An Island Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDEBFGHBHBBI JKBKLLBMNNMNJBOB BPPBBPPQPPPPPPRRBP BSBTTBBSBS BBBQQQUUQQBBUBBVVV BWFFQQBHHXHXXBBBTXXX X QQQYYBZQZZBBBBB BVWA2A2BBB TB2B2TBBBBTQQBBBQBNF FBN QNNQNC2QC2QD2QD2QQD2 BE2BBBBBBBBBYYBF2F2B G2H2BF2BBUVVBUVBBBWW B BWWWBBQI2I2F2F2QXXX

Take it away and swallow it yourselfA
Ha Look you there's a ratB
Last night there were a dozen on that shelfA
And two of them were living in my hatB
Look Now he goes but he'll come backC
Ha But he will I sayD
Il reviendra z agrave P acirc quesE
Ou agrave la Trinit eacuteB
Be very sure that he'll return againF
For said the Lord Imprimis we have ratsG
And having rats we have rainH
So on the seventh dayB
He rested and made PainH
Man if you love the Lord and if the LordB
Love liars I will have you at your wordB
And swallow it Voil agrave BahI
-
Where do I say it isJ
That I have lain so longK
Where do I count myself among the deadB
As once above the living and the strongK
And what is this that comes and goesL
Fades and swells and overflowsL
Like music underneath and overheadB
What is it in me now that rings and roarsM
Like fever laden wineN
What ruinous tavern shineN
Is this that lights me far from worlds and warsM
And women that were mineN
Where do I say it isJ
That Time has made my bedB
What lowering outland hostelry is thisO
For one the stars have disinheritedB
-
An island I have saidB
A peak where fiery dreams and far desiresP
Are rained on like old firesP
A vermin region by the stars abhorredB
Where falls the flaming wordB
By which I consecrate with unsuccessP
An acreage of God's forgetfulnessP
Left here above the foam and long agoQ
Made right for my duressP
Where soon the seaP
My foaming and long clamoring enemyP
Will have within the cryptic old embraceP
Of her triumphant arms a memoryP
Why then the placeP
What forage of the sky or of the shoreR
Will make it any moreR
To me than my award of what was leftB
Of number time and spaceP
-
And what is on me now that I should heedB
The durance or the silence or the scornS
I was the gardener who had the seedB
Which holds within its heart the food and fireT
That gives to man a glimpse of his desireT
And I have tilled indeedB
Much land where men may say that I have plantedB
Unsparingly my cornS
For a world harvest hauntedB
And for a world unbornS
-
Meanwhile am I to view as at a playB
Through smoke the funeral flames of yesterdayB
And think them far awayB
Am I to doubt and yet be given to knowQ
That where my demon guides me there I goQ
An island Be it soQ
For islands after all is said and doneU
Tell but a wilder game that was begunU
When Fate the mistress of iniquitiesQ
The mad Queen spinner of all discrepanciesQ
Beguiled the dyers of the dawn that dayB
And even in such a curst and sodden wayB
Made my three colors oneU
So be it and the way be as of oldB
So be the weary truth again retoldB
Of great kings overthrownV
Because they would be kings and lastly kings aloneV
Fling to each dog his boneV
-
Flags that are vanished flags that are soiled and furledB
Say what will be the word when I am goneW
What learned little acrid archive menF
Will burrow to find me out and burrow againF
But all for naught unlessQ
To find there was another Island YesQ
There are too many islands in this worldB
There are too many rats and there is too much rainH
So three things are made plainH
Between the sea and skyX
Three separate parts of one thing which is PainH
Bah what a way to dieX
To leave my Queen still spinning there on highX
Still wondering I dare sayB
To see me in this wayB
Madame agrave sa tour monteB
Si haut qu'elle peut monterT
Like one of our Commissioners ai aiX
Prometheus and the women have to cryX
But no not IX
Faugh what a way to dieX
-
But who are these that come and goQ
Before me shaking laurel as they passQ
Laurel to make me knowQ
For certain what they meanY
That now my Fate my QueenY
Having found that she by way of right rewardB
Will after madness go rememberingZ
And laurel be as grassQ
Remembers the one thingZ
That she has left to bringZ
The floor about me now is like a swardB
Grown royally Now it is like a seaB
That heaves with laurel heavilyB
Surrendering an outworn enmityB
For what has come to beB
-
But not for you returning with your curledB
And haggish lips And why are you aloneV
Why do you stay when all the rest are goneW
Why do you bring those treacherous eyes that reekA2
With venom and hate the while you seekA2
To make me understandB
Laurel from every landB
Laurel but not the worldB
-
Fury or perjured Fate or whatsoeverT
Tell me the bloodshot word that is your nameB2
And I will pledge remembrance of the sameB2
That shall be crossed out neverT
Whereby posterityB
May know being told that you have come to meB
You and your tongueless train without a soundB
With covetous hands and eyes and laurel all aroundB
Foreshowing your endeavorT
To mirror me the demon of my daysQ
To make me doubt him loathe him face to faceQ
Bowed with unwilling glory from the questB
That was ordained and manifestB
You shake it off and wish me joy of itB
Laurel from every placeQ
Laurel but not the restB
Such are the words in you that I divineN
Such are the words of menF
So be it and what thenF
Poor tottering counterfeitB
Are you a thing to tell me what is mineN
-
Grant we the demon seesQ
An inch beyond the lineN
What comes of mine and thineN
A thousand here and there may shriek and freezeQ
Or they may starve in fineN
The Old Physician has a crimson cureC2
For such as theseQ
And ages after ages will endureC2
The minims of it that are victoriesQ
The wreath may go from brow to browD2
The state may flourish flame and ceaseQ
But through the fury and the flood somehowD2
The demons are acquainted and at easeQ
And somewhat hard to pleaseQ
Mine I believe is laughing at me nowD2
In his primordial wayB
Quite as he laughed of old at HannibalE2
Or rather at Alexander let us sayB
Therefore be what you mayB
Time has no further needB
Of you or of your breedB
My demon irretrievably astrayB
Has ruined the last chorus of a playB
That will so he avers be played again some dayB
And you poor glowering ghostB
Have staggered under laurel here to boastB
Above me dying while you leanY
In triumph awkward and uncleanY
About some words of his that you have readB
Thing do I not know them allF2
He tells me how the storied leaves that fallF2
Are tramped on being deadB
They are sometimes with a storm foul enoughG2
They are seized alive and they are blown far offH2
To mould on islands What else have you readB
He tells me that great kings look very smallF2
When they are put to bedB
And this being saidB
He tells me that the battles I have wonU
Are not my ownV
But his howbeit fame will yet atoneV
For all defect and sheave the mysteryB
The follies and the slaughters I have doneU
Are mine aloneV
And so far HistoryB
So be the tale again retoldB
And leaf by clinging leaf unrolledB
Where I have written in the dawnW
With ink that fades anonW
Like C sar's and the way be as of oldB
-
Ho is it you I thought you were a ghostB
Is it time for you to poison me againW
Well here's our friend the rainW
Mironton mironton mirontaineW
Man I could murder you almostB
You with your pills and toastB
Take it away and eat it and shoot ratsQ
Ha there he comes Your rat will never failI2
My punctual assassin to prevailI2
While he has power to crawlF2
Or teeth to gnaw withalF2
Where kings are caged Why has a king no catsQ
You say that I'll achieve it if I tryX
Swallow it No not IX
God what a way to dieX

Edwin Arlington Robinson



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about An Island poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson


 
Best Poems of Edwin Arlington Robinson

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 0 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets