The Three Kings Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II JJ KK LL MM N OO LL FF P QQ MM RR SS TT E UU VV DD WW PP XX YY ZZ A2A2 HH LB2 C2C2 D2D2 OO EE II E2E2 D2D2 KK F2F2WHEN the star in the East was lit to shine | A |
The three kings journeyed to Palestine | A |
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They came from the uttermost parts of earth | B |
With long trains laden with gifts of worth | B |
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The first king rode on a camel's back | C |
He came from the land where the kings are black | C |
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Bringing treasures desired of kings | D |
Rubies and ivory and precious things | D |
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An elephant carried the second king | E |
He came from the land of the sun rising | E |
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And gems and gold and spices he bare | F |
With broidered raiment for kings to wear | F |
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The third king came without steed or train | G |
From the misty land where the white kings reign | G |
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He bore no gifts save the myrrh in his hand | H |
For he came on foot from a far off land | H |
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Now when they had travelled a many days | I |
Through tangled forests and desert ways | I |
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By angry seas and by paths thorn set | J |
On Christmas Vigil the three kings met | J |
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And over their meeting a shrouded sky | K |
Made dark the star they had travelled by | K |
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Then the first king spake and he frowned and said | L |
'By some ill spell have our feet been led | L |
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'Now I see in the darkness the fools we are | M |
To follow the light of a lying star | M |
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'Let us fool no more but like kings and men | N |
Each get him home to his land again ' | - |
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Then the second king with the weary face | O |
Gold tinct as the sun of his reigning place | O |
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Lifted sad eyes to the clouds and said | L |
'It was but a dream and the dream is sped | L |
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'We dreamed of a star that rose new and fair | F |
But it sets in the night of the old despair | F |
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'Yet night is faithful though stars betray | P |
It will lead to our kingdoms far away ' | - |
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Then spake the king who had fared alone | Q |
From the far off kingdom the white hung throne | Q |
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'O brothers brothers so very far | M |
Ye have followed the light of the radiant star | M |
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'And because for a while ye see it not | R |
Shall its faithful shining be all forgot | R |
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'On the spirit's pathway the light still lies | S |
Though the star be hid from our longing eyes | S |
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'To morrow our star will be bright once more | T |
The little pin hole in heaven's floor | T |
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'The Angels pricked it to let it bring | E |
Our feet to the throne of the new born King ' | - |
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And the first king heard and the second heard | U |
And their hearts grew humble before the third | U |
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And they laid them down beside bale and beast | V |
and their sleeping eyes saw light in the East | V |
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For the Angels fanned them with starry wings | D |
And the waft of visions of unseen things | D |
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And the next gold day waned trembling and white | W |
And the star was born of the waxing night | W |
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And the three kings came where the Great King lay | P |
A little baby among the hay | P |
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The ox and the ass were standing near | X |
And Mary Mother beside her Dear | X |
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Then low in the litter the kings bowed down | Y |
They gave Him gold for a kingly crown | Y |
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And frankincense for a great God's breath | Z |
and Myrrh to sweeten the day of death | Z |
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The Maiden Mother she stood and smiled | A2 |
And she took from the manger her little child | A2 |
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On the dark king's head she laid His hand | H |
And anger died at that dear command | H |
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She laid His hand on the gold king's head | L |
And despair itself was comforted | B2 |
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But when the pale king knelt in the stall | C2 |
She heard on the straw his tears down fall | C2 |
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And she stooped where he knelt beside her feet | D2 |
And laid on his bosom her baby sweet | D2 |
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And the king in the holy stable place | O |
Felt the little lips through the tears on his face | O |
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Christ lay Thy hand on the angry king | E |
Who reigns in my breast to my undoing | E |
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And lay thy hands on the king who lays | I |
The spell of sadness on all my days | I |
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And give the white king my soul Thy soul | E2 |
Of these other kings the high control | E2 |
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That soul and spirit and sense may meet | D2 |
In adoration before Thy feet | D2 |
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Now Glory to God the Father Most High | K |
And the Star the Spirit He leads us by | K |
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And to God's dear Son the Babe who was born | F2 |
And laid in the manger on Christmas morn | F2 |
Edith Nesbit
(1)
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