The Lowest Room Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCB DEFE GHIH JKLK MNON PQPQ RHQH SPIP RPPP TIHI LPUP PVPV WRUR XYZY A2B2C2B2 BFD2F E2F2PG2 FBLB A2H2I2H2 PLPL FJ2NJ2 K2IL2I PM2PM2 PHN2H O2PEP PP2Q2P2 ZG2R2G2 HPUP PS2ES2 T2HOH U2HSH PV2W2V2 V2HHH X2PY2P HW2RW2 D2PZ2P HA3HA3 PHB3H PHB3H PC3B2C3 PHD3H PHY2H HE3HE3 HPF F3G3FA HHHH HHPH RHPH PHH3H HABA HHQH HHI3H J3PPP HK3HK3 Y2HSH HHHH HL3M3L3 RFPF FHZH N3HY2H O3P3B2E3 HB2HB2 HHAH PPQ3P HM3HM3 HKPK R3HD3H PHPH S2S3PS3 HHKH

Like flowers sequestered from the sunA
And wind of summer day by dayB
I dwindled paler whilst my hairC
Showed the first tinge of greyB
-
Oh what is life that we should liveD
Or what is death that we must dieE
A bursting bubble is our lifeF
I also what am IE
-
What is your grief now tell me sweetG
That I may grieve my sister saidH
And stayed a white embroidering handI
And raised a golden headH
-
Her tresses showed a richer massJ
Her eyes looked softer than my ownK
Her figure had a statelier heightL
Her voice a tenderer toneK
-
Some must be second and not firstM
All cannot be the first of allN
Is not this too but vanityO
I stumble like to fallN
-
So yesterday I read the actsP
Of Hector and each clangorous kingQ
With wrathful great AEacidesP
Old Homer leaves a stingQ
-
The comely face looked up againR
The deft hand lingered on the threadH
Sweet tell me what is Homer's stingQ
Old Homer's sting she saidH
-
He stirs my sluggish pulse like wineS
He melts me like the wind of spiceP
Strong as strong Ajax' red right handI
And grand like Juno's eyesP
-
I cannot melt the sons of menR
I cannot fire and tempest tossP
Besides those days were golden daysP
Whilst these are days of drossP
-
She laughed a feminine low laughT
Yet did not stay her dexterous handI
Now tell me of those days she saidH
When time ran golden sandI
-
Then men were men of might and rightL
Sheer might at least and weighty swordsP
Then men in open blood and fireU
Bore witness to their wordsP
-
Crest rearing kings with whistling spearsP
But if these shivered in the shockV
They wrenched up hundred rooted treesP
Or hurled the effacing rockV
-
Then hand to hand then foot to footW
Stern to the death grip grappling thenR
Who ever thought of gunpowderU
Amongst these men of menR
-
They knew whose hand struck home the deathX
They knew who broke but would not bendY
Could venerate an equal foeZ
And scorn a laggard friendY
-
Calm in the utmost stress of doomA2
Devout toward adverse powers aboveB2
They hated with intenser hateC2
And loved with fuller loveB2
-
Then heavenly beauty could allayB
As heavenly beauty stirred the strifeF
By them a slave was worshipped moreD2
Than is by us a wifeF
-
She laughed again my sister laughedE2
Made answer o'er the laboured clothF2
I rather would be one of usP
Than wife or slave or bothG2
-
Oh better then be slave or wifeF
Than fritter now blank life awayB
Then night had holiness of nightL
And day was sacred dayB
-
The princess laboured at her loomA2
Mistress and handmaiden alikeH2
Beneath their needles grew the fieldI2
With warriors armed to strikeH2
-
Or look again dim Dian's faceP
Gleamed perfect through the attendant nightL
Were such not better than those holesP
Amid that waste of whiteL
-
A shame it is our aimless lifeF
I rather from my heart would feedJ2
From silver dish in gilded stallN
With wheat and wine the steedJ2
-
The faithful steed that bore my lordK2
In safety through the hostile landI
The faithful steed that arched his neckL2
To fondle with my handI
-
Her needle erred a moment's pauseP
A moment's patience all was wellM2
Then she But just suppose the horseP
Suppose the rider fellM2
-
Then captive in an alien houseP
Hungering on exile's bitter breadH
They happy they who won the lotN2
Of sacrifice she saidH
-
Speaking she faltered while her lookO2
Showed forth her passion like a glassP
With hand suspended kindling eyeE
Flushed cheek how fair she wasP
-
Ah well be those the days of drossP
This if you will the age of goldP2
Yet had those days a spark of warmthQ2
While these are somewhat coldP2
-
Are somewhat mean and cold and slowZ
Are stunted from heroic growthG2
We gain but little when we proveR2
The worthlessness of bothG2
-
But life is in our hands she saidH
In our own hands for gain or lossP
Shall not the Sevenfold Sacred FireU
Suffice to purge our drossP
-
Too short a century of dreamsP
One day of work sufficient lengthS2
Why should not you why should not IE
Attain heroic strengthS2
-
Our life is given us as a blankT2
Ourselves must make it blest or curstH
Who dooms me I shall only beO
The second not the firstH
-
Learn from old Homer if you willU2
Such wisdom as his books have saidH
In one the acts of Ajax shineS
In one of DiomedH
-
Honoured all heroes whose high deedsP
Through life through death enlarge their spanV2
Only Achilles in his rageW2
And sloth is less than manV2
-
Achilles only less than manV2
He less than man who half a godH
Discomfited all Greece with restH
Cowed Ilion with a nodH
-
He offered vengeance lifelong griefX2
