An Autumn Vision Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCAACDDCEEC AFGFGAHAHIJIJKLKLMNM NOPOP AQRSSTTUUVVWWNNXX INNYCIIZZA2A2B2B2C2C 2XXD2D2E2E2 NSWSWSWF2F2F2F2SG2SG 2SG2H2H2H2H2SXSXSXI2 I2I2I2I2J2I2J2I2J2NN NN II2I2WWK2K2NNL2L2M2M 2N2N2I2I2I2I2F2F2O2O 2IIP2P2K2K2Q2Q2R2R2S 2S2T2T2U2U2V2V2W2W2X 2X2Y2Y2Z2Z2I2I2WWF2F 2I2I2D2D2IIKKK2K2A3A 3B3B3C3D3DDE3E3F3F3I IB3B3G3H3I2I2 IZZI3I3M2M2B3B3J3CK3 K3R2R2HHL3L3II

IA
Is it Midsummer here in the heavens that illumine October on earthB
Can the year when his heart is fulfilled with desire of the days of his mirthB
Redeem them recall or rememberC
For a memory recalling the rapture of earth and redeeming the skyA
Shines down from the heights to the depths will the watchword of dawn be JulyA
When to morrow acclaims NovemberC
The stern salutation of sorrow to death or repentance to shameD
Was all that the season was wont to accord her of grace or acclaimD
No lightnings of love and of laughterC
But here in the laugh of the loud west wind from around and aboveE
In the flash of the waters beneath him what sound or what light but of loveE
Rings round him or leaps forth afterC
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IIA
Wind beloved of earth and sky and sea beyond all winds that blowF
Wind whose might in fight was England's on her mightiest warrior dayG
South west wind whose breath for her was life and fire to scourge her foeF
Steel to smite and death to drive him down an unreturning wayG
Well beloved and welcome sounding all the clarions of the skyA
Rolling all the marshalled waters toward the charge that storms the shoreH
We receive acclaim salute thee we who live and dream and dieA
As the mightiest mouth of song that ever spake acclaimed of yoreH
We that live as they that perish praise thee lord of cloud and waveI
Wind of winds clothed on with darkness whence as lightning light comes forthJ
We that know thee strong to guard and smite to scatter and to saveI
We to whom the south west wind is dear as Athens held the northJ
He for her waged war as thou for us against all powers defiantK
Fleets full fraught with storm from Persia laden deep with death from SpainL
Thee the giant god of song and battle hailed as god and giantK
Yet not his but ours the land is whence thy praise should ring and rainL
Rain as rapture shed from song and ring as trumpets blown for battleM
Sound and sing before thee loud and glad as leaps and sinks the seaN
Yea the sea's white steeds are curbed and spurred of thee and pent as cattleM
Yet they laugh with love and pride to live subdued not save of theeN
Ears that hear thee hear in heaven the sound of widening wings giganticO
Eyes that see the cloud lift westward see thy darkening brows divineP
Wings whose measure is the limit of the limitless AtlanticO
Brows that bend and bid the sovereign sea submit her soul to thineP
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IIIA
Twelve days since is it twelve days goneQ
Lord of storm that a storm bow shoneR
Higher than sweeps thy sublime dark wingS
Fair as dawn is and sweet like springS
Never dawn in the deep wide eastT
Spread so splendid and strange a feastT
Whence the soul as it drank and fedU
Felt such rapture of wonder shedU
Never spring in the wild wood's heartV
Felt such flowers at her footfall startV
Born of earth as arose on sightW
Born of heaven and of storm and lightW
Stern and sullen the grey grim seaN
Swelled and strove as in toils though freeN
Free as heaven and as heaven sublimeX
Clear as heaven of the toils of timeX
-
IVI
Suddenly sheer from the heights to the depths of the sky and the seaN
Sprang from the darkness alive as a vision of life to beN
Glory triune and transcendent of colour afar and afireY
Arching and darkening the darkness with light as of dream or desireC
Heaven in the depth of its height shone wistful and wan from aboveI
Earth from beneath and the sea shone stricken and breathless with loveI
As a shadow may shine so shone they as ghosts of the viewless blestZ
That sleep hath sight of alive in a rapture of sunbright restZ
