The Unwed Mother To The Wife Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKL MNOP QRSTUQV WXYZRA2B2C2 D2E2F2G2H2I2J2K2L2M2 N2Y O2GL2P2Q2E2R2S2T2Q I2XN2| I had been almost happy for an hour | A |
| Lost to the world that knew me in the park | B |
| Among strange faces while my little girl | C |
| Leaped with the squirrels chirruped with the birds | D |
| And with the sunlight glowed She was so dear | E |
| So beautiful so sweet and for the time | F |
| The rose of love shorn of its thorn of shame | G |
| Bloomed in my heart Then suddenly you passed | H |
| I sat alone upon the public bench | I |
| You with your lawful husband rode in state | J |
| And when your eyes fell on me and my child | K |
| They were not eyes but daggers poison tipped | L |
| - | |
| God how good women slaughter with a look | M |
| And like cold steel your glance cut through my heart | N |
| Struck every petal from the rose of love | O |
| And left the ragged stalk alive with thorns | P |
| - | |
| My little one came running to my side | Q |
| And called me Mother It was like a blow | R |
| Between the eyes and made me sick with pain | S |
| And then it seemed as if each bird and breeze | T |
| Took up the word and changed its syllables | U |
| From Mother into Magdalene and cried | Q |
| My shame to all the world | V |
| - | |
| It was your eyes | W |
| Which did all this But listen now to me | X |
| Not you alone but all the barren wives | Y |
| Who like you flaunt their virtue in the face | Z |
| Of fallen women I do chance to know | R |
| The crimes you think are hidden from all men | A2 |
| Save one who took your gold and sold his skill | B2 |
| And jeopardized his name for your base ends | C2 |
| - | |
| I know how you have sunk your soul in sense | D2 |
| Like any wanton and refused to bear | E2 |
| The harvest of your pleasure planted seed | F2 |
| I know how you have crushed the tender bud | G2 |
| Which held a soul how you have blighted it | H2 |
| And made the holy miracle of birth | I2 |
| A wicked travesty of God's design | J2 |
| Yea many buds which might be blossoms now | K2 |
| And beautify your selfish arid life | L2 |
| Have been destroyed because you chose to keep | M2 |
| The aimless freedom and the purposeless | N2 |
| Self seeking liberty of childless wives | Y |
| - | |
| I was an untaught girl By nature led | O2 |
| By love and passion blinded I became | G |
| An unwed mother You an honoured wife | L2 |
| Refuse the crown of motherhood defy | P2 |
| The laws of nature and fling baby souls | Q2 |
| Back in the face of God And yet you dare | E2 |
| Call me a sinner and yourself a saint | R2 |
| And all the world smiles on you and its doors | S2 |
| Swing wide at your approach | T2 |
| I stand outside | Q |
| - | |
| Surely there must be higher courts than earth | I2 |
| Where you and I will some day meet and be | X |
| Weighed by a larger justice | N2 |
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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