And So To-day Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDE FGHI JKLMNOLLLPALGLLGQ RL STLLU ABCDE VLLE TWXYZWA2LLA2 AB2PLA2E A2C2A2C2A2 LTD2D2 E2LF2G2OA2 AH2SI2OL LLLLLJ2A2K2A2 C2L2LM2C2Q SN2O2SD2 B2A2F2P2B2Q2 RR2 LXLS2OT2LM2Q U2P2 V2L2W2CLX2 CCVF2B2L CCLLLG2 LYL LLL LLCL LLYCLY2LYAL Z2YLLGLC2LM2LY

And so to day they lay him awayA
the boy nobody knows the name ofB
the buck private the unknown soldierC
the doughboy who dug under and diedD
when they told him to that's himE
-
Down Pennsylvania Avenue to day the riders goF
men and boys riding horses roses in their teethG
stems of roses rose leaf stalks rose dark leavesH
the line of the green ends in a red rose flashI
-
Skeleton men and boys riding skeleton horsesJ
the rib bones shine the rib bones curveK
shine with savage elegant curvesL
a jawbone runs with a long white slantM
a skull dome runs with a long white archN
bone triangles click and rattleO
elbows ankles white line slantsL
shining in the sun past the White HouseL
past the Treasury Building Army and Navy BuildingsL
on to the mystic white Capitol DomeP
so they go down Pennsylvania Avenue to dayA
skeleton men and boys riding skeleton horsesL
stems of roses in their teethG
rose dark leaves at their white jaw slantsL
and a horse laugh question nickers and whinniesL
moans with a whistle out of horse head teethG
why who whereQ
-
'The big fish eat the little fishR
the little fish eat the shrimpsL
and the shrimps eat mud '-
said a cadaverous man with a black umbrellaS
spotted with white polka dots with a missingT
ear with a missing foot and armsL
with a missing sheath of musclesL
singing to the silver sashes of the sunU
-
And so to day they lay him awayA
the boy nobody knows the name ofB
the buck private the unknown soldierC
the doughboy who dug under and diedD
when they told him to that's himE
-
If he picked himself and said 'I am ready to die '-
if he gave his name and said 'My country take me '-
then the baskets of roses to day are for the BoyV
the flowers the songs the steamboat whistlesL
the proclamations of the honorable oratorsL
they are all for the Boy that's himE
-
If the government of the Republic picked him sayingT
'You are wanted your country takes you'W
if the Republic put a stethoscope to his heartX
and looked at his teeth and tested his eyes and saidY
'You are a citizen of the Republic and a soundZ
animal in all parts and functions the Republic takes you'W
then to day the baskets of flowers are all for the RepublicA2
the roses the songs the steamboat whistlesL
the proclamations of the honorable oratorsL
they are all for the RepublicA2
-
And so to day they lay him awayA
and an understanding goes his long sleep shall beB2
under arms and arches near the Capitol DomeP
there is an authorization he shall have tomb companionsL
the martyred presidents of the RepublicA2
the buck private the unknown soldier that's himE
-
The man who was war commander of the armies of the RepublicA2
rides down Pennsylvania AvenueC2
The man who is peace commander of the armies of the RepublicA2
rides down Pennsylvania AvenueC2
for the sake of the Boy for the sake of the RepublicA2
-
And the hoofs of the skeleton horsesL
all drum soft on the asphalt footingT
so soft is the drumming so soft the roll callD2
of the grinning sergeants calling the roll callD2
so soft is it all a camera man murmurs 'Moonshine '-
-
Look who salutes the coffinE2
lays a wreath of remembranceL
on the box where a buck privateF2
sleeps a clean dry sleep at lastG2
look it is the highest ranking generalO
of the officers of the armies of the RepublicA2
-
Among pigeon corners of the Congressional Library theyA
file documents quietly casually all in a day's workH2
this human document the buck private nobody knows theS
name of they file away in granite and steel with musicI2
and roses salutes proclamations of the honorableO
oratorsL
-
Across the country between two ocean shore linesL
