Via Dolorosa Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBAABBACCDEDD A FGGFFGGFHIHIHI F JAAJJAAJIKGFGF L MHNOMHHMPPFQFQ MP ABBAABBABAABRR BF FPPFFPPFFFSTTS MF AUUAAUUAAPPAMM MP VBBVVBBVPPWFFW

The days of a man are threescore years and tenA
The days of his life were half a man's whom weB
Lament and would yet not bid him back to beB
Partaker of all the woes and ways of menA
Life sent him enough of sorrow not againA
Would anguish of love beholding him set freeB
Bring back the beloved to suffer life and seeB
No light but the fire of grief that scathed him thenA
We know not at all we hope and do not fearC
We shall not again behold him late so nearC
Who now from afar above with eyes alightD
And spirit enkindled haply toward us hereE
Looks down unforgetful yet of days like nightD
And love that has yet his sightless face in sightD
-
I-
TRANSFIGURATIONA
-
But half a man's days and his days were nightsF
What hearts were ours who loved him should we prayG
That night would yield him back to darkling dayG
Sweet death that soothes to life that spoils and smitesF
For now perchance life lovelier than the light'sF
That shed no comfort on his weary wayG
Shows him what none may dream to see or sayG
Ere yet the soul may scale those topless heightsF
Where death lies dead and triumph Haply thereH
Already may his kindling eyesight findI
Faces of friends no face than his more fairH
And first among them found of all his kindI
Milton with crowns from Eden on his hairH
And eyes that meet a brother's now not blindI
-
II-
DELIVERANCEF
-
O Death fair Death sole comforter and sweetJ
Nor Love nor Hope can give such gifts as thineA
Sleep hardly shows us round thy shadowy shrineA
What roses hang what music floats what feetJ
Pass and what wings of angels We repeatJ
Wild words or mild disastrous or divineA
Blind prayer blind imprecation seeing no signA
Nor hearing aught of thee not faint and fleetJ
As words of men or snowflakes on the windI
But if we chide thee saying Thou hast sinned thou hast sinnedK
Dark Death to take so sweet a light awayG
As shone but late though shadowed in our skiesF
We hear thine answer Night has given what dayG
Denied him darkness hath unsealed his eyesF
-
III-
THANKSGIVINGL
-
Could love give strength to thank thee Love can giveM
Strong sorrow heart to suffer what we bearH
We would not put away albeit this wereN
A burden love might cast aside and liveO
Love chooses rather pain than palliativeM
Sharp thought than soft oblivion May we dareH
So trample down our passion and our prayerH
That fain would cling round feet now fugitiveM
And stay them so remember so forgetP
What joy we had who had his presence yetP
What griefs were his while joy in him was oursF
And grief made weary music of his breathQ
As even to hail his best and last of hoursF
With love grown strong enough to thank thee DeathQ
-
IVM
LIBITINA VERTICORDIAP
-
Sister of sleep healer of life divineA
As rest and strong as very love may beB
To set the soul that love could set not freeB
To bid the skies that day could bid not shineA
To give the gift that life withheld was thineA
With all my heart I loved one borne from meB
And all my heart bows down and praises theeB
Death that hast now made grief not his but mineA
O Changer of men's hearts we would not bid theeB
Turn back our hearts from sorrow this aloneA
We bid we pray thee from thy sovereign throneA
And sanctuary sublime where heaven has hid theeB
Give grace to know of those for whom we weepR
That if they wake their life is sweet as sleepR
-
VB
THE ORDER OF RELEASEF
-
Thou canst not give it Grace enough is oursF
To know that pain for him has fallen on restP
The worst we know was his on earth the bestP
We fain would think a thought no fear deflowersF
Is his released from bonds of rayless hoursF
Ah turn our hearts from longing bid our questP
Cease as content with failure This thy guestP
Sleeps vexed no more of time's imperious powersF
The spirit of hope the spirit of change and lossF
The spirit of love bowed down beneath his crossF
Nor now needs comfort from the strength of songS
Love should he wake bears now no cross for himT
Dead hope whose living eyes like his were dimT
Has brought forth better comfort strength more strongS
-
VIM
PSYCHAGOGOSF
-
As Greece of old acclaimed thee God and manA
So Death our tongue acclaims thee yet wast thouU
Hailed of old Rome as Romans hail thee nowU
Goddess and woman Since the sands first ranA
That told when first man's life and death beganA
The shadows round thy blind ambiguous browU
Have mocked the votive plea the pleading vowU
That sought thee sorrowing fain to bless or banA
But stronger than a father's love is thineA
And gentler than a mother's Lord and GodP
Thy staff is surer than the wizard rodP
That Hermes bare as priest before thy shrineA
And herald of thy mercies We could giveM
Nought when we would have given thou bidst him liveM
-
VIIM
THE LAST WORDP
-
So many a dream and hope that went and cameV
So many and sweet that love thought like to beB
Of hours as bright and soft as those for meB
That made our hearts for song's sweet love the sameV
Lie now struck dead that hope seems one with shameV
O Death thy name is Love we know it and seeB
The witness yet for very love's sake weB
Can hardly bear to mix with thine his nameV
Philip how hard it is to bid thee partP
Thou knowest if aught thou knowest where now thou artP
Of us that loved and love thee None may tellW
What none but knows how hard it is to sayF
The word that seals up sorrow darkens dayF
And bids fare forth the soul it bids farewellW

Algernon Charles Swinburne



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