The Mass Of Christ Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBBBBCDCDDAEFEFFGHG HHIAJKABLBLLBMBMMNON PPQBQBBRSRSSIDTDDUKU KKGVGWWXKXKWWEWEWYZY A2B2C2XC2XXD2E2D2E2E 2KHKHHBTBIF2XG2XG2WH 2EH2EEI2J2I2K2K2L2AL 2AWM2BM2BBPXPXXBKBKK N2BABKBKKBO2BP2P2KKK KKBBBBBBZBQ2A2R2XR2X XUD2UD2D2S2BS2B

IA
DOWN in the woodlands where the streamlet runsB
Close to the breezy river by the dellsB
Of ferns and flowers that shun the summer sunsB
But gather round the lizard haunted wellsB
And listen to the birds' sweet syllablesB
Down in the woodlands lying in the shadeC
Among the rushes green that shook and gleamedD
I I whose songs were of my heart's blood madeC
Found weary rest from wretchedness it seemedD
And fell asleep and as I slept I dreamedD
IIA
I dreamed I stood beside a pillar vastE
Close to a little open door behindF
Whence the small light there was stole in aghastE
And for a space this troubled all my mindF
To lose the sunlight and the sky and the windF
For I could know I felt how all beforeG
Though high and wonderful and to be praisedH
In heart and soul and mind oppressed me soreG
Nevertheless I turned and my face raisedH
And on that pageant and its glory gazedH
The pillars vast as this whereby I stoodI
Hedged all the place about and towered up highA
Up and were lost within a billowy cloudJ
Of slow blue wreathing smoke that fragrantlyK
Rose from below And a great chaunt and cryA
Of multitudinous voices with sweet notesB
Mingled of music solemn glad sereneL
Swayed all the air and gave its echoes throatsB
And priests and singers various with proud mienL
Filled all the choir a strange and wondrous sceneL
And men and women and children in all huesB
Of colour and fresh raiment filled the naveM
And yet it seemed this vast place did refuseB
Room for the mighty army that did craveM
And only to the vanguard harbourage gaveM
And as I gazed and watched them while they kneltN
Their prayers I watched with the incense disappearO
And could not know my thoughts of it I feltN
A touch upon mine arm and in mine earP
Some words and turned my face to see and hearP
There was a man beside me In that lightQ
Tho' dim remote and shadowy I could seeB
His face swarthy yet pale and eyes like nightQ
With a strange far sadness looking at meB
It seemed as if the buffets of some seaB
Had beaten on him as he faced it longR
The salty foam the spittle of its wrathS
Had blurred the bruises of its fingers strongR
Striking him pitilessly from out its pathS
Yet had he braved it as the willow hathS
He turned his look from me and where we stoodI
His far strange look of sadness and it seemedD
This temple vast this prayerful multitudeT
These priests and singers celebrant who streamedD
In gorgeous ranks towards the fane that gleamedD
Were to him as some vision is untrueU
Tho' true we take it undeceived the whileK
But since it was unknown to him all throughU
And hid some meaning it might be of guileK
He turned once more and spake in gentle styleK
'Nay this ' he said 'is not the Temple norG
The children of Israel these whom less sufficedV
Of chaunt and ritual They whom we abhorG
The Phoenicians to their gods have sacrificed 'W
I said 'Nay sir this is the Mass of Christ 'W
'The Mass of Christ ' he murmured And I saidX
'This is the day on which He came belowK
And this is Rome and far up overheadX
Soars the great dome that bids the wide world knowK
St Peter still rules o'er his Church below 'W
'The Christ ' he said 'and Peter who are they 'W
I answered 'Jesus was he in the days long pastE
And Peter was his chief disciple ' 'Nay 'W
He answered 'for of these the lot was castE
On poverty ' I said 'That is all past 'W
Then as I might as for some stranger greatY
Who saw all things under an unknown sunZ
I told him of these things both soon and lateY
Then when I paused and turned lo he was goneA2
Had left me and I saw him passing onB2
On up the aisle he passed his long black hairC2
Upon his brown and common coat his headX
Raised and his mien such aspect fixed did wearC2
As one may have whose spirit long is spedX
Though he still lives among the mighty deadX
He paused not neither swerved not till he cameD2
Unto the fane and steps Nor there he learnedE2
