The Eleusinian Festival Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDEDF GHGHIJKJ LMNMOPOP AQAQRSTS UVUVWXWF YZA2ZB2C2B2C2 D2E2A2E2F2G2F2G2 H2I2H2I2J2G2K2G2 OA2OA2L2M2L2M2 N2JN2JO2L2O2O2 A2TA2RP2Q2P2Q2 A2A2A2A2H2A2H2A2 O2Q2O2Q2R2S2R2S2 G2G2G2G2T2O2T2O2 U2V2U2U2U2U2U2U2 Q2U2Q2U2U2HU2H CU2CU2W2O2W2O2 U2X2U2X2Y2O2Y2O2 Z2A3Z2B3CU2CU2 U2I2U2I2W2A2W2A2 U2A2U2A2A2A2A2A2 U2A2U2A2O2O2O2O2 JB3JB3U2C3U2C3 D3B3D3B3E3U2E3U2 U2B3U2B3O2U2O2U2 U2B3U2B3O2I2O2I2 B3O2B3O2O2W2O2W2

Wreathe in a garland the corn's golden earA
With it the Cyane blue intertwineB
Rapture must render each glance bright and clearC
For the great queen is approaching her shrineB
She who compels lawless passions to ceaseD
Who to link man with his fellow has comeE
And into firm habitations of peaceD
Changed the rude tents' ever wandering homeF
-
Shyly in the mountain cleftG
Was the Troglodyte concealedH
And the roving Nomad leftG
Desert lying each broad fieldH
With the javelin with the bowI
Strode the hunter through the landJ
To the hapless stranger woeK
Billow cast on that wild strandJ
-
When in her sad wanderings lostL
Seeking traces of her childM
Ceres hailed the dreary coastN
Ah no verdant plain then smiledM
That she here with trust may stayO
None vouchsafes a sheltering roofP
Not a temple's columns gayO
Give of godlike worship proofP
-
Fruit of no propitious earA
Bids her to the pure feast flyQ
On the ghastly altars hereA
Human bones alone e'er dryQ
Far as she might onward roveR
Misery found she still in allS
And within her soul of loveT
Sorrowed she o'er man's deep fallS
-
Is it thus I find the manU
To whom we our image lendV
Whose fair limbs of noble spanU
Upward towards the heavens ascendV
Laid we not before his feetW
Earth's unbounded godlike wombX
Yet upon his kingly seatW
Wanders he without a homeF
-
Does no god compassion feelY
Will none of the blissful raceZ
With an arm of miracleA2
Raise him from his deep disgraceZ
In the heights where rapture reignsB2
Pangs of others ne'er can moveC2
Yet man's anguish and man's painsB2
My tormented heart must proveC2
-
So that a man a man may beD2
Let him make an endless bondE2
With the kind earth trustinglyA2
Who is ever good and fondE2
To revere the law of timeF2
And the moon's melodious songG2
Who with silent step sublimeF2
Move their sacred course alongG2
-
And she softly parts the cloudH2
That conceals her from the sightI2
Sudden in the savage crowdH2
Stands she as a goddess brightI2
There she finds the concourse rudeJ2
In their glad feast revellingG2
And the chalice filled with bloodK2
As a sacrifice they bringG2
-
But she turns her face awayO
Horror struck and speaks the whileA2
Bloody tiger feasts ne'er mayO
Of a god the lips defileA2
He needs victims free from stainL2
Fruits matured by autumn's sunM2
With the pure gifts of the plainL2
Honored is the Holy OneM2
-
And she takes the heavy shaftN2
From the hunter's cruel handJ
With the murderous weapon's haftN2
Furrowing the light strown sandJ
Takes from out her garland's crownO2
Filled with life one single grainL2
Sinks it in the furrow downO2
And the germ soon swells amainO2
-
And the green stalks gracefullyA2
Shoot ere long the ground aboveT
And as far as eye can seeA2
Waves it like a golden groveR
With her smile the earth she cheersP2
Binds the earliest sheaves so fairQ2
As her hearth the landmark rearsP2
And the goddess breathes this prayerQ2
-
Father Zeus who reign'st o'er allA2
That in ether's mansions dwellA2
Let a sign from thee now fallA2
That thou lov'st this offering wellA2
And from the unhappy crowdH2
That as yet has ne'er known theeA2
Take away the eye's dark cloudH2
Showing them their deityA2
-
Zeus upon his lofty throneO2
Harkens to his sister's prayerQ2
From the blue heights thundering downO2
Hurls his forked lightning thereQ2
Crackling it begins to blazeR2
From the altar whirling boundsS2
And his swift winged eagle playsR2
High above in circling roundsS2
-
