Tekel Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Edith Nesbit

Tekel Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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WHEN on the West broke light from out the East	A
Then from the splendour and the shame of Rome	B
Renouncing wealth and pleasure game and feast	A
And all the joys of his polluted home	B
Desiring not the gifts his world could give	C
If haply he might save his soul and live	D
Into the desert's heart a man had come	E
	-
	-
His God had died for love of him and he	F
For love of God would die to all of these	G
Sweet sins he had not known for sins and be	F
Estranged for evermore from rest and ease	G
His days in penance spent might half atone	H
For the iniquity of days bygone	I
And in the desert might his soul find peace	J
	-
	-
Crossing wide seas he reached an alien land	K
By mighty harbours and broad streams he passed	L
Into an arid trackless waste of sand	K
And journeying ever faster and more fast	L
Left men behind and onward still did press	M
To a ruined city in the wilderness	N
And there he stayed his restless feet at last	L
	-
	-
There stood long lines of columns richly wrought	O
Colossal statues of forgotten kings	P
Vast shadowy temples court within dim court	Q
Great shapes of man faced beasts with wide firm wings	P
And in and out each broken colonnade	R
The bright eyed swift green gleaming lizards played	R
In that still place the only living things	P
	-
	-
But when the moon unveiled her still white face	S
And over sand and stone her glory shed	T
Another life awoke within the place	S
And great beasts stalked with silent heavy tread	T
Through pillared vista over marble floor	U
And the stern menace of the lion's roar	U
Made horrible the city of the dead	T
	-
	-
Like a great bird soft sinking on its nest	V
Too lightly to disturb its tender brood	W
The night with dark spread wings and cloudy breast	V
Sank on the desert city's solitude	W
As he drew near The shadows grew more dense	X
The silence stronger weariness intense	X
Fell on him then and only rest seemed good	Y
	-
	-
He passed between tall pillars' sculptured gloom	Z
And entered a deserted lightless fane	A2
And knew not if it temple were or tomb	Z
But slept and slept till over all the plain	A2
The level sunbeams spread and earth was bright	B2
With morning's radiant resurrection light	B2
Then he awoke refreshed and strong again	C2
	-
	-
Through empty courts he passed and lo a wall	D2
Whereon was imaged all the languid grace	S
Of fairest women and among them all	D2
Shone like a star one lovely Eastern face	S
Undimmed by centuries the colours were	E2
Bright as when first the painter found her fair	F2
And set her there to glorify the place	S
	-
	-
All he had fled from suddenly drew near	G2
And from her eyes a challenge seemed down thrown	H
'Ah fool ' she seemed to say 'what dost thou here	H2
How canst thou bear this stern sad life alone	H
When I not just this face that copies me	F
But I myself stretch arms and lips to thee	F
From that same world whose joys thou hast foregone '	-
	-
	-
His heart leaped up like flame she was so fair	F2
Then with a start he hid his eyes and fled	T
Into the hotness of the outer air	F2
His pulse beat quickly 'Oh my God ' he said	T
'These be the heart made pure and cleans d brain	A2
I vow to Thee to never look again	C2
On women real or painted quick or dead '	-
	-
	-
So lest within the city he should find	I2
To tempt his soul still some accurs d thing	J2
He left the palaces and courts behind	I2
Found a green spot with date palms and a spring	J2
And built himself a rough stone shelter there	F2
And saw no more the face so strange and fair	F2
That had begot such vain imagining	J2
	-
	-
He tilled the patch of land and planted seeds	K2
Which from his own far country he had brought	O
And caring little for his body's needs	K2
Strove still by blind belief to strangle thought	O
By ceaseless penance to deny desire	E2
To quench in prayer and fast all human fire	E2
And wrest from Heaven the blessings that he sought	O
	-
	-
And there peace found him and he dwelt alone	H
And gladly gave his life to God Behind	I2
Lay the long dim arcades of graven stone	H
Before him lay the desert burning blind	I2
Sometimes with the dread dance of its own sand	K
That wildly whirled in shadowy columns fanned	K
By the hot breath of the fierce desert wind	I2
	-
	-
Each day passed by as had passed other days	L2
And days gone by were as the days to come	E
Save that on some days he was wild with praise	L2
And weak with vigil and with fast on some	E
And no man saw he for long months and years	M2
But ever did he penance with hot tears	N2
And but for prayer and praise his lips were dumb	E
	-
	-
Sometimes at first when spent with watch and prayer	F2
He saw again the Imperial City's towers	O2
Where in a mist of music and sweet air	F2
Thais and Phryne crowned his cup with flowers	O2
He saw the easeful day the festal night	B2
The life that was one dream of long delight	B2
One rose red glow of rapture and fair hours	O2
	-
	-
He heard old well remembered voices cry	P2
'Come back to us Think of the joys you miss	Q2
Each moment floats some foregone rapture by	P2
A cup a crown a song a laugh a kiss	Q2
Cast down that crown of thorns return and be	F
Once more flower crowned love thrilled wine warmed and see	F
The old sweet life how good a thing it is '	-
	-
	-
But his soul answered 'Nay I am content	R2
Ye call in vain the desert shuts me in	S2
Your flowers are sere your wine with gall is blent	R2
Your sweets have all the sickening taste of sin	S2
Such sin I expiate with ceaseless pain	A2
And world and flesh and devil strive in vain	A2
Back from its sanctuary my soul to win	S2
	-
	-
'Fair are the Imperial City's towers to see	F
I seek the City with the streets of gold	R2
Beside the lilies God has grown for me	F
Faint are the roses that your fingers hold	R2
Ear hath not heard the music I shall hear	H2
Eye hath not seen the joys that shall appear	G2
Nor heart conceived the things I shall behold '	-
	-
	-
After long days a stranger halted there	F2
For some far distant monastery bound	R2
The hermit fed and lodged nor could forbear	F2
To tell his guest what rest his soul had found	R2
How with the world he long ago had done	T2
How the hard battle had been fought and won	T2
And he found peace pure perfect and profound	R2
	-
	-
The stranger answered 'Thou hast watched an hour	F2
But many hours go to make up our day	R2
And some of these are dark with fateful power	F2
And Satan watches for our souls alway	U2
The spirit may be willing but indeed	R2
The flesh is weak and so much more the need	R2
To pray and watch my brother watch and pray '	-
	-
	-
The Roman bowed his head in mute assent	R2
And having served the stranger with his best	R2
Bade him God speed and down the way he went	R2
Gazed sadly after but within his breast	R2
A pale fire of resentment sprang to flame	V2
Was he not holy now and void of blame	V2
And certain of himself and pure and blest	R2
	-
	-
That night a new born desolation grew	F2
Within his heart as he made fast the stone	H
Against the doorway of his hut and knew	F2
How more than ever he was now alone	H
He was in darkness but the moon without	R2
Made a new tender daylight round about	R2
The hut the palms the plot with millet sown	H
	-
	-
Hark what was that For many months and years	M2
He had not heard that faint uncertain noise	W2
Broken and weak and indistinct with tears	N2
A voice a human voice a woman's voice	X2
'Oh let me in ' it wailed 'before I die	R2
Oh let me in for Holy Charity	F
For see my life or death is at thy choice '	-
	-
	-
Unthinking swift he rolled the stone away	U2
There stood a woman trembling shrinking thin	S2
Her pale hair by the moon's white light looked grey	U2
And grey her hands and grey her withered skin	S2
'Oh save me lest I die among the beasts	Y2
Who roam and roar and hold their fearful feasts	Y2
Oh save me ' she besought him 'let me in '	-
	-
	-
Troubled he answered 'Nay I have a vow	Z2
Never again a woman's face to see '	-
'But ah ' she cried 'thy vow is broken now	Z2
For at this moment thou beholdest me	F
I cannot journey farther Help ' she said	R2
'Or I before the dawning shall be dead	R2
And thou repent to all eternity '	-
	-
	-
His soul was gentle and compassionate	R2
'Thou shalt not perish enter here ' he sai	R2