To one dear ghost uncounted priceP
Beasts Trojans adverse gods himselfY2
Heaped up the sacrificeP
-
Self immolated to his friendH
Shrined in world's wonder Homer's pageW2
Is this the man the less than menR
Of this degenerate ageW2
-
Gross from his acorns tusky boarD2
Does memorable acts like hisP
So for her snared offended youngZ2
Bleeds the swart lionessP
-
But here she paused our eyes had metH
And I was whitening with the jeerA3
She rose I went too far she saidH
Spoke low Forgive me dearA3
-
To me our days seem pleasant daysP
Our home a haven of pure contentH
Forgive me if I said too muchB3
So much more than I meantH
-
Homer though greater than his godsP
With rough hewn virtues was sufficedH
And rough hewn men but what are suchB3
To us who learn of ChristH
-
The much moved pathos of her voiceP
Her almost tearful eyes her cheekC3
Grown pale confessed the strength of loveB2
Which only made her speakC3
-
For mild she was of few soft wordsP
Most gentle easy to be ledH
Content to listen when I spokeD3
And reverence what I saidH
-
I elder sister by six yearsP
Not half so glad or wise or goodH
Her words rebuked my secret selfY2
And shamed me where I stoodH
-
She never guessed her words reprovedH
A silent envy nursed withinE3
A selfish souring discontentH
Pride born the devil's sinE3
-
I smiled half bitter half in jestH
The wisest man of all the wiseP
Left for his summary of lifeF
'Vanity of vanities '-
-
Beneath the sun there's nothing newF3
Men flow men ebb mankind flows onG3
If I am wearied of my lifeF
Why so was SolomonA
-
Vanity of vanities he preachedH
Of all he found of all he soughtH
Vanity of vanities the gistH
Of all the words he taughtH
-
This in the wisdom of the worldH
In Homer's page in all we findH
As the sea is not filled so yearnsP
Man's universal mindH
-
This Homer felt who gave his menR
With glory but a transient stateH
His very Jove could not reverseP
Irrevocable fateH
-
Uncertain all their lot save thisP
Who wins must lose who lives must dieH
All trodden out into the darkH3
Alike all vanityH
-
She scarcely answered when I pausedH
But rather to herself said OneA
Is here low voiced and loving YeaB
Greater than SolomonA
-
So both were silent she and IH
She laid her work aside and wentH
Into the garden walks like springQ
All gracious with contentH
-
A little graver than her wontH
Because her words had fretted meH
Not warbling quite her merriest tuneI3
Bird like from tree to treeH
-
I chose a book to read and dreamJ3
Yet half the while with furtive eyesP
Marked how she made her choice of flowersP
Intuitively wiseP
-
And ranged them with instinctive tasteH
Which all my books had failed to teachK3
Fresh rose herself and daintierH
Than blossom of the peachK3
-
By birthright higher than myselfY2
Though nestling of the self same nestH
No fault of hers no fault of mineS
But stubborn to digestH
-
I watched her till my book unmarkedH
Slid noiseless to the velvet floorH
Till all the opulent summer worldH
Looked poorer than beforeH
-
Just then her busy fingers ceasedH
Her fluttered colour went and cameL3
I knew whose step was on the walkM3
Whose voice would name her nameL3
-
-
-
Well twenty years have passed since thenR
My sister now a stately wifeF
Still fair looks back in peace and seesP
The longer half of lifeF
-
The longer half of prosperous lifeF
With little grief or fear or fretH
She loved and loving long agoZ
Is loved and loving yetH
-
A husband honourable braveN3
Is her main wealth in all the worldH
And next to him one like herselfY2
One daughter golden curledH
-
Fair image of her own fair youthO3
As beautiful and as sereneP3
With almost such another loveB2
As her own love has beenE3
-
Yet though of world wide charityH
And in her home most tender doveB2
Her treasure and her heart are storedH
In the home land of loveB2
-
She thrives God's blessed husbandryH
Most like a vine which full of fruitH
Doth cling and lean and climb toward heavenA
While earth still binds its rootH
-
I sit and watch my sister's faceP
How little altered since the hoursP
When she a kind light hearted girlQ3
Gathered her garden flowersP
-
Her song just mellowed by regretH
For having teased me with her talkM3
Then all forgetful as she heardH
One step upon the walkM3
-
While I I sat alone and watchedH
My lot in life to live aloneK
In mine own world of interestsP
Much felt but little shownK
-
Not to be first how hard to learnR3
That lifelong lesson of the pastH
Line graven on line and stroke on strokeD3
But thank God learned at lastH
-
So now in patience I possessP
My soul year after tedious yearH
Content to take the lowest placeP
The place assigned me hereH
-
Yet sometimes when I feel my strengthS2
Most weak and life most burdensomeS3
I lift mine eyes up to the hillsP
From whence my help shall comeS3
-
Yea sometimes still I lift my heartH
To the Archangelic trumpet burstH
When all deep secrets shall be shownK
And many last be firstH

Christina Rossetti



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