Voyaging Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDC EFEF GHIH JIJI KFK LMLN OJFJ PQPR S ST FKFK UHUH VFWF XLXL YZA2Z N B2 C2D2C2F K K E2F2G2H2 I2FI2F KLKL J2KK2K L2M2 K N2 O2 YP2YP2 KFKF P2KQ2K P2FP2F KP2KP2 P2FR2 I2KI2K FP2KP2 S2P2T2F F FT2 T2FT2P2 U2P2J FP2 P2 V2FW2P2 X2S2X2S2

for Maxime du CampA
-
I-
-
The wide eyed child in love with maps and plansB
Finds the world equal to his appetiteC
How grand the universe by light of lampsD
How petty in the memory's clear sightC
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One day we leave with fire in the brainE
Heart great with rancour bitter in its moodF
Outward we travel on the rolling mainE
Lulling infinity in finitudeF
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Some gladly flee their homelands gripped in viceG
Some horrors of their childhood others stillH
Astrologers lost in a woman's eyesI
Some perfumed Circe with a tyrant's willH
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Not to become a beast each desperate oneJ
Makes himself drunk on space and blazing skiesI
The gnawing ice the copper burning sunJ
Efface the scars of kisses and of liesI
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But the true voyagers set out to seaK
Just for the leaving's sake hearts lift aloftF
Nothing dissuades them from their destinyK
Something beyond their knowing cries 'We're off '-
-
These then whose ecstasies are wide as airL
As conscripts dream of cannons have their dreamsM
Of luxuries beyond what man can bearL
Such as the soul has neither named nor seenN
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-
II-
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Our actions are grotesque in leaps and boundsO
We waltz like balls or tops when day is doneJ
Our curiosity rolls us aroundF
As if a cruel Angel lashed the sunJ
-
Strange thing it is to chase a shifting fakeP
A goal that's nowhere anywhere at allQ
Man whose anticipation stays awakeP
To find his rest goes racing like a foolR
-
Our soul's three master seeks the blessed isleS
A voice on deck shouts 'Ho there have a look '-
Some crow's nest spy cries in romantic styleS
'Love glory happiness ' Damn just a rockT
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Each isle is named the long awaited sightF
The Eldorado of our DestinyK
Fancy that grows us orgies in the nightF
Breaks on a reef in morning's clarityK
-
Oh the inebriate of distant landsU
This sot who sees Americas at willH
Must he be chained abandoned on the sandsU
Whose visions make the gulf more bitter stillH
-
So the old tramp who shumes in the filthV
Dreams of a paradise and lifts his headF
In his wild eyes Capua and her wealthW
Wherever candle glow lights up a shedF
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III-
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Fabulous voyagers What historiesX
Are there behind your deep and distant stareL
Show us the treasures of your memoriesX
Those jewels and riches made of stars and airL
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We're travellers afraid of steam and sailY
Here in our prison every day's the sameZ
Oh paint across the canvas of our soulsA2
Your memoirs with horizon as their frameZ
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Tell us what have you seenN
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IVB2
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'We've seen the starsC2
And waves and we have seen the sandy shoresD2
Despite disasters all our jolts and jarsC2
On sea on land we find that we are boredF
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The glorious sun across the violet seaK
Great sunlit cities dreaming as they lie-
Made our heart yearn with fierce intensityK
To plunge towards those reflections in the sky-
-
Rich cities and the grandest mountain spiresE2
Somehow could never hold the same allureF2
As shifting clouds the shape of our desiresG2
Which left us unfulfilled and insecureH2
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Surely enjoyment quickens passion's sparkI2
Desire old tree that fattens on delightF
As you grow older toughening your barkI2
You want to see the sun from nearer heightF
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Do you grow always taller grandest treeK
Older than cypress Still we have with careL
Brought sketch book pieces from across the seaK
For brothers who love all that's strange and rareL
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Idols with trunks we've greeted in our timeJ2
Great palaces enwrought with filigreeK
And jewelled thrones in luminous designK2
To send your brokers dreams of bankruptcyK
-
Scant costumes that can stupefy the gazeL2
On painted women every nail and toothM2
And subtle jugglers wise in serpents' ways '-
-
-
VK
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And then and then what moreN2
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VI-
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' childish dupesO2
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You want the truth We'll tell you without failY
We never thought to search it out but sawP2
From heights to depths through all the mortal scaleY
The numbing spectacle of human flawP2
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Woman vile slave proud in stupidityK
Tasteless and humourless in self conceitF
Man greedy tyrant lustful slovenlyK
Slave of the slave a sewer in the streetF
-
The hangman jokes the martyr sobs and faintsP2
The feast of blood is seasoned perfectlyK
Poison of power drains a tyrant's strengthQ2
Whose subjects love the whip's brutalityK
-
Religions like our own in most detailsP2
Climb skyward on their saints who it is saidF
Indulge their lusts with hairshirts or with nailsP2
As dainty fops sprawl on a feather bedF
-
Drunk on her genius HumanityK
Mad now as she has always been or worseP2
Cries to her God in raging agonyK
Master my image damn you with this curseP2
-
Not quite so foolish bold demented onesP2
Flee from the feeding lot that holds the herdF
Their boundless shelter is in opiumR2
From all the world such always is the word '-
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VII-
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How bitter what we learn from voyagingI2
The small and tedious world gives us to seeK
Now always the real horror of the thingI2
Ourselves that sad oasis in ennuiK
-
Must one depart or stay Stand it and stayF
Leave if you must One runs one finds a spaceP2
To hide and cheat the deadly enemyK
Called Time Alas some run a constant raceP2
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The twelve apostles or the Wandering JewS2
For them no ship avails no ways or meansP2
To flee that gladiator others knowT2
From infancy how to defeat the fiendF
-
Finally though his boot is on our chestF
Then may we hope and call out 'Onward ho '-
Even as once we set out for the EastF
Our eyes fixed widely hair blown to and froT2
-
Now sailing on the sea of shades we goT2
With all the plans of passengers well pleasedF
To hear the voice funereal and lowT2
That sings 'This way Come here and take your easeP2
-
And eat the Lotus Here we gather inU2
These fruits for hearts that yearn for strange delightsP2
Intoxicate yourselves on alienJ
Enjoyment through these days without a night '-
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We understand the phantom's friendly partF
That Pylades who reaches out to teaseP2
'Swim towards Electra now to ease your heart '-
She cries and long ago we kissed her kneesP2
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VIII-
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O Death old captain time to make our tripV2
This country bores us Death Let's get awayF
Even if sky and sea are black as pitchW2
You know our hearts are full of sunny raysP2
-
Serve us your poison sir to treat us wellX2
Minds burning we know what we have to doS2
And plunge to depths of Heaven or of HellX2
To fathom the Unknown and find the newS2

Charles Baudelaire



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