Domesday Book Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDE FGHIBJKLGMN OPQRBSTRUVH WXYZWA2 B2OWC2D2EE2F2G2H2KWI 2WJ2WW K2L2C2M2HRWRN2O2WWP2 B2Q2NHR2HS2T2NU2B2L2 L2HR2WR2V2H W2EX2Y2I2Z2RA3B3WC3M D3S2Q2

Take any life you choose and study itA
It gladdens troubles changes many livesB
The life goes out how many things resultC
Fate drops a stone and to the utmost shoresD
The circles spreadE
-
Now such a book were endlessF
If every circle riffle should be tracedG
Of any life and so of Elenor MurrayH
Whose life was humble and whose death was tragicI
And yet behold the riffles spread the livesB
That are affected and the secrets gainedJ
Of lives she never knew of as for thatK
For even the world could not contain the booksL
That should be written if all deeds were tracedG
Effects results gains losses of her lifeM
And of her deathN
-
Concretely said in briefO
A man and woman have produced this childP
What was the child's pre natal circumstanceQ
How did her birth affect the father motherR
What did their friends old women relativesB
Take from the child in feeling joy or painS
What of her childhood friends her days at schoolT
Her teachers girlhood sweethearts lovers laterR
When she became a woman What of theseU
And what of those who got effects becauseV
They knew this Elenor MurrayH
-
Then she diesW
Read how the human secrets are exposedX
In many lives because she died not allY
Lives by her death affected written hereZ
The reader may trace out such other rifflesW
As come to him this book must have an endA2
-
Enough is shown to show what could be toldB2
If we should write a world of books In briefO
One feature of the plot elaboratesW
The closeness of one life however humbleC2
With every life upon this globe In truthD2
I sit here in Chicago housed and fedE
And think the world secure at peace the clockE2
Just striking three in Europe striking eightF2
And in some province in some palace hutG2
Some words are spoken or a fisticuffH2
Results between two brawlers and for thatK
A blue eyed boy my grandson we may sayW
Not even yet in seed but to be bornI2
A half a century hence is by those wordsW
That fisticuff drawn into war in EuropeJ2
Shrieks from a bullet through the groin and liesW
Under the sod of FranceW
-
But to returnK2
To Elenor Murray I have made a bookL2
Called Domesday Book a census spiritualC2
Taken of our America or in partM2
Taken not wholly taken it may beH
For William Merival the coronerR
Who probed the death of Elenor Murray goesW
As far as may be and beyond his powerR
In diagnosis of AmericaN2
While finding out the cause of death In shortO2
Becomes a William the Conqueror that wayW
In making up a Domesday Book for usW
Of this a little later But beforeP2
We touch upon the Domesday book of oldB2
We take up Elenor Murray show her birthQ2
Then skip all time between and show her deathN
Then take up Coroner Merival who was heH
Then trace the life of Elenor Murray throughR2
The witnesses at the inquest on the bodyH
Of Elenor Murray also letters writtenS2
And essays written conversations heardT2
But all evoked by Elenor Murray's deathN
And by the way trace riffles here and thereU2
A word now on the Domesday book of oldB2
Remember not a book of doom but a bookL2
Of houses domus house so domus bookL2
And this book of the death of Elenor MurrayH
Is not a book of doom though showing tooR2
How fate was woven round her and the soulsW
That touched her soul but is a house book tooR2
Of riches poverty and weakness strengthV2
Of this our countryH
-
If you take St LukeW2
You find an angel came to Mary saidE
Hail thou art highly favored shalt conceiveX2
Bring forth a son a king for David's throneY2
So tracing life before the life was bornI2
We do the same for Elenor Murray thoughZ2
No man or angel said to Elenor's motherR
You have found favor you are blessed of GodA3
You shall conceive bring forth a daughter blestB3
And blessing you Quite otherwise the caseW
As being blest or blessing something likeC3
Perhaps in that desire or flame of lifeM
Which gifts new souls with passion strength and loveD3
This is the manner of the girl's conceptionS2
And of her birthQ2

Edgar Lee Masters



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