In Guernsey Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCBC CBC BCBC DEDE EDE DEDE FGFG GFG FGFG H IJIJ JIJ IJIJ H KLKL LKL KLKL H MNMNM OMMNMM PNQMNM H MMMM MMM MMMM H RMRM MRM RMRM| TO THEODORE WATTS | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| I | - |
| - | |
| The heavenly bay ringed round with cliffs and moors | B |
| Storm stained ravines and crags that lawns inlay | C |
| Soothes as with love the rocks whose guard secures | B |
| The heavenly bay | C |
| - | |
| O friend shall time take ever this away | C |
| This blessing given of beauty that endures | B |
| This glory shown us not to pass but stay | C |
| - | |
| Though sight be changed for memory love ensures | B |
| What memory changed by love to sight would say | C |
| The word that seals for ever mine and yours | B |
| The heavenly bay | C |
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| II | - |
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| My mother sea my fostress what new strand | D |
| What new delight of waters may this be | E |
| The fairest found since time's first breezes fanned | D |
| My mother sea | E |
| - | |
| Once more I give me body and soul to thee | E |
| Who hast my soul for ever cliff and sand | D |
| Recede and heart to heart once more are we | E |
| - | |
| My heart springs first and plunges ere my hand | D |
| Strike out from shore more close it brings to me | E |
| More near and dear than seems my fatherland | D |
| My mother sea | E |
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| III | - |
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| Across and along as the bay's breadth opens and o'er us | F |
| Wild autumn exults in the wind swift rapture and strong | G |
| Impels us and broader the wide waves brighten before us | F |
| Across and along | G |
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| The whole world's heart is uplifted and knows not wrong | G |
| The whole world's life is a chant to the sea tide's chorus | F |
| Are we not as waves of the water as notes of the song | G |
| - | |
| Like children unworn of the passions and toils that wore us | F |
| We breast for a season the breadth of the seas that throng | G |
| Rejoicing as they to be borne as of old they bore us | F |
| Across and along | G |
| - | |
| IV | H |
| - | |
| On Dante's track by some funereal spell | I |
| Drawn down through desperate ways that lead not back | J |
| We seem to move bound forth past flood and fell | I |
| On Dante's track | J |
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| The grey path ends the gaunt rocks gape the black | J |
| Deep hollow tortuous night a soundless shell | I |
| Glares darkness are the fires of old grown slack | J |
| - | |
| Nay then what flames are these that leap and swell | I |
| As 'twere to show where earth's foundations crack | J |
| The secrets of the sepulchres of hell | I |
| On Dante's track | J |
| - | |
| V | H |
| - | |
| By mere men's hands the flame was lit we know | K |
| From heaps of dry waste whin and casual brands | L |
| Yet knowing we scarce believe it kindled so | K |
| By mere men's hands | L |
| - | |
| Above around high vaulted hell expands | L |
| Steep dense a labyrinth walled and roofed with woe | K |
| Whose mysteries even itself not understands | L |
| - | |
| The scorn in Farinata's eyes aglow | K |
| Seems visible in this flame there Geryon stands | L |
| No stage of earth's is here set forth to show | K |
| By mere men's hands | L |
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| VI | H |
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| Night in utmost noon forlorn and strong with heart athirst and | M |
| fasting | N |
| Hungers here barred up for ever whence as one whom dreams affright | M |
| Day recoils before the low browed lintel threatening doom and casting | N |
| Night | M |
| - | |
| All the reefs and islands all the lawns and highlands clothed with | O |
| light | M |
| Laugh for love's sake in their sleep outside but here the night | M |
| speaks blasting | N |
| Day with silent speech and scorn of all things known from depth to | M |
| height | M |
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| Lower than dive the thoughts of spirit stricken fear in souls | P |
| forecasting | N |
| Hell the deep void seems to yawn beyond fear's reach and higher | Q |
| than sight | M |
| Rise the walls and roofs that compass it about with everlasting | N |
| Night | M |
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| VII | H |
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| The house accurst with cursing sealed and signed | M |
| Heeds not what storms about it burn and burst | M |
| No fear more fearful than its own may find | M |
| The house accurst | M |
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| Barren as crime anhungered and athirst | M |
| Blank miles of moor sweep inland sere and blind | M |
| Where summer's best rebukes not winter's worst | M |
| - | |
| The low bleak tower with nought save wastes behind | M |
| Stares down the abyss whereon chance reared and nursed | M |
| This type and likeness of the accurst man's mind | M |
| The house accurst | M |
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| VIII | H |
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| Beloved and blest lit warm with love and fame | R |
| The house that had the light of the earth for guest | M |
| Hears for his name's sake all men hail its name | R |
| Beloved and blest | M |
| - | |
| This eyrie was the homeless eagle's nest | M |
| When storm laid waste his eyrie hence he came | R |
| Again when storm smote sore his mother's breast | M |
| - | |
| Bow down men bade us or be clothed with blame | R |
| And mocked for madness worst they sware was best | M |
| But grief shone here while joy was one with shame | R |
| Beloved and blest | M |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1)
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