Epicede Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCBCBDEDEDEDEDDDD DDDDDFDGDFDFFEFEFEFE HIHIHIHJKLKLKLKL| As a vesture shalt thou change them said the prophet | A |
| And the raiment that was flesh is turned to dust | B |
| Dust and flesh and dust again the likeness of it | C |
| And the fine gold woven and worn of youth is rust | B |
| Hours that wax and wane salute the shade and scoff it | C |
| That it knows not aught it doth nor aught it must | B |
| Day by day the speeding soul makes haste to doff it | C |
| Night by night the pride of life resigns its trust | B |
| Sleep whose silent notes of song loud life's derange not | D |
| Takes the trust in hand awhile as angels may | E |
| Joy with wings that rest not grief with wings that range not | D |
| Guard the gates of sleep and waking gold or grey | E |
| Joys that joys estrange and griefs that griefs estrange not | D |
| Day that yearns for night and night that yearns for day | E |
| As a vesture shalt thou change them and they change not | D |
| Seeing that change may never change or pass away | E |
| Life of death makes question What art thou that changest | D |
| What am I that fear should trust or faith should doubt | D |
| I that lighten thou that darkenest and estrangest | D |
| Is it night or day that girds us round about | D |
| Light and darkness on the ways wherein thou rangest | D |
| Seem as one and beams as clouds they put to rout | D |
| Strange is hope but fear of all things born were strangest | D |
| Seeing that none may strive with change to cast it out | D |
| Change alone stands fast thou sayest O death I know not | D |
| What art thou my brother death that thou shouldst know | F |
| Men may reap no fruits of fields wherein they sow not | D |
| Hope or fear is all the seed we have to sow | G |
| Winter seals the sacred springs up that they flow not | D |
| Wind and sun and change unbind them and they flow | F |
| Am I thou or art thou I The years that show not | D |
| Pass and leave no sign when time shall be to show | F |
| Hope makes suit to faith lest fear give ear to sorrow | F |
| Doubt strews dust upon his head and goes his way | E |
| All the golden hope that life of death would borrow | F |
| How if death require again may life repay | E |
| Earth endures no darkness whence no light yearns thorough | F |
| God in man as light in darkness lives they say | E |
| Yet would midnight take assurance of the morrow | F |
| Who shall pledge the faith or seal the bond of day | E |
| Darkness mute or loud with music or with mourning | H |
| Starry darkness winged with wind or clothed with calm | I |
| Dreams no dream of grief or fear or wrath or warning | H |
| Bears no sign of race or goal or strife or palm | I |
| Word of blessing word of mocking or of scorning | H |
| Knows it none nor whence its breath sheds blight or balm | I |
| Yet a little while and hark the psalm of morning | H |
| Yet a little while and silence takes the psalm | J |
| All the comfort all the worship all the wonder | K |
| All the light of love that darkness holds in fee | L |
| All the song that silence keeps or keeps not under | K |
| Night the soul that knows gives thanks for all to thee | L |
| Far beyond the gates that morning strikes in sunder | K |
| Hopes that grief makes holy dreams that fear sets free | L |
| Far above the throne of thought the lair of thunder | K |
| Silent shines the word whose utterance fills the sea | L |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
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