A Book Of Dreams: Part I Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBC CCCC CCCC DEDE CCCC CCCC CCCC FGFG HCHC ICIC JCJC A KFKF LFLF BFBF MCMC NKNK FFFF AOAO CCCC FPFP GCGC A FIFI HQHQ CCCC AFAF ICIC RFRF SCSC TCTC UVUV OCOC CWCW A XYXY CCCC FZFZ CA2CA2 CICI CNCN CCCC B2OB2O C2BFB ZFZF IOIO TCD2C E2CE2C A CHCH FCFC PGPG CHCH CLCL E2FE2F F2CF2C G2CG2C H2LH2L IH2IH2 AI2AI2 C ICIC TZTZ H2SH2S H2H2H2H2 J2MJ2M IOIO

IA
-
I lay and dreamed The Master cameB
In seamless garment drestC
I stood in bonds 'twixt love and shameB
Not ready to be blestC
-
He stretched his arms and gently soughtC
To clasp me to his heartC
I shrank for I unthinking thoughtC
He knew me but in partC
-
I did not love him as I wouldC
Embraces were not meetC
I dared not ev'n stand where he stoodC
I fell and kissed his feetC
-
Years years have passed away since thenD
Oft hast thou come to meE
The question scarce will rise againD
Whether I care for theeE
-
In thee lies hid my unknown heartC
In thee my perfect mindC
In all my joys my Lord thou artC
The deeper joy behindC
-
But when fresh light and visions boldC
My heart and hope expandC
Up comes the vanity of oldC
That now I understandC
-
Away away from thee I driftC
Forgetting not forgotC
Till sudden yawns a downward riftC
I start and see thee notC
-
Ah then come sad unhopeful hoursF
All in the dark I strayG
Until my spirit fainting cowersF
On the threshold of the dayG
-
Hence not even yet I child like dareH
Nestle unto thy breastC
Though well I know that only thereH
Lies hid the secret restC
-
But now I shrink not from thy willI
Nor guilty judge my guiltC
Thy good shall meet and slay my illI
Do with me as thou wiltC
-
If I should dream that dream once moreJ
Me in my dreaming meetC
Embrace me Master I imploreJ
And let me kiss thy feetC
-
IIA
-
I stood before my childhood's homeK
Outside its belt of treesF
All round my glances flit and roamK
O'er well known hills and leasF
-
When sudden rushed across the plainL
A host of hurrying wavesF
Loosed by some witchery of the brainL
From far dream hidden cavesF
-
And up the hill they clomb and cameB
A wild fast flowing seaF
Careless I looked as on a gameB
No terror woke in meF
-
For just the belting trees withinM
I saw my father waitC
And should the waves the summit winM
There was the open gateC
-
With him beside all doubt was dumbN
There let the waters foamK
No mightiest flood would dare to comeN
And drown his holy homeK
-
Two days passed by With restless tossF
The red flood brake its doorsF
Prostrate I lay and looked acrossF
To the eternal shoresF
-
The world was fair and hope was highA
My friends had all been trueO
Life burned in me and Death and IA
Would have a hard adoO
-
Sudden came back the dream so goodC
My trouble to abateC
At his own door my Father stoodC
I just without the gateC
-
Thou know'st what is and what appearsF
I said mine eyes to thineP
Are windows thou hear'st with thine earsF
But also hear'st with mineP
-
Thou knowest my weak soul's dismayG
How trembles my life's nodeC
Thou art the potter I am the clayG
'Tis thine to bear the loadC
-
IIIA
-
A piece of gold had left my purseF
Which I had guarded illI
I feared a lack but feared yet worseF
Regret returning stillI
-
I lifted up my feeble prayerH
To him who maketh strongQ
That thence no haunting thoughts of careH
Might do my spirit wrongQ
-
And even before my body sleptC
Such visions fair I hadC
That seldom soul with chamber sweptC
Was more serenely gladC
-
No white robed angel floated byA
On slow reposing wingsF
I only saw with inward eyeA
Some very common thingsF
-
First rose the scarlet pimpernelI
With burning purple heartC
I saw within it and could spellI
The lesson of its artC
-
Then came the primrose child like flowerR
And looked me in the faceF
It bore a message full of powerR
And confidence and graceF
-
And breezes rose on pastures trimS
And bathed me all aboutC
Wool muffled sheep bells babbled dimS
Or only half spoke outC
-
Sudden it closed some door of heavenT
But what came out remainedC
The poorest man my loss had givenT
For that which I had gainedC
-
Thou gav'st me Lord a brimming cupU
Where I bemoaned a sipV
How easily thou didst make upU
For that my fault let slipV
-
What said the flowers what message newO
Embalmed my soul with restC
I scarce can tell only they grewO
Right out of God's own breastC
-
They said to every flower he madeC
