Senlin, A Biography: Part 01: His Dark Origins - 01 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDCEEFFFGHIIJKL MNNOOPQPPQHRORSSBB| Senlin sits before us and we see him | A |
| He smokes his pipe before us and we hear him | A |
| Is he small with reddish hair | B |
| Does he light his pipe with meditative stare | B |
| And a pointed flame reflected in both eyes | C |
| Is he sad and happy and foolish and wise | C |
| Did no one see him enter the doors of the city | D |
| Looking above him at the roofs and trees and skies | C |
| 'I stepped from a cloud' he says 'as evening fell | E |
| I walked on the sound of a bell | E |
| I ran with winged heels along a gust | F |
| Or is it true that I laughed and sprang from dust | F |
| Has no one in a great autumnal forest | F |
| When the wind bares the trees | G |
| Heard the sad horn of Senlin slowly blown | H |
| Has no one on a mountain in the spring | I |
| Heard Senlin sing | I |
| Perhaps I came alone on a snow white horse | J |
| Riding alone from the deep starred night | K |
| Perhaps I came on a ship whose sails were music | L |
| Sailing from moon or sun on a river of light ' | M |
| He lights his pipe with a pointed flame | N |
| 'Yet there were many autumns before I came | N |
| And many springs And more will come long after | O |
| There is no horn for me or song or laughter | O |
| The city dissolves about us and its walls | P |
| Become an ancient forest There is no sound | Q |
| Except where an old twig tires and falls | P |
| Or a lizard among the dead leaves crawls | P |
| Or a flutter is heard in darkness along the ground | Q |
| Has Senlin become a forest Do we walk in Senlin | H |
| Is Senlin the wood we walk in ourselves the world | R |
| Senlin we cry Senlin again No answer | O |
| Only soft broken echoes backward whirled | R |
| Yet we would say this is no wood at all | S |
| But a small white room with a lamp upon the wall | S |
| And Senlin before us pale with reddish hair | B |
| Lights his pipe with a meditative stare | B |
Conrad Aiken
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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