Canticle Of The Race Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A ABCBCBCBCB BDBEDEDE FGDHDHDHDG AFIFIAJDJDJD K KBBBBB BDBLDLDL MNBBBBBBBN OEGEGOPQGQGQ D DRSRSRSR TUTMUMUM DDGDGDGD DDVDVDWDVDDD

Song Of MenA
-
How beautiful are the bodies of menA
The agonistsB
Their hearts beat deep as a brazen gongC
For their strength's behestsB
Their arms are lithe as a seasoned thongC
In games or testsB
When they run or box or swim the longC
Sea waves crestsB
With their slender legs and their hips so strongC
And their rounded chestsB
-
I know a youth who raises his armsB
Over his headD
He laughs and stretches and flouts alarmsB
Of flood or fireE
He springs renewed from a lusty bedD
To his youth's desireE
He drowses for April flames outspreadD
In his soul's attireE
-
The strength of men is for husbandryF
Of woman's fleshG
Worker soldier magistrateD
Of city or realmH
Artist builder wrestling FateD
Lest it overwhelmH
The brood or the race or the cherished stateD
They sing at the helmH
When the waters roar and the waves are greatD
And the gale is freshG
-
There are two miracles women and menA
Yea four there beF
A woman's flesh and the strength of a manI
And God's decreeF
And a babe from the womb in a little spanI
Ere the month be tenA
Their rapturous arms entwine and clingJ
In the depths of nightD
He hunts for her face for his wonderingJ
And her eyes are brightD
A woman's flesh is soil but the springJ
Is man's delightD
-
-
Song Of WomenK
-
How beautiful is the flesh of womenK
Their throats their breastsB
My wonder is a flame which burnsB
A flame which restsB
It is a flame which no wind turnsB
And a flame which questsB
-
I know a woman who has red lipsB
Like coals which are fannedD
Her throat is tied narcissus it dipsB
From her white rose chinL
Her throat curves like a cloud to the landD
Where her breasts beginL
I close my eyes when I put my handD
On her breast's white skinL
-
The flesh of women is like the skyM
When bare is the moonN
Rhythm of backs hollow of necksB
And sea shell loinsB
I know a woman whose splendors vexB
Where the flesh joinsB
A slope of light and a circumflexB
Of clefts and coignsB
She thrills like the air when silence wrecksB
An ended tuneN
-
These are the things not made by hands in the earthO
Water and fireE
The air of heaven and springs afreshG
And love's desireE
And a thing not made is a woman's fleshG
Sorrow and mirthO
She tightens the strings on the lyric lyreP
And she drips the wineQ
Her breasts bud out as pink and neshG
As buds on the vineQ
For fire and water and air are fleshG
And love is the shrineQ
-
-
Song Of The Human SpiritD
-
How beautiful is the human spiritD
In its vase of clayR
It takes no thought of the chary doleS
Of the light of dayR
It labors and loves as it were a soulS
Whom the gods repayR
With length of life and a golden goalS
At the end of the wayR
-
There are souls I know who arch a domeT
And tunnel a hillU
They chisel in marble and fashion in chromeT
And measure the skyM
They find the good and destroy the illU
And they bend and plyM
The laws of nature out of a willU
While the fates denyM
-
I wonder and worship the human spiritD
When I beholdD
Numbers and symbols and how they reachG
Through steel and goldD
A harp a battle ship thought and speechG
And an hour foretoldD
It ponders its nature to turn and teachG
And itself to mouldD
-
The human spirit is God no doubtD
Is flesh made the wordD
Jesus Beethoven and RaphaelV
And the souls who heardD
Beyond the rim of the world the swellV
Of an ocean stirredD
By a Power on the waters inscrutableW
There are souls who girdD
Their loins in faith that the world is wellV
In a faith unblurredD
How beautiful is the human spiritD
The flesh made the wordD

Edgar Lee Masters



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