England: An Ode Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBBCCCDDDEEEFFFGGGH HH AIIIJJJKKKLLLMMMNNNO OO APPPNNNBBBQQQRRRSSSN NN| I | A |
| Sea and strand and a lordlier land than sea tides rolling and rising sun | B |
| Clasp and lighten in climes that brighten with day when day that was here is done | B |
| Call aloud on their children proud with trust that future and past are one | B |
| Far and near from the swan's nest here the storm birds bred of her fair white breast | C |
| Sons whose home was the sea wave's foam have borne the fame of her east and west | C |
| North and south has the storm wind's mouth rung praise of England and England's quest | C |
| Fame wherever her flag flew never forbore to fly with an equal wing | D |
| France and Spain with their warrior train bowed down before her as thrall to king | D |
| India knelt at her feet and felt her sway more fruitful of life than spring | D |
| Darkness round them as iron bound fell off from races of elder name | E |
| Slain at sight of her eyes whose light bids freedom lighten and burn as flame | E |
| Night endures not the touch that cures of kingship tyrants and slaves of shame | E |
| All the terror of time where error and fear were lords of a world of slaves | F |
| Age on age in resurgent rage and anguish darkening as waves on waves | F |
| Fell or fled from a face that shed such grace as quickens the dust of graves | F |
| Things of night at her glance took flight the strengths of darkness recoiled and sank | G |
| Sank the fires of the murderous pyres whereon wild agony writhed and shrank | G |
| Rose the light of the reign of right from gulfs of years that the darkness drank | G |
| Yet the might of her wings in flight whence glory lightens and music rings | H |
| Loud and bright as the dawn's shall smite and still the discord of evil things | H |
| Yet not slain by her radiant reign but darkened now by her sail stretched wings | H |
| - | |
| II | A |
| Music made of change and conquest glory born of evil slain | I |
| Stilled the discord slew the darkness bade the lights of tempest wane | I |
| Where the deathless dawn of England rose in sign that right should reign | I |
| Mercy where the tiger wallowed mad and blind with blood and lust | J |
| Justice where the jackal yelped and fed and slaves allowed it just | J |
| Rose as England's light on Asia rose and smote them down to dust | J |
| Justice bright as mercy mercy girt by justice with her sword | K |
| Smote and saved and raised and ruined till the tyrant ridden horde | K |
| Saw the lightning fade from heaven and knew the sun for God and lord | K |
| Where the footfall sounds of England where the smile of England shines | L |
| Rings the tread and laughs the face of freedom fair as hope divines | L |
| Days to be more brave than ours and lit by lordlier stars for signs | L |
| All our past acclaims our future Shakespeare's voice and Nelson's hand | M |
| Milton's faith and Wordsworth's trust in this our chosen and chainless land | M |
| Bear us witness come the world against her England yet shall stand | M |
| Earth and sea bear England witness if he lied who said it he | N |
| Whom the winds that ward her waves that clasp and herb and flower and tree | N |
| Fed with English dews and sunbeams hail as more than man may be | N |
| No man ever spake as he that bade our England be but true | O |
| Keep but faith with England fast and firm and none should bid her rue | O |
| None may speak as he but all may know the sign that Shakespeare knew | O |
| - | |
| III | A |
| From the springs of the dawn from the depths of the noon from the heights of the night that shine | P |
| Hope faith and remembrance of glory that found but in England her throne and her shrine | P |
| Speak louder than song may proclaim them that here is the seal of them set for a sign | P |
| And loud as the sea's voice thunders applause of the land that is one with the sea | N |
| Speaks Time in the ear of the people that never at heart was not inly free | N |
| The word of command that assures us of life if we will but that life shall be | N |
| If the race that is first of the races of men who behold unashamed the sun | B |
| Stand fast and forget not the sign that is given of the years and the wars that are done | B |
| The token that all who are born of its blood should in heart as in blood be one | B |
| The word of remembrance that lightens as fire from the steeps of the storm lit past | Q |
| Bids only the faith of our fathers endure in us firm as they held it fast | Q |
| That the glory which was from the first upon England alone may endure to the last | Q |
| That the love and the hate may change not the faith may not fade nor the wrath nor scorn | R |
| That shines for her sons and that burns for her foemen as fire of the night or the morn | R |
| That the births of her womb may forget not the sign of the glory wherein they were born | R |
| A light that is more than the sunlight an air that is brighter than morning's breath | S |
| Clothes England about as the strong sea clasps her and answers the word that it saith | S |
| The word that assures her of life if she change not and choose not the ways of death | S |
| Change darkens and lightens around her alternate in hope and in fear to be | N |
| Hope knows not if fear speak truth nor fear whether hope be not blind as she | N |
| But the sun is in heaven that beholds her immortal and girdled with life by the sea | N |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1)
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