After Sunset - Sonnets Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B BB BCCDCDD EFFEEFFEGHHGHG IJJIIJJIKKLKKL| 'Si quis piorum Manibus locus ' | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| I | - |
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| Straight from the sun's grave in the deep clear west | B |
| A sweet strong wind blows glad of life and I | - |
| Under the soft keen stardawn whence the sky | - |
| Takes life renewed and all night's godlike breast | B |
| Palpitates gradually revealed at rest | B |
| By growth and change of ardours felt on high | - |
| Make onward till the last flame fall and die | - |
| And all the world by night's broad hand lie blest | B |
| Haply meseems as from that edge of death | C |
| Whereon the day lies dark a brightening breath | C |
| Blows more of benediction than the morn | D |
| So from the graves whereon grief gazing saith | C |
| That half our heart of life there lies forlorn | D |
| May light or breath at least of hope be born | D |
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| - | |
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| II | - |
| - | |
| The wind was soft before the sunset fled | E |
| Now while the cloud enshrouded corpse of day | F |
| Is lowered along a red funereal way | F |
| Down to the dark that knows not white from red | E |
| A clear sheer breeze against the night makes head | E |
| Serene but sure of life as ere a ray | F |
| Springs or the dusk of dawn knows red from grey | F |
| Being as a soul that knows not quick from dead | E |
| From far beyond the sunset far above | G |
| Full toward the starry soundless east it blows | H |
| Bright as a child's breath breathing on a rose | H |
| Smooth to the sense as plume of any dove | G |
| Till more and more as darkness grows and glows | H |
| Silence and night seem likest life and love | G |
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| - | |
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| III | - |
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| If light of life outlive the set of sun | I |
| That men call death and end of all things then | J |
| How should not that which life held best for men | J |
| And proved most precious though it seem undone | I |
| By force of death and woful victory won | I |
| Be first and surest of revival when | J |
| Death shall bow down to life arisen again | J |
| So shall the soul seen be the self same one | I |
| That looked and spake with even such lips and eyes | K |
| As love shall doubt not then to recognise | K |
| And all bright thoughts and smiles of all time past | L |
| Revive transfigured but in spirit and sense | K |
| None other than we knew for evidence | K |
| That love's last mortal word was not his last | L |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1)
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