Soon at the feet of their mistress are kneelingG2
Filled with emotion the rapturous throngG2
Into humanity's earliest feelingG2
Melt their rude spirits untutored and strongG2
Each bloody weapon behind them they leaveT2
Rays on their senses beclouded soon shineO2
And from the mouth of the queen they receiveT2
Gladly and meekly instruction divineO2
-
All the deities advanceU2
Downward from their heavenly seatsV2
Themis' self 'tis leads the danceU2
And with staff of justice metesU2
Unto every one his rightsU2
Landmarks too 'tis hers to fixU2
And in witness she invitesU2
All the hidden powers of StyxU2
-
And the forge god too is thereQ2
The inventive son of ZeusU2
Fashioner of vessels fairQ2
Skilled in clay and brass's useU2
'Tis from him the art man knowsU2
Tongs and bellows how to wieldH
'Neath his hammer's heavy blowsU2
Was the ploughshare first revealedH
-
With projecting weighty spearC
Front of all Minerva standsU2
Lifts her voice so strong and clearC
And the godlike host commandsU2
Steadfast walls 'tis hers to foundW2
Shield and screen for every oneO2
That the scattered world aroundW2
Bind in loving unisonO2
-
The immortals' steps she guidesU2
O'er the trackless plains so vastX2
And where'er her foot abidesU2
Is the boundary god held fastX2
And her measuring chain is ledY2
Round the mountain's border greenO2
E'en the raging torrent's bedY2
In the holy ring is seenO2
-
All the Nymphs and Oreads tooZ2
Who the mountain pathways o'erA3
Swift foot Artemis pursueZ2
All to swell the concourse pourB3
Brandishing the hunting spearC
Set to work glad shouts upriseU2
'Neath their axes' blows so clearC
Crashing down the pine wood fliesU2
-
E'en the sedge crowned God ascendsU2
From his verdant spring to lightI2
And his raft's direction bendsU2
At the goddess' word of mightI2
While the hours all gently boundW2
Nimbly to their duty flyA2
Rugged trunks are fashioned roundW2
By her skilled hand gracefullyA2
-
E'en the sea god thither faresU2
Sudden with his trident's blowA2
He the granite columns tearsU2
From earth's entrails far belowA2
In his mighty hands on highA2
Waves he them like some light ballA2
And with nimble Hermes byA2
Raises up the rampart wallA2
-
But from out the golden stringsU2
Lures Apollo harmonyA2
Measured time's sweet murmuringsU2
And the might of melodyA2
The Camoenae swell the strainO2
With their song of ninefold toneO2
Captive bound in music's chainO2
Softly stone unites to stoneO2
-
Cybele with skilful handJ
Open throws the wide winged doorB3
Locks and bolts by her are plannedJ
Sure to last forevermoreB3
Soon complete the wondrous hallsU2
By the gods' own hands are madeC3
And the temple's glowing wallsU2
Stand in festal pomp arrayedC3
-
With a crown of myrtle twinedD3
Now the goddess queen comes thereB3
And she leads the fairest hindD3
To the shepherdess most fairB3
Venus with her beauteous boyE3
That first pair herself attiresU2
All the gods bring gifts of joyE3
Blessing their love's sacred firesU2
-
Guided by the deitiesU2
Soon the new born townsmen pourB3
Ushered in with harmoniesU2
Through the friendly open doorB3
Holding now the rites divineO2
Ceres at Zeus' altar standsU2
Blessing those around the shrineO2
Thus she speaks with folded handsU2
-
Freedom's love the beast inflamesU2
And the god rules free in airB3
While the law of Nature tamesU2
Each wild lust that lingers thereB3
Yet when thus together thrownO2
Man with man must fain uniteI2
And by his own worth aloneO2
Can he freedom gain and mightI2
-
Wreathe in a garland the corn's golden earB3
With it the Cyane blue intertwineO2
Rapture must render each glance bright and clearB3
For the great queen is approaching her shrineO2
She who our homesteads so blissful has givenO2
She who has man to his fellow man boundW2
Let our glad numbers extol then to heavenO2
Her who the earth's kindly mother is foundW2

Friedrich Schiller



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