The Haunted House Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBDEEFFCBBD G HHIIJKKLLIIIMM G LLNNIINNNIINNN F OFFOFPPFFQQRROOOOSTU UVVNN F WWXOOOXYZOZEEA2B2EB2 C2D2C2D2 F D2B2D2D2B2B2E2E2OOFF F2NND2D2G2D2FFF2G2B2 B2B2B2B2 F H2I2H2OI2J2J2OK2J2K2 D2D2 F L2L2D2D2D2D2F2F2M2M2 B2B2 J2 OORRN2N2OOFFD2D2F2F2 O2O2D2D2P2D2P2FFD2ZZ Q2Q2Q2Q2 J2 R2R2R2D2D2FFD2D2 F P2P2D2D2D2OOJ2J2 J2 OBOBJ2P2B2P2P2P2F2F2 D2D2OOS2S2D2D2F2O

Suggested by a drawing of Thomas Moran the American painterA
-
This must be the very nightB
The moon knows it and the treesC
They stand straight uprightB
Each a sentinel drawn upD
As if they dared not knowE
Which way the wind might blowE
The very pool with dead gray eyeF
Dully expectant feels it nighF
And begins to curdle and freezeC
And the dark nightB
With its fringe of lightB
Holds the secret in its cupD
-
IIG
-
What can it be to makeH
The poplars cease to shiver and shakeH
And up in the dismal airI
Stand straight and stiff as the human hairI
When the human soul is dizzy with dreadJ
All but those two that strainK
Aside in a frenzy of speechless painK
Though never a wind sends out a breathL
To tunnel the foggy rheum of deathL
What can it be has power to scareI
The full grown moon to the idiot stareI
Of a blasted eye in the midnight airI
Something has gone wrongM
A scream will come tearing out ere longM
-
IIIG
-
Still as deathL
Although I listen with bated breathL
Yet something is coming I know is comingN
With an inward soundless hummingN
Somewhere in me or if in the airI
I cannot tell but it is thereI
Marching on to an unheard drummingN
Something is coming comingN
Growing and comingN
And the moon is awareI
Aghast in the airI
At the thing that is only comingN
With an inward soundless hummingN
And an unheard spectral drummingN
-
IVF
-
Nothing to see and nothing to hearO
Only across the inner skyF
The wing of a shadowy thought flits byF
Vague and featureless faceless drearO
Only a thinness to catch the eyeF
Is it a dim foreboding unbornP
Or a buried memory wasted and wornP
As the fading frost of a wintry sighF
Anon I shall have it anon it draws nighF
A night when a something it was took placeQ
That drove the blood from that scared moon faceQ
Hark was that the cry of a goatR
Or the gurgle of water in a throatR
Hush there is nothing to see or hearO
Only a silent something is nearO
No knock no footsteps three or fourO
Only a presence outside the doorO
See the moon is remembering whatS
The wail of a mother left lie alone bratT
Or a raven sharpening its beak to peckU
Or a cold blue knife and a warm white neckU
Or only a heart that burst and ceasedV
For a man that went away releasedV
I know not know not but something is comingN
Somehow back with an inward hummingN
-
VF
-
Ha look there look at that houseW
Forsaken of all things beetle and mouseW
Mark how it looks It must have a soulX
It looks it looks though it cannot stirO
See the ribs of it how they stareO
Its blind eyes yet have a seeing airO
It knows it has a soulX
Haggard it hangs o'er the slimy poolY
And gapes wide open as corpses gapeZ
It is the very murdererO
The ghost has modelled himself to the shapeZ
Of this drear house all sodden with woeE
Where the deed was done long long agoE
And filled with himself his new body fullA2
To haunt for ever his ghastly crimeB2
And see it come and goE
Brooding around it like motionless timeB2
With a mouth that gapes and eyes that yawnC2
Blear and blintering and full of the moonD2
Like one aghast at a hellish dawnC2
The deed the deed it is coming soonD2
-
VIF
-
For ever and always when round the tuneD2
Grinds on the barrel of organ TimeB2
The deed is done And it comes anonD2
True to the roll of the clock faced moonD2
True to the ring of the spheric chimeB2
True to the cosmic rhythm and rimeB2
Every point as it first fell outE2
Will come and go in the fearsome boutE2
See palsied with horror from garret to coreO
The house cannot shut its gaping doorO
Its burst eye stares as if trying to seeF
And it leans as if settling heavilyF
Settling heavy with sickness dullF2
It also is hearing the soundless hummingN
Of the wheel that is turning the thing that is comingN
On the naked rafters of its brainD2
