Orpheus Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDECCEFECCCEEGHIEJ CKEHLCCECCCKCCFCCMCF FCCCNCEOPECNEJEQRFCC CSOSONHNHECKCTEKUVEE KKEWCCXECCCECKVECCYL NCECVZCKA2CHLECCEB2Y GECKFCECCUKCCHKZEEZK HB2B2C2B2KCHCD2E2B2E HECECEEF2CG2CYCHH2H2 HB2B2I2CCJ2CCCCZUB2V VH

ORPHEUSA
LAUGHTER and dance and sounds of harp and lyreB
Piping of flutes singing of festal songsC
Ribbons of flame from flaunting torches dulledD
By the broad summer sunshine these had filledE
Since the high noon the pillared vestibulesC
The peristyles and porches in the houseC
Of the bride's father Maidens garlandedE
With rose and myrtle dedicate to LoveF
Adorned with chaplets fresh the bride and veiledE
The shining head and wistful girlish faceC
Ineffable sweetness of divided lipsC
Large light of clear gray eyes low lucid browsC
White as a cloud beneath pale clustering goldE
When sunless skies uncertain twilight castE
That makes a friend's face as an alien's strangeG
Investing with a foreign mysteryH
The dear green fields about our very homeI
Then waiting stood the gilded chariotE
Before the porch and from the vine wreathed doorJ
Issued the white veiled bride while jocund youthsC
And m nads followed her with dance and songK
She came with double glory for her lordE
Son of Apollo and CalliopeH
Towered beside her beautiful in limbL
And feature as though formed to magic strainsC
Like the B otian city that aroseC
In airy structures to Amphion's luteE
The light serene shone from his brow and eyesC
Of one whose lofty thoughts keep consonanceC
With the celestial music of the spheresC
His smile was fluent and his speech outsangK
The cadences of soft stringed instrumentsC
He to the chariot led EurydiceC
And these twain mounting with their paranymphF
Drove onward through the dusky twilit fieldsC
Preceded by the nymphs and singing youthsC
And boys diffusing light and odors warmM
With flaming brands of aromatic woodsC
And matrons bearing symbols of the lifeF
Of careful wives the distaff and the sieveF
And followed by the echoes of their songsC
The fragrance crushed from moist and trodden grassC
The blessing of the ever present godsC
Whom they invoked with earnest hymns and prayerN
From Orpheus' portico festooned with vinesC
Issued a flood of rare ambrosial lightE
As though Olympian portals stood ajarO
And Hymen radiant by his torch's flameP
Mystic with saffron vest and purple stoodE
With hands munificent to greet and blessC
Ripe fruits were poured upon the married pairN
Alighting and the chariot wheels were burntE
A token that the bride returned no moreJ
Unto her father's house With step resolvedE
She crossed the threshold soft with flowers secureQ
That his heroic soul who guided herR
Was potent and alert to grace her lifeF
With noble outlines and ideal huesC
Uplifting it to equal height with hisC
EPITHALAMIUM TO ZEUSC
Because thou art enthroned beyond our reachS
Behind the brightest and the farthest starO
And silence is as eloquent as speechS
To thee who knowest us for what we areO
We bring thee naught save brief and simple prayerN
Strong in its naked frank sincerityH
Send sacred joys of marriage to this pairN
With fertile increase and prosperityH
Three nymphs had met beneath an oak that castE
Cool dappled shadow on the glowing grassC
And liquid gleam of the translucent brookK
The air was musical with frolic soundsC
Of feminine voices and of laughter blitheT
Patines of sunshine fell like mottled goldE
On the rose white of bright bare limbs and neckK
On flowing snowy mantles and againU
With sudden splendor on the glorioleV
Of warm rich hair The fairest nymph reclinedE
Beneath the tree and leaned her yellow headE
With its crisp clustering rings against the trunkK
And dipped her pure feet in the colorless brookK
Stirring the ripples into circles wideE
With cool delicious plashings in the streamW
Her young companions lay upon the grassC
With indolent eyes half closed and parted lipsC
Half smiling in the languor of the noonX
But suddenly these twain arising criedE
Startled and sharply 'Lo EurydiceC
Behold ' and she uplifting frightened eyesC
