The Town Down By The River Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCCBDEED DFFBDBDB GCCBHIIH HDDJFJFJ A BKKKEKKE EFFKCKFK KKKKHKKH HDDJLJLJ A KKKKCKKC CCCKMKMK KKKKHIIH HNNJHJHJ KKKKDKKD DEEKDKDK KEEKKCCK KHHKFKDK

IA
-
Said the Watcher by the WayB
To the young and the unladenC
To the boy and to the maidenC
God be with you both to dayB
First your song came ringingD
Now you come you twoE
Knowing naught of what you doE
Or of what your dreams are bringingD
-
O you children who go singingD
To the Town down the RiverF
Where the millions cringe and shiverF
Tell me what you know to dayB
Tell me how far you are goingD
Tell me how you find your wayB
O you children who are dreamingD
Tell me what you dream to dayB
-
He is old and we have heard himG
Said the boy then to the maidenC
He is old and heavy ladenC
With a load we throw awayB
Care may come to find usH
Age may lay us lowI
Still we seek the light we knowI
And the dead we leave behind usH
-
Did he think that he would blind usH
Into such a small believingD
As to live without achievingD
When the lights have led so farJ
Let him watch or let him witherF
Shall he tell us where we areJ
We know best who go togetherF
Downward onward and so farJ
-
IIA
-
Said the Watcher by the WayB
To the fiery folk that hastenedK
To the loud and the unchastenedK
You are strong I see to dayK
Strength and hope may lead youE
To the journey's endK
Each to be the other's friendK
If the Town should fail to need youE
-
And are ravens there to feed youE
In the Town down the RiverF
Where the gift appalls the giverF
And youth hardens day by dayK
O you brave and you unshakenC
Are you truly on your wayK
And are sirens in the RiverF
That you come so far to dayK
-
You are old and we have listenedK
Said the voice of one who haltedK
You are sage and self exaltedK
But your way is not our wayK
You that cannot aid usH
Give us words to eatK
Be assured that they are sweetK
And that we are as God made usH
-
Not in vain have you delayed usH
Though the river still be callingD
Through the twilight that is fallingD
And the Town be still so farJ
By the whirlwind of your wisdomL
Leagues are lifted as leaves areJ
But a king without a kingdomL
Fails us who have come so farJ
-
IIIA
-
Said the Watcher by the WayK
To the slower folk who stumbledK
To the weak and the world humbledK
Tell me how you fare to dayK
Some with ardor shakenC
All with honor scarredK
Do you falter finding hardK
The far chance that you have takenC
-
Or do you at length awakenC
To an antic retributionC
Goading to a new confusionC
The drugged hopes of yesterdayK
O you poor mad men that hobbleM
Will you not return or stayK
Do you trust you broken peopleM
To a dawn without the dayK
-
You speak well of what you know notK
Muttered one and then a secondK
You have begged and you have beckonedK
But you see us on our wayK
Who are you to scold usH
Knowing what we knowI
Jeremiah long agoI
Said as much as you have told usH
-
As we are then you behold usH
Derelicts of all conditionsN
Poets rogues and sick physiciansN
Plodding forward from afarJ
Forward now into the darknessH
Where the men before us areJ
Forward onward out of graynessH
To the light that shone so farJ
-
IV-
-
Said the Watcher by the WayK
To some aged ones who lingeredK
To the shrunken the claw fingeredK
So you come for me to dayK
Yes to give you warningD
You are old one saidK
You have hairs on your headK
Fit for laurel not for scorningD
-
From the first of early morningD
We have toiled along to find youE
We as others have maligned youE
But we need your scorn to dayK
By the light that we saw shiningD
Let us not be lured alwayK
Let us hear no River callingD
When to morrow is to dayK
-
But your lanterns are unlightedK
And the Town is far before youE
Let us hasten I implore youE
Said the Watcher by the WayK
Long have I waitedK
Longer have I knownC
That the Town would have its ownC
And the call be for the fatedK
-
In the name of all createdK
Let us hear no more my brothersH
Are we older than all othersH
Are the planets in our wayK
Hark said one I hear the RiverF
Calling always night and dayK
Forward then The lights are shiningD
Said the Watcher by the WayK

Edwin Arlington Robinson



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