Easter Day Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCD EED EFFGGHHDDIJD EED HHGKGKLLD GGMMMNNOOEED NNNNPPQQEED NNNND RRSSTTTD UUVVWWNND NXXNNNNND TTYNYN TNNNZZNA2A2EED B2B2GC2D2E2E2D2F2F2G 2G2D B2B2RRSH2I2I2NND NNNNEED NNNNNNJ2NJ2NEEDNaples | A |
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Through the great sinful streets of Naples as I past | B |
With fiercer heat than flamed above my head | C |
My heart was hot within me till at last | B |
My brain was lightened when my tongue had said | C |
Christ is not risen | D |
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Christ is not risen no | E |
He lies and moulders low | E |
Christ is not risen | D |
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What though the stone were rolled away and though | E |
The grave found empty there | F |
If not there then elsewhere | F |
If not where Joseph laid Him first why then | G |
Where other men | G |
Translaid Him after in some humbler clay | H |
Long ere to day | H |
Corruption that sad perfect work hath done | D |
Which here she scarcely lightly had begun | D |
The foul engendered worm | I |
Feeds on the flesh of the life giving form | J |
Of our most Holy and Anointed One | D |
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He is not risen no | E |
He lies and moulders low | E |
Christ is not risen | D |
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What if the women ere the dawn was grey | H |
Saw one or more great angels as they say | H |
Angels or Him himself Yet neither there nor then | G |
Nor afterward nor elsewhere nor at all | K |
Hath He appeared to Peter or the Ten | G |
Nor save in thunderous terror to blind Saul | K |
Save in an after Gospel and late Creed | L |
He is not risen indeed | L |
Christ is not risen | D |
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Or what if e'en as runs the tale the Ten | G |
Saw heard and touched again and yet again | G |
What if at Emma s' inn and by Capernaum's Lake | M |
Came One the bread that brake | M |
Came One that spake as never mortal spake | M |
And with them ate and drank and stood and walked about | N |
Ah 'some' did well to 'doubt' | N |
Ah the true Christ while these things came to pass | O |
Nor heard nor spake nor walked nor dreamt alas | O |
He was not risen no | E |
He lay and moulder low | E |
Christ was not risen | D |
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As circulates in some great city crowd | N |
A rumour changeful vague importunate and loud | N |
From no determined centre or of fact | N |
Or authorship exact | N |
Which no man can deny | P |
Nor verify | P |
So spread the wondrous fame | Q |
He all the same | Q |
Lay senseless mouldering low | E |
He was not risen no | E |
Christ was not risen | D |
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Ashes to ashes dust to dust | N |
As of the unjust also of the just | N |
Yea of that Just One too | N |
This is the one sad Gospel that is true | N |
Christ is not risen | D |
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Is He not risen and shall we not rise | R |
Oh we unwise | R |
What did we dream what wake we to discover | S |
Ye hills fall on us and ye mountains cover | S |
In darkness and great gloom | T |
Come ere we thought it is our day of doom | T |
From the cursed world which is one tomb | T |
Christ is not risen | D |
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Eat drink and play and think that this is bliss | U |
There is no Heaven but this | U |
There is no Hell | V |
Save Earth which serves the purpose doubly well | V |
Seeing it visits still | W |
With equallest apportionment of ill | W |
Both good and bad alike and brings to one same dust | N |
The unjust and the just | N |
With Christ who is not risen | D |
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Eat drink and die for we are souls bereaved | N |
Of all the creatures under heaven's wide cope | X |
We are most hopeless who had once most hope | X |
And most beliefless that had most believed | N |
Ashes to ashes dust to dust | N |
As of the unjust also of the just | N |
Yea of that just One too | N |
It is the one sad Gospel that is true | N |
Christ is not risen | D |
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Weep not beside the tomb | T |
Ye women unto whom | T |
He was great solace while ye tended Him | Y |
Ye who with napkin o'er the head | N |
And folds of linen round each wounded limb | Y |
Laid out the Sacred Dead | N |
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And thou that bar'st Him in thy wondering womb | T |
Yea Daughters of Jerusalem depart | N |
Bind up as best ye may your own sad bleeding heart | N |
Go to your homes your living children tend | N |
Your earthly spouses love | Z |
Set your affections not on things above | Z |
Which moth and rust corrupt which quickliest come to end | N |
Or pray if pray ye must and pray if pray ye can | A2 |
For death since dead is He whom ye deemed more than man | A2 |
Who is not risen no | E |
But lies and moulders low | E |
Who is not risen | D |
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Ye men of Galilee | B2 |
Why stand ye looking up to heaven where Him ye ne'er may see | B2 |
Neither ascending hence nor returning hither again | G |
Ye ignorant and idle fishermen | C2 |
Hence to your huts and boats and inland native shore | D2 |
And catch not men but fish | E2 |
Whate'er things ye might wish | E2 |
Him neither here nor there ye e'er shall meet with more | D2 |
Ye poor deluded youths go home | F2 |
Mend the old nets ye left to roam | F2 |
Tie the split oar patch the torn sail | G2 |
It was indeed an 'idle tale' | G2 |
He was not risen | D |
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And oh good men of ages yet to be | B2 |
Who shall believe because ye did not see | B2 |
Oh be ye warned be wise | R |
No more with pleading eyes | R |
And sobs of strong desire | S |
Unto the empty vacant void aspire | H2 |
Seeking another and impossible birth | I2 |
That is not of your own and only mother earth | I2 |
But if there is no other life for you | N |
Sit down and be content since this must even do | N |
He is not risen | D |
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One look and then depart | N |
Ye humble and ye holy men of heart | N |
And ye I ye ministers and stewards of a Word | N |
Which ye would preach because another heard | N |
Ye worshippers of that ye do not know | E |
Take these things hence and go | E |
He is not risen | D |
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Here on our Easter Day | N |
We rise we come and lo we find Him not | N |
Gardener nor other on the sacred spot | N |
Where they have laid Him there is none to say | N |
No sound nor in nor out no word | N |
Of where to seek the dead or meet the living Lord | N |
There is no glistering of an angel's wings | J2 |
There is no voice of heavenly clear behest | N |
Let us go hence and think upon these things | J2 |
In silence which is best | N |
Is He not risen No | E |
But lies and moulders low | E |
Christ is not risen | D |
Arthur Hugh Clough
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