Two Christmas Eves Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBAACCDDEEFFGG HHIIJJKKLLMMNNOOPPQQ NNKKCC RRSSTUVVWWXXNNYY LLLZA2B2B2 C2C2FFFB2B2D2D2GGE2F 2SSG2H2CCI2I2J2J2 K2K2FF L2L2M2N2N2QQQAAJ2J2O 2O2QQF2F2 P2P2NNQQQ2Q2R2R2S2S2 T2T2U2U2AA A V2V2NNNW2W2K2K2 CCX2X2Y2QB2B2Z2Z2A3B 3KKC3C3 C3C3D3D3C3C3 KKKC3C3E3 F2E2F3F3G3G3C3C3C3 D2D2H3H3C3C3I3I3 KKO2J3F3D2C3C3C3C3C3 C3EE EK3RRL3L3H3H3 A C3C3C3C3C3C3C3C3D2D2 F3I | A |
- | |
THE white snow veils the earth's brown face | B |
Strong frost has bound the veil in place | B |
Under the wide clear dark blue sky | A |
All choked with snow the hollows lie | A |
Dead white the fields once summer sweet | C |
And woodlands where we used to meet | C |
We don't meet now we never part | D |
Ever together heart to heart | D |
We've worked lost often seldom won | E |
Seen pleasures ended pains begun | E |
Have done our best and faced we two | F |
Almost the worst that Fate could do | F |
Yet not Fate's uttermost of ill | G |
Since here we are together still | G |
- | |
- | |
For me you left my dearest best | H |
Your girlhood's safe warm sheltered nest | H |
For me gave up all else that could | I |
Have made your woman life seem good | I |
You thought a man's whole heart was worth | J |
Just all the other wealth of earth | J |
I thought my painter's brush would be | K |
A magic wand for you and me | K |
What dreams we had of fame and gold | L |
Of Art that never could withhold | L |
From me who loved her so full powers | M |
To make my love for her serve ours | M |
To shape and build a palace fair | N |
Of radiant hours and place you there | N |
Art turned away her face from us | O |
And all the dreaming's ended thus | O |
Our garret's cold the wind is keen | P |
And cuts these rotten boards between | P |
There is no lock upon the door | Q |
No carpet on the uneven floor | Q |
No curtain to the window where | N |
Through frost blanched panes the moon's cold stare | N |
Fronts us She's careless used to see | K |
This world of ours and misery | K |
Why how you shiver Oh my sweet | C |
How cold your hands are and your feet | C |
- | |
- | |
How hot this face of yours I kiss | R |
How could our love have led to this | R |
What devil is there over all | S |
That lets such things as this befall | S |
It was not want of striving Love | T |
Bear witness for me how I strove | U |
Worked till I grew quite sick and faint | V |
Worked till I could not see to paint | V |
Because my eyes were sore and wet | W |
Yet never sold one picture yet | W |
We would have worked yes there's the sting | X |
We would have worked at anything | X |
Our hands asked work There's work somewhere | N |
That makes it all more hard to bear | N |
Yet we could never understand | Y |
Where is the work that asks our hand | Y |
- | |
- | |
There's no more firing and the cold | L |
Is biting through your shawl's thin fold | L |
And both the blankets have been sold | L |
Nestle beside me in my arm | Z |
And let me try to keep you warm | A2 |
We pawned the table and the bed | B2 |
To get our last week's fire and bread | B2 |
- | |
- | |
And now the last crust's eaten Well | C2 |
There's nothing left to pawn or sell | C2 |
Our rent is due on Monday too | F |
How can we pay it I and you | F |
What shall we do What shall we do | F |
And we are what was that you said | B2 |
You are so tired Your dearest head | B2 |
Is burning hot and aching so | D2 |
Ah yes I know it is I know | D2 |
You're tired and weak and faint and ill | G |
And fevers burn and shiverings chill | G |
This world of mine I'm holding here | E2 |
If I could suffer only dear | F2 |
But all the burdens on you fall | S |
And I sit here and bear it all | S |
And other men and other wives | G2 |
Who never worked in all their lives | H2 |
No nor yet loved as we have sweet | C |
Are wrapped in furs warm hands and feet | C |
And feast to night in homes made bright | I2 |
With blazing logs and candle light | I2 |
Not dark like this where we two sit | J2 |
Who chose to work and starve for it | J2 |
- | |
- | |
Don't go to sleep you mustn't sleep | K2 |
Here on the frozen floor Yes creep | K2 |
Closer to me Oh if I knew | F |
What is this something left to do | F |
- | |
- | |
Listen to me It's Christmas Eve | L2 |
When hearts grow warmer I believe | L2 |
And friends forget and friends forgive | M2 |
What if we stifled down my pride | N2 |
And put your bitter thoughts aside | N2 |
And asked your father's help once more | Q |
True when we asked for it before | Q |
He turned and cursed us both and swore | Q |
That he disowned you You and I | A |
Had made our bed and there must lie | A |
That he would help us not one whit | J2 |
Though we should die for want of it | J2 |
Now I shall ask his help again | O2 |
It's colder now than it was then | O2 |
The cold creeps closer to life's core | Q |