The green earth glowed and the grey sky gleamed for a wondrous whileA2
And the storm's full frown was crossed by the light of its own deep smileA2
As the darkness of thought and of passion is touched by the light that givesB2
Life deathless as love from the depth of a spirit that sees and livesB2
From the soul of a seer and a singer wherein as a scroll unfurledC2
Lies open the scripture of light and of darkness the word of the worldC2
So shapeless and measureless lurid as anguish and haggard as crimeX
Pale as the front of oblivion and dark as the heart of timeX
The wild wan heaven at its height was assailed and subdued and madeD2
More fair than the skies that know not of storm and endure not shadeD2
The grim sea swell grey sleepless and sad as a soul estrangedE2
Shone smiled took heart and was glad of its wrath and the world's face changedE2
-
VN
Up from moorlands northward gleamingS
Even to heaven's transcendent heightW
Clothed with massive cloud and seemingS
All one fortress reared of nightW
Down to where the deep sea dreamingS
Angry dreams lay dark and whiteW
White as death and dark as fateF2
Heaving with the strong wind's weightF2
Sad with stormy pride of stateF2
One full rainbow shone elateF2
Up from inmost memory's dwellingS
Where the light of life abidesG2
Where the past finds tongue foretellingS
Time that comes and grace that guidesG2
Power that saves and sways compellingS
Souls that ebb and flow like tidesG2
Shone or seemed to shine and swimH2
Through the cloud surf great and grimH2
Thought's live surge the soul of himH2
By whose light the sun looks dimH2
In what synod were they sittingS
All the gods and lords of timeX
Whence they watched as fen fires flittingS
Years and names of men sublimeX
When their counsels found it fittingS
One should stand where none might climbX
None of man begotten noneI2
Born of men beneath the sunI2
Till the race of time be runI2
Save this heaven enfranchised oneI2
With what rapture of creationI2
Was the soul supernal thrilledJ2
With what pride of adorationI2
Was the world's heart fired and filledJ2
Heaved in heavenward exaltationI2
Higher than hopes or dreams might buildJ2
Grave with awe not known while heN
Was not mad with glorious gleeN
As the sun saluted seaN
When his hour bade Shakespeare beN
-
VII
There clear as night beholds her crowning sevenI2
The sea beheld his likeness set in heavenI2
The shadow of his spirit full in sightW
Shone for the shadow of that soul is lightW
Nor heaven alone bore witness earth avowedK2
Him present and acclaimed of storm aloudK2
From the arching sky to the ageless hills and seaN
The whole world visible audible was heN
Each part of all that wove that wondrous wholeL2
The raiment of the presence of his soulL2
The sun that smote and kissed the dark to deathM2
Spake smiled and strove like song's triumphant breathM2
The soundless cloud whose thunderous heart was dumbN2
Swelled lowered and shrank to feel its conqueror comeN2
Yet high from heaven its empire vast and vainI2
Frowned and renounced not night's reluctant reignI2
The serpentine swift sounds and shapes whereinI2
The stainless sea mocks earth and death and sinI2
Crawls dark as craft or flashes keen as hateF2
Subdued and insubmissive strong like fateF2
And weak like man bore wrathful witness yetO2
That storms and sins are more than suns that setO2
That evil everlasting girt for strifeI
Eternal wars with hope as death with lifeI
The dark sharp shifting wind that bade the wavesP2
Falter lose heart bow down like foes made slavesP2
And waxed within more bitter as they bowedK2
Baffling the sea swallowing the sun with cloudK2
Devouring fast as fire on earth devoursQ2
And hungering hard as frost that feeds on flowersQ2
Clothed round with fog that reeked as fume from hellR2
And darkening with its miscreative spellR2
Light glad and keen and splendid as the swordS2
Whose heft had known Othello's hand its lordS2
Spake all the soul that hell drew back to greetT2
And felt its fire shrink shuddering from his feetT2
Far off the darkness darkened and recoiledU2
