Genesis Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD CCCC EFEF GHGH CICI IJIJ KHKH LALA MCMC KIKI BIBI CCCC CCCC CLCL ACAC

In the outer world that was before this earthA
That was before all shape or space was bornB
Before the blind first hour of time had birthA
Before night knew the moonlight or the mornB
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Yea before any world had any lightC
Or anything called God or man drew breathD
Slowly the strong sides of the heaving nightC
Moved and brought forth the strength of life and deathD
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And the sad shapeless horror increateC
That was all things and one thing without fruitC
Limit or law where love was none nor hateC
Where no leaf came to blossom from no rootC
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The very darkness that time knew not ofE
Nor God laid hand on nor was man found thereF
Ceased and was cloven in several shapes aboveE
Light and night under and fire earth water and airF
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Sunbeams and starbeams and all coloured thingsG
All forms and all similitudes beganH
And death the shadow cast by life's wide wingsG
And God the shade cast by the soul of manH
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Then between shadow and substance night and lightC
Then between birth and death and deeds and daysI
The illimitable embrace and the amorous fightC
That of itself begets bears rears and slaysI
-
The immortal war of mortal things that isI
Labour and life and growth and good and illJ
The mild antiphonies that melt and kissI
The violent symphonies that meet and killJ
-
All nature of all things began to beK
But chiefliest in the spirit beast or manH
Planet of heaven or blossom of earth or seaK
The divine contraries of life beganH
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For the great labour of growth being many is oneL
One thing the white death and the ruddy birthA
The invisible air and the all beholden sunL
And barren water and many childed earthA
-
And these things are made manifest in menM
From the beginning forth unto this dayC
Time writes and life records them and againM
Death seals them lest the record pass awayC
-
For if death were not then should growth not beK
Change nor the life of good nor evil thingsI
Nor were there night at all nor light to seeK
Nor water of sweet nor water of bitter springsI
-
For in each man and each year that is bornB
Are sown the twin seeds of the strong twin powersI
The white seed of the fruitful helpful mornB
The black seed of the barren hurtful hoursI
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And he that of the black seed eateth fruitC
To him the savour as honey shall be sweetC
And he in whom the white seed hath struck rootC
He shall have sorrow and trouble and tears for meatC
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And him whose lips the sweet fruit hath made redC
In the end men loathe and make his name a rodC
And him whose mouth on the unsweet fruit hath fedC
In the end men follow and know for very GodC
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And of these twain the black seed and the whiteC
All things come forth endured of men and doneL
And still the day is great with child of nightC
And still the black night labours with the sunL
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And each man and each year that lives on earthA
Turns hither or thither and hence or thence is fedC
And as a man before was from his birthA
So shall a man be after among the deadC

Algernon Charles Swinburne



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