Agamemnon's Tomb Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDDEFFE GHGHIIJKLJ MNMNOOPQQP RSRSTIJIIJ FUUFVVWXXWUplift the ponderous golden mask of death | A |
And let the sun shine on him as it did | B |
How many thousand years agone Beneath | C |
This worm defying uncorrupted lid | B |
Behold the young heroic face round eyed | D |
Of one who in his full flowered manhood died | D |
Of nobler frame than creatures of to day | E |
Swathed in fine linen cerecloths fold on fold | F |
With carven weapons wrought of bronze and gold | F |
Accoutred like a warrior for the fray | E |
- | |
We gaze in awe at these huge modeled limbs | G |
Shrunk in death's narrow house but hinting yet | H |
Their ancient majesty these sightless rims | G |
Whose living eyes the eyes of Helen met | H |
The speechless lips that ah what tales might tell | I |
Of earth's morning tide when gods did dwell | I |
Amidst a generous fashioned god like race | J |
Who dwarf our puny semblance and who won | K |
The secret soul of Beauty for their own | L |
While all our art but crudely apes their grace | J |
- | |
We gather all the precious relics up | M |
The golden buttons chased with wondrous craft | N |
The sculptured trinkets and the crystal cup | M |
The sheathed bronze sword the knife with brazen haft | N |
Fain would we wrest with curious eyes from these | O |
Unnumbered long forgotten histories | O |
The deeds heroic of this mighty man | P |
On whom once more the living daylight beams | Q |
To shame our littleness to mock our dreams | Q |
And the abyss of centuries to span | P |
- | |
Yet could we rouse him from his blind repose | R |
How might we meet his searching questionings | S |
Concerning all the follies wrongs and woes | R |
Since his great day whom men call King of Kings | S |
Victorious Agamemnon How might we | T |
Those large clear eyes confront which scornfully | I |
Would view us as a poor degenerate race | J |
Base souled and mean proportioned What reply | I |
Give to the beauty loving Greek's heart cry | I |
Seeking his ancient gods in vacant space | J |
- | |
What should he find within a world grown cold | F |
Save doubt and trouble To his sunny creed | U |
A thousand gloomy warring sects succeed | U |
How of the Prince of Peace might he be told | F |
When over half the world the war cloud lowers | V |
How would he mock these faltering hopes of ours | V |
Who knows the secret now of death and fate | W |
Humbly we gaze on the colossal frame | X |
And mutely we accept the mortal shame | X |
Of men degraded from a high estate | W |
Emma Lazarus
(1)
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