Elixer Vitæ Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABBCACDD EFE FGEGHH IJIJJKIKL MNMNNOMODD| Of life's elixir I had writ when sleep | A |
| Pray Heaven it spared him who the writing read | B |
| Settled upon my senses with so deep | A |
| A stupefaction that men thought me dead | B |
| The centuries stole by with noiseless tread | B |
| Like spectres in the twilight of my dream | C |
| I saw mankind in dim procession sweep | A |
| Through life oblivion at each extreme | C |
| Meanwhile my beard like Barbarossa's growing | D |
| Loaded my lap and o'er my knees was flowing | D |
| - | |
| - | |
| The generations came with dance and song | E |
| And each observed me curiously there | F |
| Some asked 'Who was he ' Others in the throng | E |
| Replied 'A wicked monk who slept at prayer ' | - |
| Some said I was a saint and some a bear | F |
| These all were women So the young and gay | G |
| Visibly wrinkling as they fared along | E |
| Doddered at last on failing limbs away | G |
| Though some their footing in my beard entangled | H |
| Fell into its abysses and were strangled | H |
| - | |
| - | |
| At last a generation came that walked | I |
| More slowly forward to the common tomb | J |
| Then altogether stopped The women talked | I |
| Excitedly the men with eyes agloom | J |
| Looked darkly on them with a look of doom | J |
| And one cried out 'We are immortal now | K |
| How need we these ' And a dread figure stalked | I |
| Silent with gleaming axe and shrouded brow | K |
| And all men cried 'Decapitate the women | L |
| Or soon there'll be no room to stand or swim in ' | - |
| - | |
| - | |
| So in my dream each lovely head was chopped | M |
| From its fair shoulders and but men alone | N |
| Were left in all the world Birth being stopped | M |
| Enough of room remained in every zone | N |
| And Peace ascended Woman's vacant throne | N |
| Thus life's elixir being found the quacks | O |
| Their bread and butter in it gladly sopped | M |
| 'Twas made worth having by the headsman's axe | O |
| Seeing which I gave myself a hearty shaking | D |
| And crumbled all to powder in the waking | D |
Ambrose Bierce
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