The Cathedral Of Rheims Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBACDDCECFGF HIIHAJJAKLLKMNMNOOPP GGQRRQ BSTTUUAVVA CGCGWWWWV VMMXXYYZZA2 A2B2C2C2B2FD2D2FE2F2 F2E2 C2G2H2C2MI2OOI2M

He who walks through the meadows of ChampagneA
At noon in Fall when leaves like gold appearB
Sees it draw nearB
Like some great mountain set upon the plainA
From radiant dawn until the close of dayC
Nearer it growsD
To him who goesD
Across the country When tall towers layC
Their shadowy pallE
Upon his wayC
He enters whereF
The solid stone is hollowed deep by allG
Its centuries of beauty and of prayerF
-
Ancient French temple thou whose hundred kingsH
Watch over thee emblazoned on thy wallsI
Tell me within thy memory hallowed hallsI
What chant of triumph or what war song ringsH
Thou hast known Clovis and his Frankish trainA
Whose mighty hand Saint Remy's hand did keepJ
And in thy spacious vault perhaps may sleepJ
An echo of the voice of CharlemagneA
For God thou has known fear when from His sideK
Men wandered seeking alien shrines and newL
But still the sky was bountiful and blueL
And thou wast crowned with France's love and prideK
Sacred thou art from pinnacle to baseM
And in thy panes of gold and scarlet glassN
The setting sun sees thousandfold his faceM
Sorrow and joy in stately silence passN
Across thy walls the shadow and the lightO
Around thy lofty pillars tapers whiteO
Illuminate with delicate sharp flamesP
The brows of saints with venerable namesP
And in the night erect a fiery wallG
A great but silent fervour burns in allG
Those simple folk who kneel pathetic dumbQ
And know that down below beside the RhineR
Cannon horses soldiers flags in lineR
With blare of trumpets mighty armies comeQ
-
Suddenly each knows fearB
Swift rumours pass that every one must hearS
The hostile banners blaze against the skyT
And by the embassies mobs rage and cryT
Now war has come and peace is at an endU
On Paris town the German troops descendU
They are turned back and driven to ChampagneA
And now as to so many weary menV
The glorious temple gives them welcome whenV
It meets them at the bottom of the plainA
-
At once they set their cannon in its wayC
There is no gable now nor wallG
That does not suffer night and dayC
As shot and shell in crushing torrents fallG
The stricken tocsin quivers through the towerW
The triple nave the apse the lonely choirW
Are circled hour by hourW
With thundering bands of fireW
And Death is scattered broadcast among menV
-
And thenV
That which was splendid with baptismal graceM
The stately arches soaring into spaceM
The transepts columns windows gray and goldX
The organ in whose tones the ocean rolledX
The crypts of mighty shades the dwelling placesY
The Virgin's gentle hands the Saints' pure facesY
All even the pardoning hands of Christ the LordZ
Were struck and broken by the wanton swordZ
Of sacrilegious lustA2
-
O beauty slain O glory in the dustA2
Strong walls of faith most basely overthrownB2
The crawling flames like adders glisteningC2
Ate the white fabric of this lovely thingC2
Now from its soul arose a piteous moanB2
The soul that always loved the just and fairF
Granite and marble loud their woe confessedD2
The silver monstrances that Popes had blessedD2
The chalices and lamps and crosiers rareF
Were seared and twisted by a flaming breathE2
The horror everywhere did range and swellF2
The guardian Saints into this furnace fellF2
Their bitter tears and screams were stilled in deathE2
-
Around the flames armed hosts are skirmishingC2
The burning sun reflects the lurid sceneG2
The German army fighting for its lifeH2
Rallies its torn and terrified left wingC2
And as they near this placeM
The imperial eagles seeI2
Before them in their flightO
Here in the solemn nightO
The old cathedral to the years to beI2
Showing with wounded arms their own disgraceM

Emile Verhaeren



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