Saw a strange shepherd watching with bold glanceC
Veiling their faces with their mantles lightE
Her sisters fled swift footed with shrill criesC
Adown the meadow but her wet feet clungK
To the dry grasses and the earthy soilV
'Eurydice I love thee fear me notE
For I am Arist us with gray grovesC
Of hoary olives and innumerous flocksC
And precious swarms of yellow vested bees 'Y
But she with sudden strength eluding himL
Sprang o'er the flowery turf with back blown hairN
And wing like garments shortened breath and faceC
Kindled with shame and terror In her flightE
She ran through fatal flowers and tangled weedsC
And thick rank grass beside a stagnant poolV
When with a keen and breathless cry of painZ
Abrupt she fell amidst the tall green reedsC
Then Arist us reached her as a snakeK
Crept back in sinuous lines amidst the slimeA2
Desire was changed to pity when he sawC
The wounded dryad in her agonyH
Strive vainly to escape repelling himL
With feeble arms 'Forgive me nymph ' he criedE
' I will not touch save with most reverent handsC
Thy sacred form But let me bear thee henceC
And soothe thy bruise with healing herbs 'Too lateE
Leave me ' she sighed 'and lead thou Orpheus hereB2
That I may see him ere the daylight fails 'Y
He left her pale with suffering earth seemed strangeG
Unto her eyes who knew she looked her lastE
On level stretching meadows hazy hillsC
And all the light and color of the skyK
Brief as a dream she saw her happy lifeF
Her father's face her mother's blessed eyesC
The hero who unheralded appearedE
And all was changed all things put forth a voiceC
As in the season of the singing birdsC
She looked around revived and saw againU
The lapsing river and abiding skyK
Across the sunny fields came Arist usC
With Orpheus following and after theseC
Sad nymphs and heroes grave with sympathyH
Quite calm she lay and almost wished to dieK
Before they reached her if the throbbing painZ
Of limb and heart could only thus be stilledE
But Orpheus hastened to her side and mournedE
'Eurydice Eurydice RemainZ
For there is no delight of speech nor songK
Among the dead Will the gods jest with meH
And call this life which must forevermoreB2
Be but a void a hunger a desireB2
A stretching out of empty hands to graspC2
What earth nor sea nor heaven will restoreB2
Is this the life that I conceived and sangK
Rich with all noble opportunitiesC
And beautiful realities ' But sheH
'Brave Orpheus search thou not the eternal godsC
Surely they love us dearer than we knowD2
Do thou refrain for yet I hold my faithE2
When I am gone thou still wilt have thy lyreB2
Love it and cherish it is Fate's best giftE
And with death's clearer vision I can seeH
That in all ages men will be upraisedE
Nearer to gods through this than through aught elseC
My death may but inspire a larger noteE
A passionate cadence to thy strain which elseC
Were not quite human and thus incompleteE
And with this thought I am content to dieE
Cease not to sing to me when I am goneF2
Thy voice will reach me in the farthest spheresC
Or wake me out of silence Now beginG2
That I may float on those celestial wavesC
Into the darkness as I oft have longed 'Y
ORPHEUSC
Once in a wild bright vision came to meH
Beautiful music luminous as mornH2
An effluence of light and rapture bornH2
With eyes as full of splendor as the seaH
Dazzling as youth with pinions frail as airB2
Yet potent to uplift and soar as prayerB2
Again I see her cypress in her wreathI2
Sad with all grave and tender mysteriesC
Tears in her unimaginable eyesC
That look their first with wondering awe on DeathJ2
Never again in all the after yearsC
Will her lips laugh with utter mirthfulnessC
Nor the strange longing in her eyes grow lessC
Nor any time dispel their mist of tearsC
Yea with new numbers she completes her strainZ
A song unsung before by gods or menU
But she hath lost ah lost for evermoreB2
The ringing note of joy ineffableV
The high assurance proud that all is wellV
The glad refrain tH

Emma Lazarus



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