The Soul's Quest Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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PART IA
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IN the land that is neither night nor dayB
Where the mists sleep over the forests greyB
A sad sad spirit wandered awayB
The woods are still no brooks no windC
No fair green meadows can she findC
-
But a low red light in the sky behindC
Far over the plain to the spirit's sightD
The city's towers are black as nightD
Against the edge of the low red lightD
-
This side the city in darkness liesE
-
But westward at the glowering skiesE
It glares with a thousand fiery eyesE
The road is long the hedgerows bareF
There's the chill of death in the silent airF
And a glimmer of darkness everywhereF
-
-
'O sad sad spirit what thy questG
With those flowing locks and that shadowy vest '-
The spirit answers 'I seek for rest '-
'Where seekest rest when the air is coldH
On the long dim road and the clock hath tolledH
-
The muffled hours form the belfry oldH
'Where seekest rest through the twilight greyB
Of the mists that sleep on the woods alway '-
'I seek to morrow or yesterday '-
-
Her face is pale her feet are bareF
-
Her sad dark eyes wide open stareF
At the glimmering darkness everywhereF
To those cheeks no rose hath summer broughtI
But on their pallor time hath wroughtI
The troubled lines of an after thoughtI
-
-
Her arms are crossed upon her breastG
Her round limbs shape the shadowy vestG
And thus all silent seeks she restG
Her tread is light on the cold hard roadJ
For the tread may be light yet heavy the loadJ
-
Of grief at the heart and thoughts that goadJ
She plucks a leaf from the roadway sideK
And under its shade two violets hideK
As if from her cold touch they hideK
-
She twines the violets in her hairF
-
They have no scent she does not careF
For the glimmer of darkness is everywhereF
And on through the dim of the twilight greyB
While the pale sky gloweth far awayB
She seeks to morrow or yesterdayB
-
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PART IIA
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'O Abbess Abbess the air is chillL
I heard the chaunting over the hillL
Like an angel's voice when the soul is stillL
'O Abbess open wide thy gateM
Out on the cold dim road I waitM
-
A spirit lone and desolateN
'Take thou these hands and these weary feetO
Cold as a corpse in its winding sheetO
For the song of the nuns was so strange and sweetO
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'Here with the sisters let me dwellP
-
Under these walls in the loneliest cellP
Waiting the sound of the matin bellP
'Cut off these locks of flowing hairF
Cover with weeds this bosom bareF
For the glimmer of darkness is everywhereF
-
-
'Ask not my name nor whence my wayB
For the mist sleeps over the wood alwayB
And I seek to morrow or yesterday '-
She's passed beneath the chapel doorQ
The nuns are kneeling on the floorQ
-
But a low wind moaneth evermoreQ
Sweeter and sweeter the sisters singR
Till high in the roof the echoes ringR
For they know that God is listeningR
-
'Ave Maria hear our cryA
-
As the shadows roll across the skyA
For those that live and those that dieA
'Ave Maria Virgin blestG
Help the sin stained and distrestG
Give the weary hearted restG
-
-
'Ave Maria who didst bearF
Jesus in this world of careF
Grant us all thy bliss to share '-
Sweeter and sweeter the sisters singR
From arch to arch the echoes ringR
-
For they know that God is listeningR
Out of the north the oceans rollS
Washing the lands from pole to poleS
No rest no rest for the old world's soulS
-
The after glow of suns that setG
-
O'er fields with morning dew once wetG
Where all life's flowering roadways metG
Long shadows of our joys has sentG
Sloping adown the way we wentG
Towards darkness where our feet are bentG
-
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Is it the moan of the evening windG
Or the voice of the ocean in the mindG
While the pale red light looms up behindG
Is it moan of wind or convent bellP
Or cry of the ocean I cannot tellP
-
But a voice in her heart has locked the spellP
She does not hear the organ's swellP
In vain she strives her beads to tellP
For a voice in her heart has locked the spellP
-
She broods among the tangled fearsT
-
The undergrowth of perished yearsT
That darken round the lake of tearsU
Silent and dank they fringe the brimV
Of waters motionless and dimV
Unmoved by wings of SeraphimV
-
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No lights on the altar the spirit seesW
The cloistered aisles are but leafless treesW
And the music the sigh of the evening breezeW
No matin or vesper bell for herX
The leafless branches never stirX
-
In the pale pale light of the days that wereX
No matin or vesper hymn or prayerF
Can shut those eyes' wide open stareF
At the glimmering darkness everywhereF
-
The sweetest singing dies awayB
-
No note of birds for those who strayB
In the land that is neither night nor dayB
-
PART IIIA
-
In the shadowy light of the silent landG
With the tall gaunt hedges on either handG
On the long dim road doth the spirit standG
-
-
Under the hedges the air is chillL
And the mists sleep over the forest stillL
And are folded like wings on the sides of the hillL
Her arms are crossed upon her breastG
Her round limbs shape the shadowy vestG
-
Her feet are worn with seeking restG
To her cheeks no rose hath summer broughtG
While on their pallor time hath wroughtG
The troubled lines of an after thoughtG
-
But sweet is the gaze of those sad dark eyesE
-
And sweet their look of mute surpriseE
As something in the road she spiesE
Spurned under foot o'ergrown with mossY
Counted of foolish men but lossY
On the cold hard road lies Jesus' crossY
-
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In the dim twilight as she stoodG
She saw the marks of Jesus' BloodG
Then stooped and kissed the Holy RoodG
There are sounds of joy from the years gone byA
There's a pale red light in the forward skyA
-
And a star looks down through the mist on highA
Hush for the light falls clear from that starZ
Hush for the day dawn kindles afarZ
Hush for the gate of the sky is ajarZ
-
What is the voice of the boundless seaA2
-
As it clasps the lands excitedlyA2
Not the voice of the dead but of what shall beA2
Of what shall be when the world shall ceaseB2
And oceans die in the reign of peaceB2
When God grants pardon and releaseB2
-
-
O sweetest taste of Jesus' BloodG
Joy bursts upon her like a floodG
The spirit kisseth Holy RoodG
A low wind moaneth evermoreQ
The nuns still kneel upon the floorQ
-
But Jesus trod this way beforeQ
She lifts the sacred emblem upC2
This was His drink His bitter cupC2
And all His loved with Him must supC2
-
Beneath its arms she bows her headG
-
Those arms so rudely fashion dA2
Which Jesus made His dying bedG
She bends beneath the cross's weightG
But now no longer desolateG
She stands before the convent gateG
-
-
Sweeter and sweeter the sisters singR
From arch and roof the echoes ringR
While God above is listeningR
'Ave Maria Virgin blestG
Help the sin stained and distrustG
-
Grant the weary hearted rest '-
The altar lights are shining fairF
And Jesus' cross is standing thereF
The darkness brightens everywhereF
-
In silent bliss the spirit kneelsB2
-
For mortal utterance half concealsB2
The deepest joy the bosom feelsB2
She bears her burden day by dayB
It wakens her at morning greyB
And calms her at eve's setting rayB
-
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She bears it through the length of yearsB2
The rough wood drives away her fearsB2
The blood stains check all earthly tearsB2
Through daily round of deed and psalmV
She moves in silent strength and calmV
-
The cross her solace and her balmV
She bears it round from door to doorQ
And lonely hearts that ached beforeQ
Find joy and peace for evermoreQ
-
So in the present people sayB
-
Of holy deed and prayer alwayB
She finds to morrow and yesterdayB

Frederick George Scott



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