Death's nearer to us than before | Q |
And when your father sees how near | F2 |
He may relent and save you dear | F2 |
- | |
- | |
For my sake love I am too weak | P2 |
To bear your tears upon my cheek | P2 |
Your sobs against my heart to bear | N |
Those eyes of yours and their despair | N |
Not faltering my own pain I bore | Q |
I cannot bear yours any more | Q |
Stand up You're stiff That will not last | Q2 |
The stairs are dark They'll soon be passed | Q2 |
You're tired My sweet I know you are | R2 |
But try to walk it isn't far | R2 |
Oh that the Christ they say was born | S2 |
On that dream distant Christmas morn | S2 |
May hear and help us now Be strong | T2 |
Yes lean on me Perhaps ere long | T2 |
All this gone by will only seem | U2 |
A half remembered evil dream | U2 |
Come I will help you walk We'll try | A |
Just this last venture you and I | A |
- | |
- | |
- | |
II | A |
- | |
Failed Back again in the ice gloom | V2 |
Of our bare bleak rat haunted room | V2 |
The moon still looks what does she care | N |
To see my moon flower lying there | N |
My rose once red and white and fair | N |
Now white and wan and pinched and thin | W2 |
Cold through the coat I've wrapped her in | W2 |
And shivering even in her sleep | K2 |
To hear how wakeful rats can keep | K2 |
- | |
- | |
We dragged our weary faltering feet | C |
Through the bright noisy crowded street | C |
And reached the square where stern in stone | X2 |
Her father's town house sulks alone | X2 |
Sick stupid helpless wretched poor | Y2 |
We waited at her father's door | Q |
They let us in Then let us tread | B2 |
Through the warm hall with soft furs spread | B2 |
Next 'Name and business ' Oh exact | Z2 |
Were the man's orders how to act | Z2 |
If e'er his master's child should come | A3 |
To cross the threshold of her home | B3 |
I told our name The man 'would see | K |
If any message was' for me | K |
We waited there without a word | C3 |
How warm the whole house was We heard | C3 |
- | |
- | |
Soft music with soft voices blent | C3 |
And smelt sweet flowers with mingled scent | C3 |
And heard the wine poured out that chink | D3 |
That glass makes as the diners drink | D3 |
The china clatter We at least | C3 |
Appreciated that night's feast | C3 |
- | |
- | |
Then some one gave a note to me | K |
With insolent smile I read 'When she | K |
Is tired of love and poverty | K |
And chooses to return to what | C3 |
She left the duties she forgot | C3 |
And never see again this man | E3 |
And be here as before she can ' | - |
- | |
- | |
We came away that much is clear | F2 |
I don't know how we got back here | E2 |
I must have carried her somehow | F3 |
And have been strong enough And now | F3 |
She lies asleep and I awake | G3 |
Must do this something for her sake | G3 |
The only possible thing to do | C3 |
Oh love to cut our soul in two | C3 |
And take 'this man' away from you | C3 |
- | |
- | |
If now I let your father know | D2 |
My choice is made and that I go | D2 |
And you are here oh love oh wife | H3 |
I break my heart and save your life | H3 |
Doubt what to do All doubt's about | C3 |
The deeds that are not worth a doubt | C3 |
This deed takes me and I obey | I3 |
And there is nothing left to say | I3 |
- | |
- | |
Good bye dear eyes I cannot see | K |
Weep only gently eyes for me | K |
Dear lips I've kissed and kissed again | O2 |
Lose those encircling lines of pain | J3 |
Dear face so thin and faded now | F3 |
Win back youth's grace and light and glow | D2 |
Oh hands I hold in mine oh heart | C3 |
That holds mine in it we must part | C3 |
When you wake up and find me fled | C3 |
And find your father here instead | C3 |
Will you not wonder how my feet | C3 |
Ever could turn from you my sweet | C3 |
Ah no your heart and mine are one | E |
Our heart will tell you how 'twas done | E |
- | |
- | |
No more we meet until I've won | E |
Enough to dare be happy on | K3 |
And if I fail I have known bliss | R |
And bliss has bred an hour like this | R |
I am past Fate's harming all her power | L3 |
Could mix nought bitterer than this hour | L3 |
Good bye our room our marriage life | H3 |
Oh kiss me through your dreams my wife | H3 |
- | |
- | |
- | |
III | A |
- | |
I have grown rich I have found out | C3 |
The thing men break their hearts about | C3 |
I have dug gold and gold and sold | C3 |
My diggings and reaped in more gold | C3 |
Sowed that and reaped again and played | C3 |
For stakes and always won and made | C3 |
More money than we'll ever spend | C3 |
And have forborne one word to send | C3 |
It has been easier for her so | D2 |
To wait one year and then to know | D2 |
How all is well and how | F3 |
Edith Nesbit
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Two Christmas Eves poem by Edith Nesbit
Best Poems of Edith Nesbit