Sestina Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEF FAEBDC CFDABE ECBFAD DEACFB BDFECA EDA| September rain falls on the house | A |
| In the failing light the old grandmother | B |
| sits in the kitchen with the child | C |
| beside the Little Marvel Stove | D |
| reading the jokes from the almanac | E |
| laughing and talking to hide her tears | F |
| - | |
| She thinks that her equinoctial tears | F |
| and the rain that beats on the roof of the house | A |
| were both foretold by the almanac | E |
| but only known to a grandmother | B |
| The iron kettle sings on the stove | D |
| She cuts some bread and says to the child | C |
| - | |
| It's time for tea now but the child | C |
| is watching the teakettle's small hard tears | F |
| dance like mad on the hot black stove | D |
| the way the rain must dance on the house | A |
| Tidying up the old grandmother | B |
| hangs up the clever almanac | E |
| - | |
| on its string Birdlike the almanac | E |
| hovers half open above the child | C |
| hovers above the old grandmother | B |
| and her teacup full of dark brown tears | F |
| She shivers and says she thinks the house | A |
| feels chilly and puts more wood in the stove | D |
| - | |
| It was to be says the Marvel Stove | D |
| I know what I know says the almanac | E |
| With crayons the child draws a rigid house | A |
| and a winding pathway Then the child | C |
| puts in a man with buttons like tears | F |
| and shows it proudly to the grandmother | B |
| - | |
| But secretly while the grandmother | B |
| busies herself about the stove | D |
| the little moons fall down like tears | F |
| from between the pages of the almanac | E |
| into the flower bed the child | C |
| has carefully placed in the front of the house | A |
| - | |
| Time to plant tears says the almanac | E |
| The grandmother sings to the marvelous stove | D |
| and the child draws another inscrutable house | A |
Elizabeth Bishop
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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