Mentana : First Anniversary Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDAB EFGGHF IJKKIJ LMAALM NFLLNF FOPPFO QFRRQF STUUSR JVWWJV XYZZXY A2SB2B2A2S C2D2E2E2C2D2 F2KRTF2V SSKKSS G2G2C2C2G2G2| At 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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