Christmas Day Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEDFGHIJKLMNDOPQR AASTUVCWXYZA2B2C2D2A E2F2G2H2I2QJ2K2L2M2N N2O2P2LQ2R2A CS2T2U2LV2W2X2Y2Z2A3 B3C3D3E3M2F3G3C3Y2H3 YC3I3J3AK3L3L3L3L3C3 X2C3KAM3DN3O3P3Q2Q3C 3C2C3C3AH2I3A Q3

How will it dawn the coming Christmas DayA
A northern Christmas such as painters loveB
And kinsfolk shaking hands but once a yearC
And dames who tell old legends by the fireD
Red sun blue sky white snow and pearled iceE
Keen ringing air which sets the blood on fireD
And makes the old man merry with the youngF
Through the short sunshine through the longer nightG
Or southern Christmas dark and dank with mistH
And heavy with the scent of steaming leavesI
And rosebuds mouldering on the dripping porchJ
One twilight without rise or set of sunK
Till beetles drone along the hollow laneL
And round the leafless hawthorns flitting batsM
Hawk the pale moths of winter Welcome thenN
At best the flying gleam the flying showerD
The rain pools glittering on the long white roadsO
And shadows sweeping on from down to downP
Before the salt Atlantic gale yet comeQ
In whatsoever garb or gay or sadR
Come fair come foul 'twill still be Christmas DayA
How will it dawn the coming Christmas DayA
To sailors lounging on the lonely deckS
Beneath the rushing trade wind Or to himT
Who by some noisome harbour of the EastU
Watches swart arms roll down the precious balesV
Spoils of the tropic forests year by yearC
Amid the din of heathen voices groaningW
Himself half heathen How to those brave heartsX
Who toil with laden loins and sinking strideY
Beside the bitter wells of treeless sandsZ
Toward the peaks which flood the ancient NileA2
To free a tyrant's captives How to thoseB2
New patriarchs of the new found underworldC2
Who stand like Jacob on the virgin lawnsD2
And count their flocks' increase To them that dayA
Shall dawn in glory and solstitial blazeE2
Of full midsummer sun to them that mornF2
Gay flowers beneath their feet gay birds aloftG2
Shall tell of nought but summer but to themH2
Ere yet unwarned by carol or by chimeI2
They spring into the saddle thrills may comeQ
From that great heart of Christendom which beatsJ2
Round all the worlds and gracious thoughts of youthK2
Of steadfast folk who worship God at homeL2
Of wise words learnt beside their mothers' kneeM2
Of innocent faces upturned once againN
In awe and joy to listen to the taleN2
Of God made man and in a manger laidO2
May soften purify and raise the soulP2
From selfish cares and growing lust of gainL
And phantoms of this dream which some call lifeQ2
Toward the eternal facts for here or thereR2
Summer or winter 'twill be Christmas DayA
-
Blest day which aye reminds us year by yearC
What 'tis to be a man to curb and spurnS2
The tyrant in us that ignobler selfT2
Which boasts not loathes its likeness to the bruteU2
And owns no good save ease no ill save painL
No purpose save its share in that wild warV2
In which through countless ages living thingsW2
Compete in internecine greed Ah GodX2
Are we as creeping things which have no LordY2
That we are brutes great God we know too wellZ2
Apes daintier featured silly birds who flauntA3
Their plumes unheeding of the fowler's stepB3
Spiders who catch with paper not with websC3
Tigers who slay with cannon and sharp steelD3
Instead of teeth and claws all these we areE3
Are we no more than these save in degreeM2
No more than these and born but to competeF3
To envy and devour like beast or herbG3
Mere fools of nature puppets of strong lustsC3
Taking the sword to perish with the swordY2
Upon the universal battle fieldH3
Even as the things upon the moor outsideY
The heath eats up green grass and delicate flowersC3
The pine eats up the heath the grub the pineI3
The finch the grub the hawk the silly finchJ3
And man the mightiest of all beasts of preyA
Eats what he lists the strong eat up the weakK3
The many eat the few great nations smallL3
And he who cometh in the name of allL3
He greediest triumphs by the greed of allL3
And armed by his own victims eats up allL3
While ever out of the eternal heavensC3
Looks patient down the great magnanimous GodX2
Who Maker of all worlds did sacrificeC3
All to Himself Nay but Himself to oneK
Who taught mankind on that first Christmas DayA
What 'twas to be a man to give not takeM3
To serve not rule to nourish not devourD
To help not crush if need to die not liveN3
O blessed day which givest the eternal lieO3
To self and sense and all the brute withinP3
Oh come to us amid this war of lifeQ2
To hall and hovel come to all who toilQ3
In senate shop or study and to thoseC3
Who sundered by the wastes of half a worldC2
Ill warned and sorely tempted ever faceC3
Nature's brute powers and men unmanned to brutesC3
Come to them blest and blessing Christmas DayA
Tell them once more the tale of BethlehemH2
The kneeling shepherds and the Babe DivineI3
And keep them men indeed fair Christmas DayA
-
-
EversleyQ3

Charles Kingsley



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Betty Ann west: It could have been said in much less time and space. I read it all. I was not impressed. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
 

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