Awe but went on till rose a shrill acclaimD2
And the High Priest from the great altar turnedE2
And raised the golden sign that blazed and burnedE2
And a slow horror grew upon us allK
On priests and people and on us who gazedH
As that Great King alive beneath the pallK
Heard his own death service that moaned and praisedH
So all we were fearful expectant dazedH
Then unknown murmurs round the High Priest roseB
Of men in doubt and all the multitudeT
Swayed as one seized in a keen travail's throesB
Where on the last steps of the altar stoodI
The Man the altar steps all red like bloodF2
The singing ceased the air grew clear and deadX
Save for the organ tones that sobbed and sighedG2
In a hushed voice the High Priest gazing saidX
'Who are you ' and the Man straightway repliedG2
'I I am Jesus whom they crucified 'W
His voice was low yet every ear there heardH2
And every eye was fixed upon him fastE
And when he spake the people all shudderedH2
As a great corn field at the south wind's blastE
And the Man paused but spake again at lastE
'I am the Galilean I was bornI2
Of Joseph and of Mary in NazarethJ2
But God our Father left me not forlornI2
But breath d in my soul his sacred breathK2
That I should be his prophet and fear not deathK2
'I taught the Kingdom of Heaven the poor the oppressedL2
I loved The rich the priests did hear my cryA
Of hate and retribution that lashed their restL2
Wherefore they caught and took and scourged me IA
Was crucified with the thieves on Calvary 'W
At that it seemed the very stones did quakeM2
And a great rumour grew and filled the placeB
The pillars the roof the dome above did shakeM2
And a fierce cry and arms surged up apaceB
Like to a storm cloud round that dark pale faceB
And yet once more he spake and we did hearP
'Who are you What is this you do ' he saidX
'I was the Christ Who is this hereP
You worship ' From that silence of the deadX
'Tear him in pieces ' cried a voice and fledX
Howls yells and execrations blazing eyesB
And threatening arms it was unloosened hellK
And in the midst seized dragged along with criesB
Of hate exultant still I saw him wellK
His strange sad face then sickened swooned and fellK
The Emperor Charles V mightiest of mediaeval kings had the weirdN2
fancy to assist at a representation of his own death serviceB
IIIA
Slowly from out that trance did I arouseB
Slowly with pain and all was weary and stillK
Even as a dreamer dreams some sweet carouseB
And faints at touch of breath and lips that thrillK
And yet awakes and yet is dreaming stillK
So I And when my tired eyes look mine earsB
Echoing those late noises listen andO2
I seek to know what 'fore me now appearsB
For long I cannot know nor understandP2
But lie as some wrecked sailor on the strandP2
Then bit by bit I knew it how I layK
On the hard stones crouched by a pillar tallK
The wind blew bleak and raw the skies were greyK
Up broad stone steps folk passed into the wallK
Both men and women there was no sun at allK
I moved I rose I came close to and sawB
And then I knew the place wherein I wasB
Here in the city high the ravening mawB
Of all men's toil and kindly Nature's lawsB
I stood and felt the dreary winter's flawsB
And by me rose that lampless edificeB
Of England's soul shrunk to a skeletonZ
Whose dingy cross the grimy air doth pierceB
London that hell of wastefulness and stoneQ2
The piled bones of the sufferers dead and goneA2
And when I knew all this and thought of itR2
And thought of all the hateful hours and dreadX
That smirched my youth here struck and stabbed and litR2
The plundered shrine of trust and love that fledX
And left my soul stripped bleeding worse than deadX
Wrath grew in me For all around I knewU
The accurs d city worked on all the sameD2
For all the toiling sufferers The idle fewU
The vermin foul that from this dung heap cameD2
Made of our agony their feast and gameD2
And when with hands clenched tight with eyes of fireS2
Sombre and desperate I moved on apaceB
Within my soul brooded a dark desireS2
I reached the stream of those who sought this placeB

Francis William Lauderdale Adams



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