Mother And Poet Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCC ADEFEE AGHGHH IJKJKK IKKKKK ILMLLL IKNKNN I KIKK LOKOKK LPKPKK LQKQKK LRK KK LSTSTT IUVUVV IWSWSS IXKXKK ILKLKK ITQTQQ LYZYZZ LKLKLL KI | A |
- | |
Dead One of them shot by the sea in the east | B |
And one of them shot in the west by the sea | C |
Dead both my boys When you sit at the feast | B |
And are wanting a great song for Italy free | C |
Let none look at me | C |
- | |
II | A |
Yet I was a poetess only last year | D |
And good at my art for a woman men said | E |
But this woman this who is agonized here | F |
The east sea and west sea rhyme on in her head | E |
For ever instead | E |
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III | A |
What art can a woman be good at Oh vain | G |
What art is she good at but hurting her breast | H |
With the milk teeth of babes and a smile at the pain | G |
Ah boys how you hurt you were strong as you pressed | H |
And I proud by that test | H |
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IV | I |
What art's for a woman To hold on her knees | J |
Both darlings to feel all their arms round her throat | K |
Cling strangle a little to sew by degrees | J |
And 'broider the long clothes and neat little coat | K |
To dream and to doat | K |
- | |
V | I |
To teach them It stings there I made them indeed | K |
Speak plain the word country I taught them no doubt | K |
That a country's a thing men should die for at need | K |
I prated of liberty rights and about | K |
The tyrant cast out | K |
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VI | I |
And when their eyes flashed O my beautiful eyes | L |
I exulted nay let them go forth at the wheels | M |
Of the guns and denied not But then the surprise | L |
When one sits quite alone Then one weeps then one kneels | L |
God how the house feels | L |
- | |
VII | I |
At first happy news came in gay letters moiled | K |
With my kisses of camp life and glory and how | N |
They both loved me and soon coming home to be spoiled | K |
In return would fan off every fly from my brow | N |
With their green laurel bough | N |
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VIII | I |
Then was triumph at Turin Ancona was free ' | - |
And some one came out of the cheers in the street | K |
With a face pale as stone to say something to me | I |
My Guido was dead I fell down at his feet | K |
While they cheered in the street | K |
- | |
IX | L |
I bore it friends soothed me my grief looked sublime | O |
As the ransom of Italy One boy remained | K |
To be leant on and walked with recalling the time | O |
When the first grew immortal while both of us strained | K |
To the height he had gained | K |
- | |
X | L |
And letters still came shorter sadder more strong | P |
Writ now but in one hand I was not to faint | K |
One loved me for two would be with me ere long | P |
And Viva l' Italia he died for our saint | K |
Who forbids our complaint | K |
- | |
XI | L |
My Nanni would add he was safe and aware | Q |
Of a presence that turned off the balls was imprest | K |
It was Guido himself who knew what I could bear | Q |
And how 'twas impossible quite dispossessed | K |
To live on for the rest | K |
- | |
XII | L |
On which without pause up the telegraph line | R |
Swept smoothly the next news from Gaeta Shot | K |
Tell his mother Ah ah his ' their ' mother not mine ' | - |
No voice says My mother again to me What | K |
You think Guido forgot | K |
- | |
XIII | L |
Are souls straight so happy that dizzy with Heaven | S |
They drop earth's affections conceive not of woe | T |
I think not Themselves were too lately forgiven | S |
Through THAT Love and Sorrow which reconciled so | T |
The Above and Below | T |
- | |
XIV | I |
O Christ of the five wounds who look'dst through the dark | U |
To the face of Thy mother consider I pray | V |
How we common mothers stand desolate mark | U |
Whose sons not being Christs die with eyes turned away | V |
And no last word to say | V |
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XV | I |
Both boys dead but that's out of nature We all | W |
Have been patriots yet each house must always keep one | S |
'Twere imbecile hewing out roads to a wall | W |
And when Italy 's made for what end is it done | S |
If we have not a son | S |
- | |
XVI | I |
Ah ah ah when Gaeta's taken what then | X |
When the fair wicked queen sits no more at her sport | K |
Of the fire balls of death crashing souls out of men | X |
When the guns of Cavalli with final retort | K |
Have cut the game short | K |
- | |
XVII | I |
When Venice and Rome keep their new jubilee | L |
When your flag takes all heaven for its white green and red | K |
When you have your country from mountain to sea | L |
When King Victor has Italy's crown on his head | K |
And I have my Dead | K |
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XVIII | I |
What then Do not mock me Ah ring your bells low | T |
And burn your lights faintly My country is there | Q |
Above the star pricked by the last peak of snow | T |
My Italy 's THERE with my brave civic Pair | Q |
To disfranchise despair | Q |
- | |
XIX | L |
Forgive me Some women bear children in strength | Y |
And bite back the cry of their pain in self scorn | Z |
But the birth pangs of nations will wring us at length | Y |
Into wail such as this and we sit on forlorn | Z |
When the man child is born | Z |
- | |
XX | L |
Dead One of them shot by the sea in the east | K |
And one of them shot in the west by the sea | L |
Both both my boys If in keeping the feast | K |
You want a great song for your Italy free | L |
Let none look at me | L |
- | |
- | |
This was Laura Savio of Turin a poetess and patriot whose sonswere killed at Ancona and Gaeta | K |
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
(1)
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