God's thought was root and stemW
Perhaps said what the lilies saidC
When Jesus looked at themW
-
IVA
-
Sometimes in daylight hours awakeX
Our souls with visions teemY
Which to the slumbering brain would takeX
The form of wondrous dreamY
-
Once with my thought sight I descriedC
A plain with hills aroundC
A lordly company on each sideC
Leaves bare the middle groundC
-
Great terrace steps at one end riseF
To something like a throneZ
And thither all the radiant eyesF
As to a centre shoneZ
-
A snow white glory dim definedC
Those seeking eyes beseechA2
Him who was not in fire or windC
But in the gentle speechA2
-
They see his eyes far fixed waitC
Adown the widening valeI
They turning look their breath they bateC
With dread filled wonder paleI
-
In raiment worn and blood bedewedC
With faltering step and numbN
Toward the shining multitudeC
A weary man did comeN
-
His face was white and still composedC
As of a man nigh deadC
The eyes through eyelids half unclosedC
A faint wan splendour shedC
-
Drops on his hair disordered hungB2
Like rubies dull of hueO
His hands were pitifully wrungB2
And stricken through and throughO
-
Silent they stood with tender aweC2
Between their ranks he cameB
Their tearful eyes looked down and sawF
What made his feet so lameB
-
He reached the steps below the throneZ
There sank upon his kneesF
Clasped his torn hands with stifled groanZ
And spake in words like theseF
-
Father I am come back Thy willI
Is sometimes hard to doO
From all that multitude so stillI
A sound of weeping grewO
-
Then mournful glad came down the OneT
He kneeled and clasped his childC
Lay on his breast the outworn manD2
And wept until he smiledC
-
The people who in bitter woeE2
And love had sobbed and criedC
Raised aweful eyes at length and LoE2
The two sat side by sideC
-
VA
-
Dreaming I slept Three crosses stoodC
High in the gloomy airH
One bore a thief and one the GoodC
The other waited bareH
-
A soldier came up to the placeF
And took me for the thirdC
My eyes they sought the Master's faceF
My will the Master's wordC
-
He bent his head I took the signP
And gave the error wayG
Gesture nor look nor word of mineP
The secret should betrayG
-
The soldier from the cross's footC
Turned I stood waiting thereH
That grim expectant tree for fruitC
My dying form must bearH
-
Up rose the steaming mists of doubtC
And chilled both heart and brainL
They shut the world of vision outC
And fear saw only painL
-
Ah me my hands the hammer's blowE2
The nails that rend and pierceF
The shock may stun but slow and slowE2
The torture will grow fierceF
-
Alas the awful fight with deathF2
The hours to hang and dieC
The thirsting gasp for common breathF2
The weakness that would cryC
-
My soul returned A faintness soonG2
Will shroud thee in its foldC
The hours will bring the fearful noonG2
'Twill pass and thou art coldC
-
'Tis his to care that thou endureH2
To curb or loose the painL
With bleeding hands hang on thy cureH2
It shall not be in vainL
-
But ah the will which thus could quailI
Might yield oh horror drearH2
Then more than love the fear to failI
Kept down the other fearH2
-
I stood nor moved But inward strifeA
The bonds of slumber brokeI2
Oh had I fled and lost the lifeA
Of which the Master spokeI2
-
VIC
-
Methinks I hear as o'er this life's dim dialI
The last shades darken friends say He was goodC
I struggling fail to speak my faint denialI
They whisper His humility withstoodC
-
I knowing better part with love unspokenT
And find the unknown world not all unknownZ
The bonds that held me from my centre brokenT
I seek my home the Saviour's homely throneZ
-
How he will greet me walking on I wonderH2
I think I know what I will say to himS
I fear no sapphire floor of cloudless thunderH2
I fear no passing vision great and dimS
-
But he knows all my weary sinful storyH2
How will he judge me pure and strong and fairH2
I come to him in all his conquered gloryH2
Won from the life that I went dreaming thereH2
-
I come I fall before him faintly sayingJ2
Ah Lord shall I thy loving pardon winM
Earth tempted me my walk was but a strayingJ2
I have no honour but may I come inM
-
I hear him say Strong prayer did keep me stableI
To me the earth was very lovely tooO
Thou shouldst have prayed I would have made thee ableI
To love it greatly but thou hast got throughO

George Macdonald



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