Sestina Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABAB BABABA ABABAB BABABA ABABAB BABABA BAB| I saw my soul at rest upon a day | A |
| As a bird sleeping in the nest of night | B |
| Among soft leaves that give the starlight way | A |
| To touch its wings but not its eyes with light | B |
| So that it knew as one in visions may | A |
| And knew not as men waking of delight | B |
| - | |
| This was the measure of my soul's delight | B |
| It had no power of joy to fly by day | A |
| Nor part in the large lordship of the light | B |
| But in a secret moon beholden way | A |
| Had all its will of dreams and pleasant night | B |
| And all the love and life that sleepers may | A |
| - | |
| But such life's triumph as men waking may | A |
| It might not have to feed its faint delight | B |
| Between the stars by night and sun by day | A |
| Shut up with green leaves and a little light | B |
| Because its way was as a lost star's way | A |
| A world's not wholly known of day or night | B |
| - | |
| All loves and dreams and sounds and gleams of night | B |
| Made it all music that such minstrels may | A |
| And all they had they gave it of delight | B |
| But in the full face of the fire of day | A |
| What place shall be for any starry light | B |
| What part of heaven in all the wide sun's way | A |
| - | |
| Yet the soul woke not sleeping by the way | A |
| Watched as a nursling of the large eyed night | B |
| And sought no strength nor knowledge of the day | A |
| Nor closer touch conclusive of delight | B |
| Nor mightier joy nor truer than dreamers may | A |
| Nor more of song than they nor more of light | B |
| - | |
| For who sleeps once and sees the secret light | B |
| Whereby sleep shows the soul a fairer way | A |
| Between the rise and rest of day and night | B |
| Shall care no more to fare as all men may | A |
| But be his place of pain or of delight | B |
| There shall he dwell beholding night as day | A |
| - | |
| Song have thy day and take thy fill of light | B |
| Before the night be fallen across thy way | A |
| Sing while he may man hath no long delight | B |
Algernon Charles Swinburne
(1)
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