Mentana : First Anniversary Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDAB EFGGHF IJKKIJ LMAALM NFLLNF FOPPFO QFRRQF STUUSR JVWWJV XYZZXY A2SB2B2A2S C2D2E2E2C2D2 F2KRTF2V SSKKSS G2G2C2C2G2G2At the time when the stars are grey | A |
And the gold of the molten moon | B |
Fades and the twilight is thinned | C |
And the sun leaps up and the wind | D |
A light rose not of the day | A |
A stronger light than of noon | B |
- | |
As the light of a face much loved | E |
Was the face of the light that clomb | F |
As a mother's whitened with woes | G |
Her adorable head that arose | G |
As the sound of a God that is moved | H |
Her voice went forth upon Rome | F |
- | |
At her lips it fluttered and failed | I |
Twice and sobbed into song | J |
And sank as a flame sinks under | K |
Then spake and the speech was thunder | K |
And the cheek as he heard it paled | I |
Of the wrongdoer grown grey with the wrong | J |
- | |
Is it time is it time appointed | L |
Angel of time is it near | M |
For the spent night aches into day | A |
When the kings shall slay not or pray | A |
And the high priest accursed and anointed | L |
Sickens to deathward with fear | M |
- | |
For the bones of my slain are stirred | N |
And the seed of my earth in her womb | F |
Moves as the heart of a bud | L |
Beating with odorous blood | L |
To the tune of the loud first bird | N |
Burns and yearns into bloom | F |
- | |
I lay my hand on her bosom | F |
My hand on the heart of my earth | O |
And I feel as with shiver and sob | P |
The triumphant heart in her throb | P |
The dead petals dilate into blossom | F |
The divine blood beat into birth | O |
- | |
O my earth are the springs in thee dry | Q |
O sweet is thy body a tomb | F |
Nay springs out of springs derive | R |
And summers from summers alive | R |
And the living from them that die | Q |
No tomb is here but a womb | F |
- | |
O manifold womb and divine | S |
Give me fruit of my children give | T |
I have given thee my dew for thy root | U |
Give thou me for my mouth of thy fruit | U |
Thine are the dead that are mine | S |
And mine are thy sons that live | R |
- | |
O goodly children O strong | J |
Italian spirits that wear | V |
My glories as garments about you | W |
Could time or the world misdoubt you | W |
Behold in disproof of the wrong | J |
The field of the grave pits there | V |
- | |
And ye that fell upon sleep | X |
We have you too with us yet | Y |
Fairer than life or than youth | Z |
Is this to die for the truth | Z |
No death can sink you so deep | X |
As their graves whom their brethren forget | Y |
- | |
Were not your pains as my pains | A2 |
As my name are your names not divine | S |
Was not the light in your eyes | B2 |
Mine the light of my skies | B2 |
And the sweet shed blood of your veins | A2 |
O my beautiful martyrs mine | S |
- | |
Of mine earth were your dear limbs made | C2 |
Of mine air was your sweet life's breath | D2 |
At the breasts of my love ye were fed | E2 |
O my children my chosen my dead | E2 |
At my breasts where again ye are laid | C2 |
At the old mother's bosom in death | D2 |
- | |
But ye that live O their brothers | F2 |
Be ye to me as they were | K |
Give me my children that live | R |
What these dead grudged not to give | T |
Who alive were sons of your mother's | F2 |
Whose lips drew breath of your air | V |
- | |
Till darkness by dawn be cloven | S |
Let youth's self mourn and abstain | S |
And love's self find not an hour | K |
And spring's self wear not a flower | K |
And Lycoris with hair unenwoven | S |
Hail back to the banquet in vain | S |
- | |
So sooner and surer the glory | G2 |
That is not with us shall be | G2 |
And stronger the hands that smite | C2 |
The heads of the sons of night | C2 |
And the sound throughout earth of our story | G2 |
Give all men heart to be free | G2 |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1)
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