Gaunt and wintred see the trainD2
Of gossiping scandal mongering crowsG2
That watch all silent with necks a strainD2
Wickedly knowing with heads awryF
And the sharpened gleam of a cunning eyeF
Watch through the cracks of the ruined skullF2
How the evil business goesG2
Beyond the eyes of the cherubimB2
Beyond the ears of the seraphimB2
Outside forsaken in the dimB2
Phantom haunted chaos grimB2
He stands with the deed going on in himB2
-
VIIF
-
O winds winds that lurk and peepH2
Under the edge of the moony fringeI2
O winds winds up and sweepH2
Up and blow and billow the airO
Billow the air with blow and swingeI2
Rend me this ghastly house of groansJ2
Rend and scatter the skeleton's bonesJ2
Over the deserts and mountains bareO
Blast and hurl and shiver asideK2
Nailed sticks and mortared stonesJ2
Clear the phantom with torrent and tideK2
Out of the moon and out of my brainD2
That the light may fall shadowless in againD2
-
VIIIF
-
But alas then the ghostL2
O'er mountain and coastL2
Would go roaming roaming and never was swineD2
That grubbing and talking with snork and whineD2
On Gadarene mountains had taken him inD2
But would rush to the lake to unhouse the sinD2
For any charnelF2
This ghost is too carnalF2
There is no volcano burnt out and coldM2
Whose very ashes are gray and oldM2
But would cast him forth in reviving flameB2
To blister the sky with a smudge of shameB2
-
IXJ2
-
Is there no help none anywhereO
Under the earth or above the airO
Come sad woman whose tender throatR
Has a red lipped mouth that can sing no noteR
Child whose midwife the third grim FateN2
Shears in hand thy coming did waitN2
Father with blood bedabbled hairO
Mother all withered with love's despairO
Come broken heart whatever thou beF
Hasten to help this miseryF
Thou wast only murdered or left forlornD2
He is a horror a hate a scornD2
Come if out of the holiest blueF2
That the sapphire throne shines throughF2
For pity come though thy fair feet standO2
Next to the elder bandO2
Fling thy harp on the hyalineD2
Hurry thee down the spheres divineD2
Come and drive those ravens awayP2
Cover his eyes from the pitiless moonD2
Shadow his brain from her stinging sprayP2
Droop around him a tent of loveF
An odour of grace a fanning doveF
Walk through the house with the healing tuneD2
Of gentle footsteps banish the shapeZ
Remorse calls up thyself to apeZ
Comfort him dear with pardon sweetQ2
Cool his heart from its burning heatQ2
With the water of life that laves the feetQ2
Of the throne of God and the holy streetQ2
-
XJ2
-
O God he is but a living blotR2
Yet he lives by thee for if thou wast notR2
They would vanish together self forgotR2
He and his crime one breathing blownD2
From thy spirit on his would all atoneD2
Scatter the horror and bring reliefF
In an amber dawn of holy griefF
God give him sorrow arise from withinD2
His primal being deeper than sinD2
-
XIF
-
Why do I tremble a creature at bayP2
'Tis but a dream I drive it awayP2
Back comes my breath and my heart againD2
Pumps the red blood to my fainting brainD2
Released from the nightmare's nine fold trainD2
God is in heaven yes everywhereO
And Love the all shining will kill DespairO
To the wall's blank eyeless spaceJ2
I turn the picture's faceJ2
-
XIIJ2
-
But why is the moon so bare up thereO
And why is she so whiteB
And why does the moon so stare up thereO
Strangely stare out of the nightB
Why stand up the poplarsJ2
That still wayP2
And why do those two of themB2
Start astrayP2
And out of the black why hangs the grayP2
Why does it hang down so I sayP2
Over that house like a fringed pallF2
Where the dead goes by in a funeralF2
Soul of mineD2
Thou the reason canst divineD2
Into thee the moon doth stareO
With pallid terror smitten airO
Thou and the Horror lonely starkS2
Outcast of eternal darkS2
Are in nature same and oneD2
And thy story is not doneD2
So let the picture face thee from the wallF2
And let its white moon stareO

George Macdonald



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Haunted House poem by George Macdonald


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 17 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets