Late March Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCD EFGHIJGKLMNOPQRSK TUGVWXYGZA2B2C2 ID2E2F2G2H2I2J2K2 UEL2M2N2G2O2P2Q2 R2K2GP2H2IS2ET2U2V2I W2X2| Saturday morning in late March | A |
| I was alone and took a long walk | B |
| though I also carried a book | C |
| of the Alone which companioned me | D |
| - | |
| The day was clear unnaturally clear | E |
| like a freshly wiped pane of glass | F |
| a window over the water | G |
| and blue preternaturally blue | H |
| like the sky in a Magritte painting | I |
| and cold vividly cold so that | J |
| you could clap your hands and remember | G |
| winter which had left a few moments ago | K |
| if you strained you could almost see it | L |
| disappearing over the hills in a black parka | M |
| Spring was coming but hadn't arrived yet | N |
| I walked on the edge of the park | O |
| The wind whispered a secret to the trees | P |
| which held their breath | Q |
| and scarcely moved | R |
| On the other side of the street | S |
| the skyscrapers stood on tiptoe | K |
| - | |
| I walked down to the pier to watch | T |
| the launching of a passenger ship | U |
| Ice had broken up on the river | G |
| and the water rippled smoothly in blue light | V |
| The moon was a faint smudge | W |
| in the clouds a brushstroke an afterthought | X |
| in the vacant mind of the sky | Y |
| Seagulls materialized out of vapor | G |
| amidst the masts and flags | Z |
| Don't let our voices die on land | A2 |
| they cawed swooping down for fish | B2 |
| and then soaring back upwards | C2 |
| - | |
| The kiosks were opening | I |
| and couples moved slowly past them | D2 |
| arm in arm festive | E2 |
| Children darted in and out of walkways | F2 |
| which sprouted with vendors | G2 |
| Voices greeted the air | H2 |
| Kites and balloons Handmade signs | I2 |
| Voyages to unknown places | J2 |
| The whole day had the drama of an expectation | K2 |
| - | |
| Down at the water the queenly ship | U |
| started moving away from the pier | E |
| Banners fluttered | L2 |
| The passengers clustered at the rails on deck | M2 |
| I stood with the people on shore and waved | N2 |
| goodbye to the travelers | G2 |
| Some were jubilant | O2 |
| others were broken hearted | P2 |
| I have always been both | Q2 |
| - | |
| Suddenly a great cry went up | R2 |
| The ship set sail for the horizon | K2 |
| and rumbled into the future | G |
| but the cry persisted | P2 |
| and cut the air | H2 |
| like an iron bell ringing | I |
| in an empty church | S2 |
| I looked around the pier | E |
| but everyone else was gone | T2 |
| and I was left alone | U2 |
| to peer into the ghostly distance | V2 |
| I had no idea where that ship was going | I |
| but I felt lucky to see it off | W2 |
| and bereft when it disappeared | X2 |
Edward Hirsch
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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