Quia Multum Amavit Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABACACADADAEAEFGFG HDIDJKJKLMLMNONOJPJP JQJQARARASASJTJTUVUV FUFULWLWXQYQJJJJLULU LZLZLULUURURLLLLJA2J A2AB2AB2JRJRHC2HC2D2 AD2AAHAHHUHUB2UB2UUE 2UE2UF2UF2HUHUAG2AG2 JUJUAH2AH2

Am I not he that hath made thee and begotten theeA
I God the spirit of manB
Wherefore now these eighteen years hast thou forgotten meA
From whom thy life beganB
Thy life blood and thy life breath and thy beautyA
Thy might of hands and feetC
Thy soul made strong for divinity of dutyA
And service which was sweetC
Through the red sea brimmed with blood didst thou not follow meA
As one that walks in tranceD
Was the storm strong to break or the sea to swallow theeA
When thou wast free and FranceD
I am Freedom God and man O France that plead with theeA
How long now shall I pleadE
Was I not with thee in travail and in need with theeA
Thy sore travail and needE
Thou wast fairest and first of my virgin vested daughtersF
Fairest and foremost thouG
And thy breast was white though thy hands were red with slaughtersF
Thy breast a harlot's nowG
O foolish virgin and fair among the fallenH
A ruin where satyrs danceD
A garden wasted for beasts to crawl and brawl inI
What hast thou done with FranceD
Where is she who bared her bosom but to thunderJ
Her brow to storm and flameK
And before her face was the red sea cloven in sunderJ
And all its waves made tameK
And the surf wherein the broad based rocks were shakingL
She saw far off divideM
At the blast of the breath of the battle blown and breakingL
And weight of wind and tideM
And the ravin and the ruin of throned nationsN
And every royal raceO
And the kingdoms and kings from the state of their high stationsN
That fell before her faceO
Yea great was the fall of them all that rose against herJ
From the earth's old historied heightsP
For my hands were fire and my wings as walls that fenced herJ
Mine eyes as pilot lightsP
Not as guerdons given of kings the gifts I brought herJ
Not strengths that pass awayQ
But my heart my breath of life O France O daughterJ
I gave thee in that dayQ
Yea the heart's blood of a very God I gave theeA
Breathed in thy mouth his breathR
Was my word as a man's having no more strength to save theeA
From this worse thing than deathR
Didst thou dream of it only the day that I stood nigh theeA
Was all its light a dreamS
When that iron surf roared backwards and went by theeA
Unscathed of storm or streamS
When thy sons rose up and thy young men stood togetherJ
One equal face of fightT
And my flag swam high as the swimming sea foam's featherJ
Laughing a lamp of lightT
Ah the lordly laughter and light of it that lightenedU
Heaven high the heaven's whole lengthV
Ah the hearts of heroes pierced the bright lips whitenedU
Of strong men in their strengthV
Ah the banner poles the stretch of straightening streamersF
Straining their full reach outU
Ah the men's hands making true the dreams of dreamersF
The hopes brought forth in doubtU
Ah the noise of horse the charge and thunder of drummingL
And swaying and sweep of swordsW
Ah the light that led them through of the world's life comingL
Clear of its lies and lordsW
By the lightning of the lips of guns whose flashesX
Made plain the strayed world's wayQ
By the flame that left her dead old sins in ashesY
Swept out of sight of dayQ
By thy children whose bare feet were shod with thunderJ
Their bare hands mailed with fireJ
By the faith that went with them waking fear and wonderJ
Heart's love and high desireJ
By the tumult of the waves of nations wakingL
Blind in the loud wide nightU
By the wind that went on the world's waste waters makingL
Their marble darkness whiteU
As the flash of the flakes of the foam flared lamplike leapingL
From wave to gladdening waveZ
Making wide the fast shut eyes of thraldom sleepingL
The sleep of the unclean graveZ
By the fire of equality terrible devouringL
Divine that brought forth goodU
By the lands it purged and wasted and left floweringL
With bloom of brotherhoodU
By the lips of fraternity that for love's sake utteredU
Fierce words and fires of deathR
But the eyes were deep as love's and the fierce lips flutteredU
With love's own living breathR
By thy weaponed hands brows helmed and bare feet spurningL
The bared head of a kingL
By the storm of sunrise round thee risen and burningL
Why hast thou done this thingL
Thou hast mixed thy limbs with the son of a harlot a strangerJ
Mouth to mouth limb to limbA2
Thou bride of a God because of the bridesman DangerJ
To bring forth seed to himA2
For thou thoughtest inly the terrible bridegroom wakes meA
When I would sleep to goB2
The fire of his mouth consumes and the red kiss shakes meA
More bitter than a blowB2
Rise up my beloved go forth to meet the strangerJ
Put forth thine arm he saithR
Fear thou not at all though the bridesman should be DangerJ
The bridesmaid should be DeathR
I the bridegroom am I not with thee O bridal nationH
O wedded France to striveC2
To destroy the sins of the earth with divine devastationH
Till none be left aliveC2
Lo her growths of sons foliage of men and frondageD2
Broad boughs of the old world treeA
With iron of shame and with pruning hooks of bondageD2
They are shorn from sea to seaA
Lo I set wings to thy feet that have been winglessA
Till the utter race be runH
Till the priestless temples cry to the thrones made kinglessA
Are we not also undoneH
Till the immeasurable Republic arise and lightenH
Above these quick and deadU
And her awful robes be changed and her red robes whitenH
Her warring robes of redU
But thou wouldst not saying I am weary and faint to followB2
Let me lie down and restU
And hast sought out shame to sleep with mire to wallowB2
Yea a much fouler breastU
And thine own hast made prostitute sold and shamed and bared itU
Thy bosom which was mineE2
And the bread of the word I gave thee hast soiled and shared itU
Among these snakes and swineE2
As a harlot thou wast handled and pollutedU
Thy faith held light as foamF2
That thou sentest men thy sons thy sons imbrutedU
To slay thine elder RomeF2
Therefore O harlot I gave thee to the accurst oneH
By night to be defiledU
To thy second shame and a fouler than the first oneH
That got thee first with childU
Yet I know thee turning back now to behold meA
To bow thee and make thee bareG2
Not for sin's sake but penitence by my feet to hold meA
And wipe them with thine hairG2
And sweet ointment of thy grief thou hast brought thy masterJ
And set before thy lordU
From a box of flawed and broken alabasterJ
Thy broken spirit pouredU
And love offerings tears and perfumes hast thou given meA
To reach my feet and touchH2
Therefore thy sins which are many are forgiven theeA
Because thou hast loved muchH2

Algernon Charles Swinburne



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