The Watch At Midnight Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEEEFE EEFEEFGGHIIJEEFKKFLL EMMEEENEEN EEEEEEMMOOEEPP FFMQRQFFEQFSS EBEBKOKGETETLKLKETET EEUUEE EVEVPEEEPEEEEEBBEWWX EEYZZA2LLEA2EB2B2E EB2C2C2D2D2EEEEEEE2E 2F2F2G2EH2EI2I2J2PII IK2K2EEBB L2L2C2C2J2J2M2M2WWGG N2N2UUO2O2EEEEP2P2Q2 Q2EE

Dead stars beneath the midnight's granite copeA
and round your dungeon gulf that blindly gropeA
and fall not since no lower than any placeB
needs when the wing is dash'd and foil'd the faceB
is this your shadow on the watcher's thoughtC
imposed or rather hath his anguish taughtC
the dumb and suffering dark to send you outD
reptile the doubles of his lurking doubtD
in coasts of night that well might be supposedE
the exiled hall of chaos late deposedE
to haunt across this hour's desuetudeE
immense that whelms in monumental moodE
the broad waste of his spirit stonilyF
strewn with the wreck of his eternityE
-
The plumes of night unfurl'dE
and eyed with fire are whirl'dE
slowly above this watch funerealF
the vast is wide and yetE
no way lies open setE
no bar but the flat deep rises a placid wallF
Some throne thou think'st to winG
or pride of thy far kinG
this incomplete and dusty hour to achieveH
know that the hour is oneI
eternally begunI
eternally deferr'd thy grasp a Danaid sieveJ
O weary realm O heightE
the which exhausted flightE
familiar finds home of its prompting illF
here there or there or thereK
even the same despairK
rest in thy place O fool the heart eludes thee stillF
Rest and a new abyssL
suddenly yawns of thisL
the moment sole and yet the counterpartE
and thou must house it thouM
within thy fleshy NowM
thyself the abyss that shrinks the unbounded hermit heartE
the mightier heart untoldE
whose paining depths enfoldE
all loneliness all height all vision'd shoresN
and the abyss uncrown'dE
blank failure thro' each boundE
from the consummate point thy broken hope imploresN
-
The trees that thro' the tuneful morn had madeE
bride dusk for beams that pierce the melting shadeE
or thro' the opulent afternoon had stoodE
lordly absorb'd in hieratic moodE
now stricken with misgiving of the nightE
rise black and ominous as who inviteE
some fearful coming whose foreblown wind shall bowM
convuls'd and shuddering each dishevell'd browM
the garden that had sparkled thro' its sheenO
all day a self sufficing gem sereneO
hiding in emerald depths the vision'd whiteE
of limbs that follow their own clear delightE
exhales towards the inaccessible skiesP
commencing failing broken scents or sighsP
-
O mother onlyF
where that thou hidest theeF
crown for the lonely browM
bosom for the spent wandererQ
or balm for acheR
O motherQ
nightlyF
undiscoverableF
O heart too vast to findE
whelming our little desireQ
we wander and failF
But on the zenith mass'd a glittering throngS
the distant stars dropt a disdainful songS
-
They said because their parcel thoughtE
might nor her shadowy vast embraceB
nor be refurl'd within that noughtE
which is the hid heart of all placeB
they said She is not anywhereK
have we not sought her and not seenO
nor is there found in earth or airK
a sign to tell if she hath beenG
O fools and blind not to have foundE
is her desire not as your ownT
stirs she not in the arms that roundE
a hopeless clasp lone with the loneT
And the tense lips towards her blissL
in secret cells of anguish'd prayerK
might know her in the broken kissL
she prompts nor prompting fails to shareK
We drift from age to age nor wasteE
our strenuous song's exultant toneT
disdaining or to rest or hasteE
because each place is still our throneT
-
The anguish'd doubt broods over Eden nightE
hangs her rent banners thro' the viewless heightE
trophies and glories whence a trouble streamsU
of lamentable valour in old dreamsU
out of its blank the watcher's soul is stirr'dE
to take unto itself some olden wordE
-
O thou that achest pulse o' the unwed vastE
now in the distant centre of my brainV
dizzily narrow'd now beyond the lastE
calm circle widening of the starry plainV
