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