After Sixty Years Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABACDEC FBFBFGHIJ KLKLKMNOM PQPQPRSSR TUTVTJWWJ XYXYXXBBX XBXHXJZA2J B2XB2XB2B2C2C2B2 B2B2B2B2B2D2B2B2D2 E2LE2LE2F2B2B2G2 B2B2B2B2B2B2XXB2 XXXXXD2BBD2 XLXLXH2I2I2H2 XJ2XJ2XB2B2B2B2 B2B2B2B2B2XXXX XB2XB2XXXXX K2L2K2M2K2B2MMB2 N2C2N2C2N2O2B2B2M XP2XP2XL2O2O2M2 B2B2B2B2B2B2B2B2

RING bells flags fly and let the great crowd roarA
Its ecstasy Let the hid heart in prayerB
Lift up your name God bless you evermoreA
Lady who have the noblest crown to wearB
That ever woman woreA
A jewel in the front of time shall blazeC
This day of all your days commemorateD
With Time's white bays your brows are laureateE
And England's love shall garland all your daysC
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When England's crown to Love's acclaim was laidF
On the soft brightness of a maiden's hairB
Amid delight Love trembled half afraidF
To give that little head such weight to bearB
Bind on so slight a maidF
A kingdom's purple bid her hands hold highG
The sceptre and the heavy orb of powerH
To give to youth and beauty for a dowerI
Care and a crown sorrow and sovereigntyJ
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But from our hearts sprang an intenser flameK
When loyal Love met tender Love half wayL
And in love's script wrote on the scroll of fameK
Entwined with all the splendour of that dayL
The letters of her nameK
Then as fair roses grow 'mid leaves of greenM
Love amid loyalty grew strong and closeN
To hedge a pleasaunce round our Royal roseO
Our sovereign maiden flower our child our QueenM
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The trumpets spake in sonorous triumph shoutP
Their speech found echo in the hundred gunsQ
From countless towers the answering bells rang outP
And England's heart spoke clamorous through her sonsQ
The exulting land throughoutP
Down streets ablaze with light the flags unfurledR
Along dark lonely hills the joy fires creptS
And eager swords within their scabbards leaptS
To guard our Lady and Queen against the worldR
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Those swords are rusted now Good men and trueT
Dust in the dust are laid who held her dearU
But from their grave the bright flower springs anewT
Which for her festival we bring her hereV
The long years' meed and dueT
The bud of homage grafted on chivalryJ
God took the souls that shrined the jewel of loveW
But made their sons inheritors thereofW
In endless gold entail of loyaltyJ
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Time compensating life the fruit bestowedX
When in spent perfume passed the flower of youthY
Her feet were set upon the upward roadX
Her face was turned towards the star of truthY
That in her soul abodeX
With youth the maid's bright brow was garlandedX
But richer crowns adorn the dear white hairB
The gathered love of all the years lies thereB
In coronal benediction on her headX
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She is of our blood for hath not she too metX
The angels of delight and of despairB
Does not she too remember and forgetX
How bitter or how bright the lost days wereH
Her eyes have tears made wetX
She has seen joy unveil d even as weJ
Has laid upon cold clay the heart warm kissZ
She has known Sorrow for the king he isA2
She has held little children on her kneeJ
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Mother dear Mother these your children riseB2
And call you bless d and shall we not tooX
Who are your children in the greater wiseB2
And love you for our land and her for youX
The blessing sanctifiesB2
Your children as they breathe it at your kneesB2
And bringing little gifts from very farC2
Where the great nurseries of your Empire areC2
Your children's blessings throng from over seasB2
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On Love's spread wings and over leagues of spaceB2
Homage is borne from far off sun steeped landsB2
From many a domed mysterious Eastern placeB2
Where Secresy holds Time between her handsB2
The children of your raceB2
Reach English hands towards your English throneD2
And from the far South turn blue English eyesB2
That never saw the blue of English skiesB2
Yet call you Mother and your land their ownD2
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Where 'mid great trees the mighty waters flowE2
In arrogant submission to your swayL
In fur of price your northern hunters goE2
And shafts of ardent greeting fly your wayL
Across the splendid snowE2
And isles that with their coral safe and smallF2
Rock in the cradle of the tropic seasB2
In soft strange speech join in the litaniesB2
