A Letter From The Trenches To A School Friend Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFBGGHHIIDD HHJJKKLMMLNOOPQRRDDS STUUUVVWWJJBBXXJYAD OOGGBBZZGGA2A2B2B2XZ C2C2C2C2GGC2C2GFD2D2 FFGGFFC2C2E2E2

I have not brought my OdysseyA
With me here across the seaA
But you'll remember when I sayB
How when they went down Sparta wayB
To sandy Sparta long ere dawnC
Horses were harnessed rations drawnC
Equipment polished sparkling brightD
And breakfasts swallowed as the whiteD
Of eastern heavens turned to goldE
The dogs barked swift farewells were toldE
The sun springs up the horses neighF
Crackles the whip thrice then awayB
From sun go up to sun go downG
All day across the sandy downG
The gallant horses galloped tillH
The wind across the downs more chillH
Blew the sun sank and all the roadI
Was darkened that it only showedI
Right at the end the town's red lightD
And twilight glimmering into nightD
-
The horses never slackened tillH
They reached the doorway and stood stillH
Then came the knock the unlading thenJ
The honey sweet converse of menJ
The splendid bath the change of dressK
Then oh the grandeur of their MessK
The henchmen the prim stewardessL
And oh the breaking of old groundM
The tales after the port went roundM
The wondrous wiles of old OdysseusL
Old Agamemnon and his misuseN
Of his command and that young chitO
Paris who didn't care a bitO
For Helen only to annoy herP
He did it really K T AQ
But soon they led amidst the dinR
The honey sweet inR
Whose eyes were blind whose soul had sightD
Who knew the fame of men in fightD
Bard of white hair and trembling footS
Who sang whatever God might putS
Into his heartT
And there he sungU
Those war worn veterans amongU
Tales of great war and strong hearts wrungU
Of clash of arms of council's brawlV
Of beauty that must early fallV
Of battle hate and battle joyW
By the old windy walls of TroyW
They felt that they were unreal thenJ
Visions and shadow forms not menJ
But those the Bard did sing and sayB
Some were their comrades some were theyB
Took shape and loomed and strengthened moreX
Greatly than they had guessed of yoreX
And now the fight begins againJ
The old war joy the old war painY
Sons of one school across the seaA
We have no fear to fightD
-
And soon oh soon I do not doubt itO
With the body or without itO
We shall all come tumbling downG
To our old wrinkled red capped townG
Perhaps the road up llsley wayB
The old ridge track will be my wayB
High up among the sheep and skyZ
Look down on Wantage passing byZ
And see the smoke from Swindon townG
And then full left at LiddingtonG
Where the four winds of heaven meetA2
The earth blest traveller to greetA2
And then my face is toward the southB2
There is a singing on my mouthB2
Away to rightward I descryX
My Barbury ensconced in skyZ
Far underneath the Ogbourne twinsC2
And at my feet the thyme and whinsC2
The grasses with their little crownsC2
Of gold the lovely Aldbourne downsC2
And that old signpost well I knewG
That crazy signpost arms askewG
Old mother of the four grass waysC2
And then my mouth is dumb with praiseC2
For past the wood and chalkpit tinyG
A glimpse of MarlboroughF
So I descend beneath the railD2
To warmth and welcome and wassailD2
-
This from the battered trenches roughF
Jingling and tedious enoughF
And so I sign myself to youG
One who some crooked pathways knewG
Round Bedwyn who could scarcely leaveF
The Downs on a December eveF
Was at his happiest in shortsC2
And got not many good reportsC2
Small skill of rhyming in his handE2
But you'll forgive you'll understandE2

Charles Hamilton Sorley



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