where on the scatter'd edge of my surmiseP
the twilit dreams fail off and rule is spentE
vainly on vagrant bands the gulfs inviteE
to break away to the dark they backward sentE
tho' dumb with dire infection in their eyesP
startle the central seat O pulse of nightE
passing the hard throb of sun smitten bloodE
when the noon world is fused in fire and blentE
with my then unattained hero moodE
what will with me the imperious instinctE
that hounds the gulfs together on that placeB
vanishing utterly out of mortal traceB
the citadel where I would seem distinctE
if not thou ween'st a vanity my deepW
unlighted still the which thy refluent sweepW
intolerably dilates a tide that drawsX
with lunatic desire distraught and fondE
to some dark moon of vastness hung beyondE
our little limits of familiar causeY
as tho' the tense and tortured voids should dashZ
ruining amorously together a clashZ
portentous with some rose of thinnest flameA2
secret exhaled in the annull'd abyssL
that with this soul passes in that fell kissL
and to the soft sprung flush all sanctityE
surrenders centring in the blossom'd NameA2
as the dark wings of silence lovinglyE
hover above the adventurous song that faresB2
forth to the void and finds no lip that sharesB2
its rapture just the great wings spreading wideE
-
O mother thou or sister or my brideE
inevitable whom this hour in me declaresB2
were thine of old such rhythmic pangs that boreC2
my shivering soul wind waif upon the shoreC2
that is a wavering twilight thence astrayD2
beneath the empty plainness of the dayD2
me thy first want conceived to some dim endE
that my unwelcom'd love might henceward tendE
to the dumb home that draws it in thy breastE
and the veil'd couch of some divine incestE
where thou didst wait some hour of sharp delightE
to wither up in splendour the stark nightE
and haggard shame that ceremented thy dearthE2
with purest diamond blaze some overbirthE2
of the dark fire thy foresight did enmeshF2
within this hither and thither harried fleshF2
Ay yet obscurely stirs a monstrous wormG2
in the rear cavern of my dazzled thoughtE
a memory that wavers formless formH2
of superhuman nuptials clasp'd and caughtE
unto the breast that is our loathed tombI2
then issuing from the violated wombI2
tremendous birth of dreadful prodigiesJ2
begotten on the apocalyptic skiesP
one moment's hope one thrill alone was givenI
of pinions beating up the parting heavenI
but straight thereon the spectral mirk was rivenI
by shapes of snaky horror grisly jawK2
cold fear and scaly fold and endless mawK2
What terror clutch'd me even as ecstasyE
smote dire across transfigured mysteryE
and whose the sin that doom'd thee to disgraceB
to haunt the shapeless dark a burning faceB
-
eyes that would cling to mine and lips that seekL2
some baffled kiss some word they may not speakL2
condemn'd to yearn where the worn foam is hoarC2
and vain against the unshaken nightly shoreC2
Nightly thy tempting comes when the dark breezeJ2
scatters my thought among the unquiet treesJ2
and sweeps it with dead leaves o'er widow'd landsM2
and kingdoms conquer'd by no human handsM2
nightly thou wouldst exalt me in the deepW
crown'd with the morn that shines beyond our sleepW
nightly renew those nuptials and re winG
virginity and shed the doubtful sinG
but I am born into dividual lifeN2
and I have ta'en the woman for my wifeN2
a flowery pasture fenced and soft with streamsU
fill'd with slow ease and fresh with eastern beamsU
of coolest silver on the sliding waveO2
such refuge the derisive morning gaveO2
shaped featly in thy similitude to attractE
earthward the gusty soul thy temptings rack'dE
I sicken with the long unsatisfiedE
waiting the sombre gulfs of night divideE
no dawn is shown that keeps its grace nor soonP2
degraded not to brutal fires of noonP2
and heavy on my soul the tyrant laysQ2
his hand and dazzles with his common blazeQ2
eyes that are fain when evening brings the dewE
tE

Christopher John Brennan



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