That pride and prayer breathe at your festivalG2
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All round the world on every far off seaB2
In wind ploughed oceans and in sun kissed baysB2
By every busy wharf and chattering quayB2
Some cantle of your Empire sails or staysB2
Flaunts your supremacyB2
Against the winds of all the world and fliesB2
Your flag triumphant between blue and blueX
Blazons to sun and star the name of youX
And spreads your glory between seas and skiesB2
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There is no cottage garden sunny sweetX
There is no pasture where our shepherds tendX
Their quiet flocks no red roofed village streetX
But holds for you the love wish of a friendX
Blent with high homage meetX
No little farm among the cornfields loneD2
No little cot upon the uplands bareB
But hears to day in blessing and in prayerB
One name Victoria and that name your ownD2
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From the vast cities where the giant's mightX
Pauseless resistless moves by night and dayL
From hidden mines where day is one with nightX
From weary lives whose days and nights are greyL
And empty of delightX
From lives that rhyme to sunshine and the springH2
From happiness at flood and hope at ebbI2
Rose the magnificent and mingled webI2
That floats your banner at your thanksgivingH2
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Throned on the surety of a splendid pastX
With present glory clothed as with the sunJ2
Crowned with the future's hopes you know at lastX
What treasure from the years your life has wonJ2
Behold your hands hold fastX
The moon of Empire and its sway controlsB2
The tides of war and peace while in those handsB2
Lies tender homage out of all the landsB2
Against whose feet your furthest ocean rollsB2
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How seems your life looked back at through the yearsB2
Much love much sorrow dead desires lost dreamsB2
A great life lived out greatly hidden tearsB2
And smiles for daily wear strong plans and schemesB2
And mighty hopes and fearsB2
War in the South and murder in the EastX
And England's heart throbs echoed by your heartX
When loss and labour and sorrow were her partX
Or when Fate bade her to some flower crowned feastX
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Red battle fields whereon your soldiers diedX
Green pastoral fields saved by the blood of theseB2
Duty that bade mere sorrow stand asideX
And love transforming anguish into easeB2
Long longing satisfiedX
Great secrets wrenched from Nature's grudging breastX
The fruit of knowledge plucked for all to eatX
These have you known Life's circle is completeX
And knowing these you know what is Life's bestX
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The dear small secrets of our common lifeK2
The English woods and hills the English homeL2
The common joys and griefs of Mother and wifeK2
Joy coming going griefs that go and comeM2
Soul's peace amid world's strifeK2
Hours when the Queen's cares leave the woman freeB2
Dear friendships where the friend forgets the QueenM
And stoops to wear a dearer homelier mienM
And be more loved than mere Queens rise to beB2
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And in your hour of triumph when you shineN2
The centre of our triumph's blazing starC2
And gazing down your long life's lustrous lineN2
Behold how great your life long glories areC2
Yet in your heart's veiled shrineN2
No splendour of all splendours that have beenO2
Will brim your eyes with tremulous thanksgivingsB2
But little memories of little thingsB2
The treasures of the woman not the QueenM
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Yet Queen because the love of you hath woundX
A golden girdle all about the earthP2
Because your name is as a trumpet soundX
To call toward you men of English birthP2
From the world's outmost boundX
Because old kinsmen long estranged from homeL2
Come with old foes to greet you friend and kinO2
With kindly eyes behold your guests come inO2
See from afar the long procession comeM2
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No Emperor in Rome's Imperial daysB2
Knew ever such a triumph day as thisB2
Though captive kings bore chains along his waysB2
Though tribute from the furthest isles was hisB2
With pageant and with praiseB2
For you free kings and free republics graceB2
Your triumph and across the conquered wavesB2
Come gifts from friends not tributes wrung from slavesB2
And praise kneels clothed in love before y-

Edith Nesbit



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