Dedication Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCD EFEFBGBH IJIJAKAK LMNMOFOF IPIPQRSR TUTUPVPV WXWXYRYR WYWYWZWZ WWWWWWWW AYAYWA2WA2 WWWWB2WB2W WC2WC2A2WA2W RA2RA2D2YD2YTHE SEA gives her shells to the shingle | A |
The earth gives her streams to the sea | B |
They are many but my gift is single | A |
My verses the firstfruits of me | B |
Let the wind take the green and the grey leaf | C |
Cast forth without fruit upon air | D |
Take rose leaf and vine leaf and bay leaf | C |
Blown loose from the hair | D |
- | |
The night shakes them round me in legions | E |
Dawn drives them before her like dreams | F |
Time sheds them like snows on strange regions | E |
Swept shoreward on infinite streams | F |
Leaves pallid and sombre and ruddy | B |
Dead fruits of the fugitive years | G |
Some stained as with wine and made bloody | B |
And some as with tears | H |
- | |
Some scattered in seven years traces | I |
As they fell from the boy that was then | J |
Long left among idle green places | I |
Or gathered but now among men | J |
On seas full of wonder and peril | A |
Blown white round the capes of the north | K |
Or in islands where myrtles are sterile | A |
And loves bring not forth | K |
- | |
O daughters of dreams and of stories | L |
That life is not wearied of yet | M |
Faustine Fragoletta Dolores | N |
F lise and Yolande and Juliette | M |
Shall I find you not still shall I miss you | O |
When sleep that is true or that seems | F |
Comes back to me hopeless to kiss you | O |
O daughters of dreams | F |
- | |
They are past as a slumber that passes | I |
As the dew of a dawn of old time | P |
More frail than the shadows on glasses | I |
More fleet than a wave or a rhyme | P |
As the waves after ebb drawing seaward | Q |
When their hollows are full of the night | R |
So the birds that flew singing to me ward | S |
Recede out of sight | R |
- | |
The songs of dead seasons that wander | T |
On wings of articulate words | U |
Lost leaves that the shore wind may squander | T |
Light flocks of untameable birds | U |
Some sang to me dreaming in class time | P |
And truant in hand as in tongue | V |
For the youngest were born of boy s pastime | P |
The eldest are young | V |
- | |
Is there shelter while life in them lingers | W |
Is there hearing for songs that recede | X |
Tunes touched from a harp with man s fingers | W |
Or blown with boy s mouth in a reed | X |
Is there place in the land of your labour | Y |
Is there room in your world of delight | R |
Where change has not sorrow for neighbour | Y |
And day has not night | R |
- | |
In their wings though the sea wind yet quivers | W |
Will you spare not a space for them there | Y |
Made green with the running of rivers | W |
And gracious with temperate air | Y |
In the fields and the turreted cities | W |
That cover from sunshine and rain | Z |
Fair passions and bountiful pities | W |
And loves without stain | Z |
- | |
In a land of clear colours and stories | W |
In a region of shadowless hours | W |
Where earth has a garment of glories | W |
And a murmur of musical flowers | W |
In woods where the spring half uncovers | W |
The flush of her amorous face | W |
By the waters that listen for lovers | W |
For these is there place | W |
- | |
For the song birds of sorrow that muffle | A |
Their music as clouds do their fire | Y |
For the storm birds of passion that ruffle | A |
Wild wings in a wind of desire | Y |
In the stream of the storm as it settles | W |
Blown seaward borne far from the sun | A2 |
Shaken loose on the darkness like petals | W |
Dropt one after one | A2 |
- | |
Though the world of your hands be more gracious | W |
And lovelier in lordship of things | W |
Clothed round by sweet art with the spacious | W |
Warm heaven of her imminent wings | W |
Let them enter unfledged and nigh fainting | B2 |
For the love of old loves and lost times | W |
And receive in your palace of painting | B2 |
This revel of rhymes | W |
- | |
Though the seasons of man full of losses | W |
Make empty the years full of youth | C2 |
If but one thing be constant in crosses | W |
Change lays not her hand upon truth | C2 |
Hopes die and their tombs are for token | A2 |
That the grief as the joy of them ends | W |
Ere time that breaks all men has broken | A2 |
The faith between friends | W |
- | |
Though the many lights dwindle to one light | R |
There is help if the heaven has one | A2 |
Though the skies be discrowned of the sunlight | R |
And the earth dispossessed of the sun | A2 |
They have moonlight and sleep for repayment | D2 |
When refreshed as a bride and set free | Y |
With stars and sea winds in her raiment | D2 |
Night sinks on the sea | Y |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1)
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