And neared again and triumphed and the coiledU2
Colourless cloud and sea discoloured grewV2
Conscious of horror huge as heaven and knewV2
Where Goneril's soul made chill and foul the mistW2
And all the leprous life in Regan hissedW2
Fierce homeless ghosts rejected of the pitX2
From hell to hell of storm fear watched them flitX2
About them and before the dull grey gloomY2
Shuddered and heaven seemed hateful as the tombY2
That shrinks from resurrection and from outZ2
That sullen hell which girt their shades aboutZ2
The nether soul that lurks and lowers withinI2
Man made of dust and fire and shame and sinI2
Breathed all the cloud that felt it breathe and blightW
Was blue as plague or black as thunderous nightW
Elect of hell the children of his hateF2
Thronged as to storm sweet heaven's triumphal gateF2
The terror of his giving rose and shoneI2
Imminent life had put its likeness onI2
But higher than all its horrent height of shadeD2
Shone sovereign seen by light itself had madeD2
Above the woes of all the world aboveI
Life sin and death his myriad minded loveI
From landward heights whereon the radiance leantK
Full fraught from heaven intense and imminentK
To depths wherein the seething strengths of cloudK2
Scarce matched the wrath of waves whereon they bowedK2
From homeborn pride and kindling love of homeA3
To the outer skies and seas of fire and foamA3
From splendour soft as dew that sundawn thrillsB3
To gloom that shudders round the world it fillsB3
From midnights murmuring round Titania's earC3
To midnights maddening round the rage of LearD3
The wonder woven of storm and sun becameD
One with the light that lightens from his nameD
The music moving on the sea that feltE3
The storm wind even as snows of springtide meltE3
Was blithe as Ariel's hand or voice might makeF3
And bid all grief die gladly for its sakeF3
And there the soul alive in ear and eyeI
That watched the wonders of an hour pass byI
Saw brighter than all stars that heaven inspheresB3
The silent splendour of Cordelia's tearsB3
Felt in the whispers of the quickening windG3
The radiance of the laugh of RosalindH3
And heard in sounds that melt the souls of menI2
With love of love the tune of ImogenI2
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VIII
For the strong north east is not strong to subdue and to slay the divine south westZ
And the darkness is less than the light that it darkens and dies in reluctant restZ
It hovers and hangs on the labouring and trembling ascent of the dawn from the deepI3
Till the sun's eye quicken the world and the waters and smite it again into sleepI3
Night holy and starry the fostress of souls with the fragrance of heaven in her breathM2
Subdues with the sense of her godhead the forces and mysteries of sorrow and deathM2
Eternal as dawn's is the comfort she gives but the mist that beleaguers and slaysB3
Comes passes and is not the strength of it withers appalled or assuaged by the day'sB3
Faith haggard as Fear that had borne her and dark as the sire that begat her DespairJ3
Held rule on the soul of the world and the song of it saddening through ages that wereC
Dim centuries that darkened and brightened and darkened again and the soul of their songK3
Was great as their grief and sublime as their suffering and strong as their sorrows were strongK3
It knew not it saw not but shadows triune and evoked by the strength of their spellR2
Dark hell and the mountain of anguish and heaven that was hollower and harder than hellR2
These are not the womb of the darkness that bare them rejects them and knows them no moreH
Thought fettered in misery and iron revives in the light that it lived in of yoreH
For the soul that is wisdom and freedom the spirit of England redeemed from her pastL3
Speaks life through the lips of the master and lord of her children the first and the lastL3
Thought touched by his hand and redeemed by his breath sees hears and accepts from aboveI
The limitless lightnings of vision and passion the measureless music of loveI

Algernon Charles Swinburne



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