The Organist Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCCBDDB EEFGGFHHF AAIJJIKKL HHMNNJOOM PPMIIMQQM RRSFFSPPS JJHTTHAAH UUVWWVXXV FFMAAMJJM JJHYYHVVH AAZA2A2ZNNZ B2B2FJJFC2C2F D2D2HEEHE2E2HIn his dim chapel day by day | A |
The organist was wont to play | A |
And please himself with fluted reveries | B |
And all the spirit's joy and strife | C |
The longing of a tender life | C |
Took sound and form upon the ivory keys | B |
And though he seldom spoke a word | D |
The simple hearts that loved him heard | D |
His glowing soul in these | B |
- | |
One day as he wrapped a sound | E |
Of feet stole near he turned and found | E |
A little maid that stood beside him there | F |
She started and in shrinking wise | G |
Besought him with her liquid eyes | G |
And little features very sweet and spare | F |
You love the music child he said | H |
And laid his hand upon her head | H |
And smoothed her matted hair | F |
- | |
She answered At the door one day | A |
I sat and heard the organ play | A |
I did not dare to come inside for fear | I |
But yesterday a little while | J |
I crept half up the empty aisle | J |
And heard the music sounding sweet and clear | I |
To day I thought you would not mind | K |
For master dear your face was kind | K |
And so I came up here | L |
- | |
You love the music then he said | H |
And still he stroked her golden head | H |
And followed out some winding reverie | M |
And you are poor said he at last | N |
The maiden nodded and he passed | N |
His hand across his forehead dreamingly | J |
And will you be my friend he spake | O |
And on the organ learn to make | O |
Grand music here with me | M |
- | |
And all the little maiden's face | P |
Was kindled with a grateful grace | P |
Oh master teach me I will slave for thee | M |
She cried and so the child grew dear | I |
To him and slowly year by year | I |
He taught her all the organ's majesty | M |
And gave her from his slender store | Q |
Bread and warm clothing that no more | Q |
Her cheeks were pinched to see | M |
- | |
And year by year the maiden grew | R |
Taller and lovelier and the hue | R |
Deepened upon her tender cheeks untried | S |
Rounder and queenlier and more fair | F |
Her form grew and her golden hair | F |
Fell yearly richer at the master's side | S |
In speech and bearing form and face | P |
Sweeter and graver grace by grace | P |
Her beauties multiplied | S |
- | |
And sometimes at his work a glow | J |
Would touch him and he murmured low | J |
How beautiful she is and bent his head | H |
And sometimes when the day went by | T |
And brought no maiden he would sigh | T |
And lean and listen to her velvet tread | H |
And he would drop his hands and say | A |
My music cometh not to day | A |
Pray God she be not dead | H |
- | |
So the sweet maiden filled his heart | U |
And with her growing grew his art | U |
For day by day more wondrously he played | V |
Such heavenly things the master wrought | W |
That in his happy dreams he thought | W |
The organ's self did love the gold haired maid | V |
But she the maiden never guessed | X |
What prayers for her in hours of rest | X |
The sombre organ prayed | V |
- | |
At last one summer morning fair | F |
The maiden came with braided hair | F |
And took his hands and held them eagerly | M |
To morrow is my wedding day | A |
Dear master bless me that the way | A |
Of life be smooth not bitter unto me | M |
He stirred not but the light did go | J |
Out of his shrunken cheeks and oh | J |
His head hung heavily | M |
- | |
You love him then I love him well | J |
She answered and a numbness fell | J |
Upon his eyes and all his heart that bled | H |
A glory half a smile abode | Y |
Within the maiden's eyes and glowed | Y |
Upon her parted lips The master said | H |
God bless and bless thee little maid | V |
With peace and long delight and laid | V |
His hands upon her head | H |
- | |
And she was gone and all that day | A |
The hours crept up and slipped away | A |
And he sat still as moveless as a stone | Z |
The night came down with quiet stars | A2 |
And darkened him in coloured bars | A2 |
Along the shadowy aisle the moonlight shone | Z |
And then the master woke and passed | N |
His hands across the keys at last | N |
And made the organ moan | Z |
- | |
The organ shook the music wept | B2 |
For sometimes like a wail it crept | B2 |
In broken moanings down the shadows drear | F |
And otherwhiles the sound did swell | J |
And like a sudden tempest fell | J |
Through all the windows wonderful and clear | F |
The people gathered from the street | C2 |
And filled the chapel seat by seat | C2 |
They could not choose but hear | F |
- | |
And there they sat till dawning light | D2 |
Nor ever stirred to awe To night | D2 |
The master hath a noble mood they said | H |
But on a sudden ceased the sound | E |
Like ghosts the people gathered round | E |
And on the keys they found his fallen head | H |
The silent organ had received | E2 |
The master's broken heart relieved | E2 |
And he was white and dead | H |
Archibald Lampman
(1)
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