The Convent Threshold Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCADCBEFEDDGDGD HIIIHJKLHLMML NOPONQQP RSSTUTJRVVVWT XYXYXXZZA2B2 C2D2D2C2NYYNE2XAXF2A C2G2XH2XF2H2I2G2J2 WK2K2G2G2J2I2WWL2WLL 2M2G2G2 XG2XN2O2N2O2P2P2 WWDDQ2R2R2Q2Q2P2Q2XQ 2S2S2X NP2XO2Q2NG2G2VP2V VAD2E2C2VD2AAT2T2A

There's blood between us love my loveA
There's father's blood there's brother's bloodB
And blood's a bar I cannot passC
I choose the stairs that mount aboveA
Stair after golden sky ward stairD
To city and to sea of glassC
My lily feet are soiled with mudB
With scarlet mud which tells a taleE
Of hope that was of guilt that wasF
Of love that shall not yet availE
Alas my heart if I could bareD
My heart this selfsame stain is thereD
I seek the sea of glass and fireG
To wash the spot to burn the snareD
Lo stairs are meant to lift us higherG
Mount with me mount the kindled stairD
-
Your eyes look earthward mine look upH
I see the far off city grandI
Beyond the hills a watered landI
Beyond the gulf a gleaming strandI
Of mansions where the righteous supH
Who sleep at ease among their treesJ
Or wake to sing a cadenced hymnK
With Cherubim and SeraphimL
They bore the Cross they drained the cupH
Racked roasted crushed wrenched limb from limbL
They the offscouring of the worldM
The heaven of starry heavens unfurledM
The sun before their face is dimL
-
You looking earthward what see youN
Milk white wine flushed among the vinesO
Up and down leaping to and froP
Most glad most full made strong with winesO
Blooming as peaches pearled with dewN
Their golden windy hair afloatQ
Love music warbling in their throatQ
Young men and women come and goP
-
You linger yet the time is shortR
Flee for your life gird up your strengthS
To flee the shadows stretched at lengthS
Show that day wanes that night draws nighT
Flee to the mountain tarry notU
Is this a time for smile and sighT
For songs among the secret treesJ
Where sudden blue birds nest and sportR
The time is short and yet you stayV
To day while it is called to dayV
Kneel wrestle knock do violence prayV
To day is short to morrow nightW
Why will you die why will you dieT
-
You sinned with me a pleasant sinX
Repent with me for I repentY
Woe's me the lore I must unlearnX
Woe's me the easy way we wentY
So rugged when I would returnX
How long until my sleep beginX
How long shall stretch these nights and daysZ
Surely clean Angels cry she praysZ
She laves her soul with tedious tearsA2
How long must stretch these years and yearsB2
-
I turn from you my cheeks and eyesC2
My hair which you shall see no moreD2
Alas for joy that went beforeD2
For joy that dies for love that diesC2
Only my lips still turn to youN
My livid lips that cry RepentY
O weary life O weary LentY
O weary time whose stars are fewN
How should I rest in ParadiseE2
Or sit on steps of heaven aloneX
If Saints and Angels spoke of loveA
Should I not ansnwer from my throneX
Have pity upon me ye my friendsF2
For I have heard the sound thereofA
Should I not turn with yearning eyesC2
Turn earthwards with a pitiful pangG2
Oh save me from a pang in heavenX
By all the gifts we took and gaveH2
Repent repent and be forgivenX
This life is long but yet it endsF2
Repent and purge your soul and saveH2
No gladder song the morning starsI2
Upon their birthday morning sangG2
Than Angels sing when one repentsJ2
-
I tell you what I dreamed last nightW
A spirit with transfigured faceK2
Fire footed clomb an infinite spaceK2
I heard his hundred pinions clangG2
Heaven bells rejoicing rang and rangG2
Heaven air was thrilled with subtle scentsJ2
Worlds spun upon their rushing carsI2
He mounted shrieking Give me lightW
Still light was poured on him more lightW
Angels Archangels he outstrippedL2
Exultant in exceeding mightW
And trod the skirts of CherubimL
Still Give me light he shrieked and dippedL2
His thirsty face and drank a seaM2
Athirst with thirst it could not slakeG2
I saw him drunk with knowledge takeG2
-
From aching brows the aureole crownX
His locks writhe like a cloven snakeG2
He left his throne to grovel downX
And lick the dust of Seraphs' feetN2
For what is knowledge duly weighedO2
Knowledge is strong but love is sweetN2
Yea all the progress he had madeO2
Was but to learn that all is smallP2
Save love for love is all in allP2
-
I tell you what I dreamed last nightW
It was not dark it was not lightW
Cold dews had drenched my plenteous hairD
Through clay you came to seek me thereD
And Do you dream of me you saidQ2
My heart was dust that used to leapR2
To you I answered half asleepR2
My pillow is damp my sheets are redQ2
There's a leaden tester to my bedQ2
Find you a warmer playfellowP2
A warmer pillow for your headQ2
A kinder love to love than mineX
You wrung your hands while I like leadQ2
Crushed downwards through the sodden earthS2
You smote your hands but not in mirthS2
And reeled but were not drunk with wineX
-
For all night long I dreamed of youN
I woke and prayed against my willP2
Then slept to dream of you againX
At length I rose and knelt and prayedO2
I cannot write the words I saidQ2
My words were slow my tears were fewN
But through the dark my silence spokeG2
Like thunder When this morning brokeG2
My face was pinched my hair was greyV
And frozen blood was on the sillP2
Where stifling in my struggle I layV
-
If now you saw me you would sayV
Where is the face I used to loveA
And I would answer Gone beforeD2
It tarries veiled in ParadiseE2
When once the morning star shall riseC2
When earth with shadow flees awayV
And we stand safe within the doorD2
Then you shall lift the veil thereofA
Look up rise up for far aboveA
Our palms are grown our place is setT2
There we shall meet as once we metT2
And love with old familiar loveA

Christina Rossetti



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