Death And Birth Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDEFF EEGGHHHHIIJJKKLLMMNN OOPPQQRRSSTTMMEE UUVVWW XXVVVVQQ QQVV EEMMYYHHZZ BBA2A2B2B2MM C2C2D2D2VV C2C2WWV E2E2F2G2VVVV VVVVVVHHMM H2H2I2I2 J2J2MMHHHH H2H2MMMM'Tis the midnight hour I heard | A |
The Abbey bell give out the word | A |
Seldom is the lamp ray shed | B |
On some dwarfed foot farer's head | B |
In the deep and narrow street | C |
Lying ditch like at my feet | C |
Where I stand at lattice high | D |
Downward gazing listlessly | E |
From my house upon the rock | F |
Peak of earth's foundation block | F |
- | |
There her windows every story | E |
Shine with far off nebulous glory | E |
Round her in that luminous cloud | G |
Stars obedient press and crowd | G |
She the centre of all gazing | H |
She the sun her planets dazing | H |
In her eyes' victorious lightning | H |
Some are paling some are brightening | H |
Those on which they gracious turn | I |
Stars combust all tenfold burn | I |
Those from which they look away | J |
Listless roam in twilight gray | J |
When on her my looks I bent | K |
Wonder shook me like a tent | K |
And my eyes grew dim with sheen | L |
Wasting light upon its queen | L |
But though she my eyes might chain | M |
Rule my ebbing flowing brain | M |
Truth alone without within | N |
Can the soul's high homage win | N |
- | |
He I do not doubt is there | O |
Who unveiled my idol fair | O |
And I thank him grateful much | P |
Though his end was none of such | P |
He from shapely lips of wit | Q |
Let the fire flakes lightly flit | Q |
Scorching as the snow that fell | R |
On the damned in Dante's hell | R |
With keen gentle opposition | S |
Playful merciless precision | S |
Mocked the sweet romance of youth | T |
Balancing on spheric truth | T |
He on sense's firm set plane | M |
Rolled the unstable ball amain | M |
With a smile she looked at me | E |
Stung my soul and set me free | E |
- | |
Welcome friend Bring in your bricks | U |
Mortar there No need to mix | U |
That is well And picks and hammers | V |
Verily these are no shammers | V |
There my friend build up that niche | W |
That one with the painting rich | W |
- | |
Yes you're right it is a show | X |
Picture seldom can bestow | X |
City palaces and towers | V |
Terraced gardens twilight bowers | V |
Vistas deep through swaying masts | V |
Pennons flaunting in the blasts | V |
Build my room it does not fit | Q |
Brick glaze is the thing for it | Q |
- | |
Yes a window you may call it | Q |
Not the less up you must wall it | Q |
In that niche the dead world lies | V |
Bury death and free mine eyes | V |
- | |
There were youths who held by me | E |
Said I taught yet left them free | E |
Will they do as I said then | M |
God forbid As ye are men | M |
Find the secret follow and find | Y |
All forget that lies behind | Y |
Me the schools yourselves forsake | H |
In your souls a silence make | H |
Hearken till a whisper come | Z |
Listen follow and be dumb | Z |
- | |
There 'tis over I am dead | B |
Of my life the broken thread | B |
Here I cast out of my hand | A2 |
O my soul the merry land | A2 |
On my heart the sinking vault | B2 |
Of my ruining past makes halt | B2 |
Ages I could sit and moan | M |
For the shining world that's gone | M |
- | |
Haste and pierce the other wall | C2 |
Break an opening to the All | C2 |
Where No matter done is best | D2 |
Kind of window Let that rest | D2 |
Who at morning ever lies | V |
Pondering how to ope his eyes | V |
- | |
I bethink me we must fall | C2 |
On the thinnest of the wall | C2 |
There it must be in that niche | W |
No the deepest that in which | W |
Stands the Crucifix | V |
- | |
You start | E2 |
Ah your half believing heart | E2 |
Shrinks from that as sacrilege | F2 |
Or at least upon its edge | G2 |
Worse than sacrilege I say | V |
Is it to withhold the day | V |
From the brother whom thou knowest | V |
For the God thou never sawest | V |
- | |
Reverently O marble cold | V |
Thee in living arms I fold | V |
Thou who art thyself the way | V |
From the darkness to the day | V |
Window thou to every land | V |
Wouldst not one dread moment stand | V |
Shutting out the air and sky | H |
And the dayspring from on high | H |
Brother with the rugged crown | M |
Gently thus I lift thee down | M |
- | |
Give me pick and hammer you | H2 |
Stand aside the deed I'll do | H2 |
Yes in truth I have small skill | I2 |
But the best thing is the will | I2 |
- | |
Stroke on stroke The frescoed plaster | J2 |
Clashes downward fast and faster | J2 |
Hark I hear an outer stone | M |
Down the rough rock rumbling thrown | M |
There's a cranny there's a crack | H |
The great sun is at its back | H |
Lo a mass is outward flung | H |
In the universe hath sprung | H |
- | |
See the gold upon the blue | H2 |
See the sun come blinding through | H2 |
See the far off mountain shine | M |
In the dazzling light divine | M |
Prisoned world thy captive's gone | M |
Welcome wind and sky and sun | M |
George Macdonald
(1)
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