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 heardA
The Abbey bell give out the wordA
Seldom is the lamp ray shedB
On some dwarfed foot farer's headB
In the deep and narrow streetC
Lying ditch like at my feetC
Where I stand at lattice highD
Downward gazing listlesslyE
From my house upon the rockF
Peak of earth's foundation blockF
-
There her windows every storyE
Shine with far off nebulous gloryE
Round her in that luminous cloudG
Stars obedient press and crowdG
She the centre of all gazingH
She the sun her planets dazingH
In her eyes' victorious lightningH
Some are paling some are brighteningH
Those on which they gracious turnI
Stars combust all tenfold burnI
Those from which they look awayJ
Listless roam in twilight grayJ
When on her my looks I bentK
Wonder shook me like a tentK
And my eyes grew dim with sheenL
Wasting light upon its queenL
But though she my eyes might chainM
Rule my ebbing flowing brainM
Truth alone without withinN
Can the soul's high homage winN
-
He I do not doubt is thereO
Who unveiled my idol fairO
And I thank him grateful muchP
Though his end was none of suchP
He from shapely lips of witQ
Let the fire flakes lightly flitQ
Scorching as the snow that fellR
On the damned in Dante's hellR
With keen gentle oppositionS
Playful merciless precisionS
Mocked the sweet romance of youthT
Balancing on spheric truthT
He on sense's firm set planeM
Rolled the unstable ball amainM
With a smile she looked at meE
Stung my soul and set me freeE
-
Welcome friend Bring in your bricksU
Mortar there No need to mixU
That is well And picks and hammersV
Verily these are no shammersV
There my friend build up that nicheW
That one with the painting richW
-
Yes you're right it is a showX
Picture seldom can bestowX
City palaces and towersV
Terraced gardens twilight bowersV
Vistas deep through swaying mastsV
Pennons flaunting in the blastsV
Build my room it does not fitQ
Brick glaze is the thing for itQ
-
Yes a window you may call itQ
Not the less up you must wall itQ
In that niche the dead world liesV
Bury death and free mine eyesV
-
There were youths who held by meE
Said I taught yet left them freeE
Will they do as I said thenM
God forbid As ye are menM
Find the secret follow and findY
All forget that lies behindY
Me the schools yourselves forsakeH
In your souls a silence makeH
Hearken till a whisper comeZ
Listen follow and be dumbZ
-
There 'tis over I am deadB
Of my life the broken threadB
Here I cast out of my handA2
O my soul the merry landA2
On my heart the sinking vaultB2
Of my ruining past makes haltB2
Ages I could sit and moanM
For the shining world that's goneM
-
Haste and pierce the other wallC2
Break an opening to the AllC2
Where No matter done is bestD2
Kind of window Let that restD2
Who at morning ever liesV
Pondering how to ope his eyesV
-
I bethink me we must fallC2
On the thinnest of the wallC2
There it must be in that nicheW
No the deepest that in whichW
Stands the CrucifixV
-
You startE2
Ah your half believing heartE2
Shrinks from that as sacrilegeF2
Or at least upon its edgeG2
Worse than sacrilege I sayV
Is it to withhold the dayV
From the brother whom thou knowestV
For the God thou never sawestV
-
Reverently O marble coldV
Thee in living arms I foldV
Thou who art thyself the wayV
From the darkness to the dayV
Window thou to every landV
Wouldst not one dread moment standV
Shutting out the air and skyH
And the dayspring from on highH
Brother with the rugged crownM
Gently thus I lift thee downM
-
Give me pick and hammer youH2
Stand aside the deed I'll doH2
Yes in truth I have small skillI2
But the best thing is the willI2
-
Stroke on stroke The frescoed plasterJ2
Clashes downward fast and fasterJ2
Hark I hear an outer stoneM
Down the rough rock rumbling thrownM
There's a cranny there's a crackH
The great sun is at its backH
Lo a mass is outward flungH
In the universe hath sprungH
-
See the gold upon the blueH2
See the sun come blinding throughH2
See the far off mountain shineM
In the dazzling light divineM
Prisoned world thy captive's goneM
Welcome wind and sky and sunM

George Macdonald



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