the van of the nations is held by his bettersJ
And the seas of the world shall be loosed from his fettersJ
And his glory shall pass as a breathK
And the life that is in him be deathK
And the sepulchre sealed on his gloryL
For a sign to the nations shall beL
As of Tyre and of Carthage in storyL
Once lords of the seaL
-
IIIA
The lips are wise and loyalM
The hearts are brave and trueN
Imperial thoughts and royalM
Make strong the clamorous crewN
Whence louder and prouder the noise of defianceO
Rings rage from the grave of a trustless allianceO
And bids us beware and be warnedP
As abhorred of all nations and scornedP
As a swordless and spiritless nationF
A wreck on the waste of the wavesG
So foams the released indignationF
Of masterless slavesG
-
IVQ
Brute throats that miss the collarB
Bowed backs that ask the whipR
Stretched hands that lack the dollarB
And many a lie seared lipR
Forefeel and foreshow for us signs as funerealM
As the signs that were regal of yore and imperialM
We shall pass as the princes they servedS
We shall reap what our fathers deservedS
And the place that was England's be takenF
By one that is worthier than sheL
And the yoke of her empire be shakenF
Like spray from the seaL
-
VL
French hounds whose necks are achingT
Still from the chain they craveQ
In dog day madness breakingT
The dog leash thus may raveQ
But the seas that for ages have fostered and fenced herB
Laugh echoing the yell of their kennel against herB
And their moan if destruction draw near themU
And the roar of her laughter to hear themU
For she knows that if Englishmen be menH
Their England has all that she cravesG
All love and all honour from free menH
All hatred from slavesG
-
VIQ
All love that rests upon herB
Like sunshine and sweet airV
All light of perfect honourV
And praise that ends in prayerV
She wins not more surely she wears not more proudlyL
Than the token of tribute that clatters thus loudlyL
The tribute of foes when they meetW
That rattles and rings at her feetW
The tribute of rage and of rancourV
The tribute of slaves to the freeV
To the people whose hope hath its anchorV
Made fast in the seaV
-
VIIQ
No fool that bows the back heV
Feels fit for scourge or brandX
No scurril scribes that lackeyV
The lords of LackeylandX
No penman that yearns as he turns on his palletX
For the place or the pence of a peer or a valetX
No whelp of as currish a packY
As the litter whose yelp it gives backY
Though he answer the cry of his brotherV
As echoes might answer from cavesG
Shall be witness as though for a motherV
Whose children were slavesG
-
VIIIQ
But those found fit to love herV
Whose love has root in faithZ
Who hear though darkness coverV
Time's face what memory saithZ
Who seek not the service of great men or small menH
But the weal that is common for comfort of all menH
Those yet that in trust have beholdenF
Truth's dawn over England grow goldenF
And quicken the darkness that stagnatesG
And scatter the shadows that fleeV
Shall reply for her meanest as magnatesG
And masters by seaV
-
IXV
And all shall mark her stationF
Her message all shall hearV
When equal eyed the nationF
Bids all her sons draw nearV
And freedom be more than tradition or factionF
And thought be no swifter to serve her than actionF
And justice alone be above herV
That love may be prouder to love herV
And time on the crest of her storyV
Inscribe as remembrance engravesV
The sign that subdues with its gloryV
Kings princes and slavesV

Algernon Charles Swinburne



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