The Death Of Raschi Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDEFGHIJCGADDKLMMNO LPALQMARSRTAEMUVAALL LWXDYLAZ A2DB2GLDC2LA2MAD2A2L LA2A2ALATA2E2F2G2H2A 2I2MDMLA2A2G2LA2AULL LJ2K2AL2L2G2A2LDM2N2 O2LADLMMLA2P2LADA| Aaron Ben Mier loquitur | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| If I remember Raschi An I live | B |
| Grandson to bless thy grandchild I'll forget | C |
| Never that youth and what he did for Prague | D |
| Aye aye I know he slurred a certain verse | E |
| In such and such a prayer omitted quite | F |
| To stand erect there where the ritual | G |
| Commands us rise and bow towards the East | H |
| Therefore the ingrates brand him heterodox | I |
| Neglect his memory whose virtue saved | J |
| Each knave of us alive Not I forget | C |
| No more does God who wrought a miracle | G |
| For his dear sake The Passover was here | A |
| Raschi just wedded with the fair Rebekah | D |
| Bode but the lapsing of the holy week | D |
| For homeward journey with his bride to France | K |
| The sacred meal was spread All sat at board | L |
| Within the house of Rabbi Jochanan | M |
| The kind old priest his noble new found son | M |
| Whose name was wrung in every key of praise | N |
| By every voice in Prague from Duke to serf | O |
| Save the vindictive bigot Narzerad | L |
| The beautiful young wife whose cup of joy | P |
| Sparkled at brim next her the vacant chair | A |
| Awaited the Messiah who unannounced | L |
| In God's good time shall take his place with us | Q |
| Now when the Rabbi reached the verse where one | M |
| Shall rise from table flinging wide the door | A |
| To give the Prophet entrance if so be | R |
| The glorious hour have sounded Raschi rose | S |
| Pale grave yet glad with great expectancy | R |
| Crossed the hushed room and with a joyous smile | T |
| To greet the Saviour opened the door | A |
| A curse | E |
| A cry Revenged a thrust a stifled moan | M |
| The sheathing of a poniard that was all | U |
| In the dark vestibule a fleeing form | V |
| Masked gowned in black and in the room of prayer | A |
| Raschi face downward on the stone cold floor | A |
| Bleeding his life out Oh what a cry was that | L |
| Folk shuddered hearing roods off in the street | L |
| Wherewith Rebekah rushed to raise her lord | L |
| Kneeling beside him striving in vain to quench | W |
| With turban veil torn shreds of gown stained hands | X |
| The black blood's sickening gush He never spoke | D |
| Never rewarded with one glance of life | Y |
| The passion in her eyes He met his end | L |
| Even as beneath the sickle the full ear | A |
| Bows to its death so beautiful silent ripe | Z |
| - | |
| Well we poor Jews must gulp our injuries | A2 |
| Howe'er they choke us What redress in Prague | D |
| For the inhuman murder A strange Jew | B2 |
| The victim the suspected criminal | G |
| The ducal counselor Such odds forbade | L |
| Revenge or justice We forbore to seek | D |
| The priest discrowned o' the glory of his age | C2 |
| The widow bride mourned as though smitten of God | L |
| Gave forth they would with solemn obsequies | A2 |
| Bury their dead and crave no help from man | M |
| Now of what chanced betwixt the night of murder | A |
| And the appointed burial I can give | D2 |
| Only the sum of gossip servants' tales | A2 |
| Neighbors' reports close confidences leaked | L |
| From friends and kindred Night and day folk said | L |
| Rebekah wept prayed fasted by the corpse | A2 |
| Three mortal days Upon the third her eyes | A2 |
| Sunk in their pits glimmered with wild strange fire | A |
| She started from her place beside the dead | L |
| Kissed clay cold brow cheeks lids and lips once more | A |
| And with a maniac's wan heart breaking smile | T |
| Veiled hooded glided through the twilight streets | A2 |
| A sable shadow From the willow grove | E2 |
| Close by the Moldau's brink beyond the bridge | F2 |
| Her trace was lost 'T was evening and mild May | G2 |
| Air full of spring skies perfect as a pearl | H2 |
| Yet one who saw her pass amidst the shades | A2 |
| O' the blue gray branches swears a sudden flame | I2 |
| As of miraculous lightning thrilled through heaven | M |
| One hour thereafter she reentered Prague | D |
| Slid swiftly through the streets as though borne on | M |
| By ankle wings or floating on soft cloud | L |
| Smiling no more but with illumined eyes | A2 |
| Transfigured brow grave lips and faltering limbs | A2 |
| So came into the room where Raschi lay | G2 |
| Stretched 'twixt tall tapers lit at head and foot | L |
| She held in both hands leafy flowerless plants | A2 |
| Some she had fastened in her twisted hair | A |
| Stuck others in her girdle and from all | U |
| Issued a racy odor pungent sweet | L |
| The living soul of Spring Death's chamber seemed | L |
| As though clear sunshine and a singing bird | L |
| Therein had entered From the precious herb | J2 |
| She poured into a golden bowl the sap | K2 |
| Sparkling like wine then with a soundless prayer | A |
| White as the dead herself she held the cup | L2 |
| To Raschi's mouth A quick small flame sprang up | L2 |
| From the enchanted balsam died away | G2 |
| And lo the color dawned in cheek and lips | A2 |
| The life returned the sealed blind lids were raised | L |
| And in the glorious eyes love reawoke | D |
| And looking up met love | M2 |
| So runs the tale | N2 |
| Mocked by the worldly wise but I believe | O2 |
| Knowing the miracles the Lord hath wrought | L |
| In every age for Jacob's seed Moreover | A |
| I with the highest and meanest Jew in Prague | D |
| Was at the burial No man saw the dead | L |
| Sealed was the coffin ere the rites began | M |
| And none could swear it went not empty down | M |
| Into the hollow earth Too shrewd our priest | L |
| To publish such a wonder and expose | A2 |
| That consecrated life to second death | P2 |
| Scarce were the thirty days of mourning sped | L |
| When we awoke to find his home left bare | A |
| Rebekah and her father fled from Prague | D |
| God grant they had glad meeting otherwhere | A |
Emma Lazarus
(1)
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