where cities cling to rail and water routesL
there people and horses stop in their foot tracksL
cars and wagons stop in their wheel tracksL
faces at street crossings shine with a silenceL
of eggs laid in a row on a pantry shelfJ2
among the ways and paths of the flow of the RepublicA2
faces come to a standstill sixty clockticks countK2
in the name of the Boy in the name of the RepublicA2
-
A million faces a thousand miles from Pennsylvania AvenueC2
stay frozen with a look a clocktick a momentL2
skeleton riders on skeleton horses the nickering high horseL
laughM2
the whinny and the howl up Pennsylvania AvenueC2
who why whereQ
-
So people far from the asphalt footing of PennsylvaniaS
Avenue look wonder mumble the riding white jawN2
phantoms ride hi eeee hi eeee hi yi hi yi hi eeeeO2
the proclamations of the honorable orators mix with theS
top sergeants whistling the roll callD2
-
If when the clockticks counted sixtyB2
when the heartbeats of the RepublicA2
came to a stop for a minuteF2
if the Boy had happened to sit upP2
happening to sit up as Lazarus sat up in the storyB2
then the first shivering language to drip off his mouthQ2
might have come as 'Thank God ' or 'Am I dreaming '-
or 'What the hell' or 'When do we eat '-
or 'Kill 'em kill 'em the '-
or 'Was that a rat ran over my face '-
or 'For Christ's sake gimme water gimme water '-
or 'Blub blub bloo bloo '-
or any bubbles of shell shock gibberishR
from the gashes of No Man's LandR2
-
Maybe some buddy knowsL
some sister mother sweetheartX
maybe some girl who sat with him onceL
when a two horn silver moonS2
slid on the peak of a house roof gableO
and promises lived in the air of the nightT2
when the air was filled with promisesL
when any little slip shoe loveyM2
could pick a promise out of the airQ
-
'Feed it to 'emU2
they lap it upP2
bull bull bull '-
Said a movie news reel camera manV2
Said a Washington newspaper correspondentL2
Said a baggage handler lugging a trunkW2
Said a two a day vaudeville jugglerC
Said a hanky pank selling jumping jacksL
'Hokum they lap it up ' said the bunchX2
-
And a tall scar face ball playerC
Played out as a ball playerC
Made a speech of his own for the hero boyV
Sent an earful of his own to the dead buck privateF2
'It's all safe now buddyB2
Safe when you say yesL
Safe for the yes men '-
-
He was a tall scar face battlerC
With his face in a newspaperC
Reading want ads reading jokesL
Reading love murder politicsL
Jumping from jokes back to the want adsL
Reading the want ads first and lastG2
The letters of the word JOB 'J O B '-
Burnt like a shot of bootleg boozeL
In the bones of his headY
In the wish of his scar face eyesL
-
The honorable oratorsL
Always the honorable oratorsL
Buttoning the buttons on their prinz albertsL
Pronouncing the syllables 'sac ri fice '-
Juggling those bitter salt soaked syllablesL
Do they ever gag with hot ashes in their mouthsL
Do their tongues ever shrivel with a pain of fireC
Across those simple syllables 'sac ri fice'L
-
There was one orator people far off sawL
He had on a gunnysack shirt over his bonesL
And he lifted an elbow socket over his headY
And he lifted a skinny signal fingerC
And he had nothing to say nothing easyL
He mentioned ten million men mentioned them as having gone westY2
mentioned them as shoving up the daisiesL
We could write it all on a postage stamp what he saidY
He said it and quit and faded awayA
A gunnysack shirt on his bonesL
-
Stars of the night skyZ2
did you see that phantom fadeoutY
did you see those phantom ridersL
skeleton riders on skeleton horsesL
stems of roses in their teethG
rose leaves red on white jaw slantsL
grinning along on Pennsylvania AvenueC2
the top sergeants calling roll callsL
did their horses nicker a horse laughM2
did the ghosts of the boney battalionsL
move out and on up the PotY

Carl Sandburg



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