Florida Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDDDEFGDHDDDDIDDDD HDHDJKHL HMNADODDPDQDRSTDUVDrackish water | A |
held together by mangrave roots | B |
that bear while living oysters in clusters | C |
and when dead strew white swamps with skeletons | D |
dotted as if bombarded with green hummocks | D |
like ancient cannon balls sprouting grass | D |
The state full of long S shaped birds blue and white | E |
and unseen hysterical birds who rush up the scale | F |
every time in a tantrum | G |
Tanagers embarrassed by their flashiness | D |
and pelicans whose delight it is to clown | H |
who coast for fun on the strong tidal currents | D |
in and out among the mangrove islands | D |
and stand on the sand bars drying their damp gold wings | D |
on sun lit evenings | D |
Enormous turtles helpless and mild | I |
die and leave their barnacled shells on the beaches | D |
and their large white skulls with round eye sockets | D |
twice the size of a man's | D |
The palm trees clatter in the stiff breeze | D |
like the bills of the pelicans The tropical rain comes down | H |
to freshen the tide looped strings of fading shells | D |
Job's Tear the Chinese Alphabet the scarce Junonia | H |
parti colored pectins and Ladies' Ears | D |
arranged as on a gray rag of rotted calico | J |
the buried Indian Princess's skirt | K |
with these the monotonous endless sagging coast line | H |
is delicately ornamented | L |
- | |
Thirty or more buzzards are drifting down down down | H |
over something they have spotted in the swamp | M |
in circles like stirred up flakes of sediment | N |
sinking through water | A |
Smoke from woods fires filters fine blue solvents | D |
On stumps and dead trees the charring is like black velvet | O |
The mosquitoes | D |
go hunting to the tune of their ferocious obbligatos | D |
After dark the fireflies map the heavens in the marsh | P |
until the moon rises | D |
Cold white not bright the moonlight is coarse meshed | Q |
and the careless corrupt state is all black specks | D |
too far apart and ugly whites the poorest | R |
post card of itself | S |
After dark the pools seem to have slipped away | T |
The alligator who has five distinct calls | D |
friendliness love mating war and a warning | U |
whimpers and speaks in the throat | V |
of the Indian Princess | D |
Elizabeth Bishop
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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