Willie's Question Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B CDCD EFEF GHGH IJIJ KLKL MNMN A O CMCM DPDP QRQR B STST UNUN VDVD WXWY ZA2ZA2 MLML B MB2MB2 B CDCD O C2D2C2D2 E2FE2F F2G2F2G2 AOAO A B UH2UH2 O I2WI2W J2K2J2L2 FFFF B FNFN O FAFA PWPW FPFP M2N2M2N2 B2O2B2O2 A B NPNP B2P2B2Q2 O FR2FR2 FNFN B R2S2R2S2 O WAWA B L2FL2F O S2T2S2U2 B DNDN O K2FL2F O WF B WF O FNFN B DFDF R2LR2L B V2W2V2W2 O WFWF R2LR2L A B X2R2VR2 O DV2DV2 B FFFF FWFW I2A O I2A FY2 B FY2 Z2PZ2P O H2WW2W FDFD FWFW FFFF AN2AN2 V2AV2A

IA
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Willie speaksB
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Is it wrong the wish to be greatC
For I do wish it soD
I have asked already my sister KateC
She says she does not knowD
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Yestereve at the gate I stoodE
Watching the sun in the westF
When I saw him look so grand and goodE
It swelled up in my breastF
-
Next from the rising moonG
It stole like a silver dartH
In the night when the wind began his tuneG
It woke with a sudden startH
-
This morning a trumpet blastI
Made all the cottage quakeJ
It came so sudden and shook so fastI
It blew me wide awakeJ
-
It told me I must make hasteK
And some great glory winL
For every day was running to wasteK
And at once I must beginL
-
I want to be great and strongM
I want to begin to dayN
But if you think it very wrongM
I will send the wish awayN
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IIA
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The Father answersO
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Wrong to wish to be greatC
No Willie it is not wrongM
The child who stands at the high closed gateC
Must wish to be tall and strongM
-
If you did not wish to growD
I should be a sorry manP
I should think my boy was dull and slowD
Nor worthy of his clanP
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You are bound to be great my boyQ
Wish and get up and doR
Were you content to be little my joyQ
Would be little enough in youR
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Willie speaksB
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Papa papa I'm so gladS
That what I wish is rightT
I will not lose a chance to be hadS
I'll begin this very nightT
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I will work so hard at schoolU
I will waste no time in playN
At my fingers' ends I'll have every ruleU
For knowledge is power they sayN
-
I would be a king and reignV
But I can't be that and soD
Field marshal I'll be I think and gainV
Sharp battles and sieges slowD
-
I shall gallop and shout and callW
Waving my shining swordX
Artillery cavalry infantry allW
Hear and obey my wordY
-
Or admiral I will beZ
Wherever the salt wave runsA2
Sailing fighting over the seaZ
With flashing and roaring gunsA2
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I will make myself hardy and strongM
I will never never give inL
I am so glad it is not wrongM
At once I will beginL
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The Father speaksB
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Fighting and shining alongM
All for the show of the thingB2
Any puppet will mimic the grand and strongM
If you pull the proper stringB2
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Willie speaksB
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But indeed I want to be greatC
I should despise mere showD
The thing I want is the glory stateC
Above the rest you knowD
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The Father answersO
-
The harder you run that raceC2
The farther you tread that trackD2
The greatness you fancy before your faceC2
Is the farther behind your backD2
-
To be up in the heavens afarE2
Miles above all the restF
Would make a star not the greatest starE2
Only the dreariestF
-
That book on the highest shelfF2
Is not the greatest bookG2
If you would be great it must be in yourselfF2
Neither by place nor lookG2
-
The Highest is not highA
By being higher than othersO
To greatness you come not a step more nighA
By getting above your brothersO
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IIIA
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Willie speaksB
-
I meant the boys at schoolU
I did not mean my brotherH2
Somebody first is there the ruleU
It must be me or anotherH2
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The Father answersO
-
Oh Willie it's all the sameI2
They are your brothers allW
For when you say Hallowed be thy nameI2
Whose Father is it you callW
-
Could you pray for such rule to himJ2
Do you think that he would hearK2
Must he favour one in a greedy whimJ2
Where all are his children dearL2
-
It is right to get up and doF
But why outstrip the restF
Why should one of the many be one of the fewF
Why should you think to be bestF
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Willie speaksB
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Then how am I to be greatF
I know no other wayN
It would be folly to sit and waitF
I must up and do you sayN
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The Father answersO
-
I do not want you to waitF
For few before they dieA
Have got so far as begin to be greatF
The lesson is so highA
-
I will tell you the only planP
To climb and not to fallW
He who would rise and be greater thanP
He is must be servant of allW
-
Turn it each way in your mindF
Try every other planP
You may think yourself great but at length you'll findF
You are not even a manP
-
Climb to the top of the treesM2
Climb to the top of the hillN2
Get up on the crown of the sky if you pleaseM2
You'll be a small creature stillN2
-
Be admiral poet or kingB2
Let praises fill both your earsO2
Your soul will be but a windmill thingB2
Blown round by its hopes and fearsO2
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IVA
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Willie speaksB
-
Then put me in the wayN
For you papa are a manP
What thing shall I do this very dayN
Only be sure I canP
-
I want to know I am willingB2
Let me at least have a chanceP2
Shall I give the monkey boy my shillingB2
I want to serve at onceQ2
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The Father answersO
-
Give all your shillings you mightF
And hurt your brothers the moreR2
He only can serve his fellows arightF
Who goes in at the little doorR2
-
We must do the thing we mustF
Before the thing we mayN
We are unfit for any trustF
Till we can and do obeyN
-
Willie speaksB
-
I will try more and moreR2
I have nothing now to askS2
Obedience I know is the little doorR2
Now set me some hard taskS2
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The Father answersO
-
No Willie the father of allW
Teacher and master highA
Has set your task beyond recallW
Nothing can set it byA
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Willie speaksB
-
What is it father dearL2
That he would have me doF
I'd ask himself but he's not nearL2
And so I must ask youF
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The Father answersO
-
Me 'tis no use to askS2
I too am one of his boysT2
But he tells each boy his own plain taskS2
Listen and hear his voiceU2
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Willie speaksB
-
Father I'm listening soD
To hear him if I mayN
His voice must either be very lowD
Or very far awayN
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The Father answersO
-
It is neither hard to hearK2
Nor hard to understandF
It is very low but very nearL2
A still small strong commandF
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Willie answersO
-
I do not hear it at allW
I am only hearing youF
-
The Father speaksB
-
Think is there nothing great or smallW
You ought to go and doF
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Willie answersO
-
Let me think I ought to feedF
My rabbits I went awayN
In such a hurry this morning IndeedF
They've not had enough to dayN
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The Father speaksB
-
That is his whisper lowD
That is his very wordF
You had only to stop and listen and soD
Very plainly you heardF
-
That duty's the little doorR2
You must open it and go inL
There is nothing else to do beforeR2
There is nowhere else to beginL
-
Willie speaksB
-
But that's so easily doneV2
It's such a trifling affairW2
So nearly over as soon as begunV2
For that he can hardly careW2
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The Father answersO
-
You are turning from his callW
If you let that duty waitF
You would not think any duty smallW
If you yourself were greatF
-
The nearest is at life's coreR2
With the first you all beginL
What matter how little the little doorR2
If it only let you inL
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VA
-
Willie speaksB
-
Papa I am come againX2
It is now three months and moreR2
That I've tried to do the thing that was plainV
And I feel as small as beforeR2
-
The Father answersO
-
Your honour comes too slowD
How much then have you doneV2
One foot on a mole heap would you crowD
As if you had reached the sunV2
-
Willie speaksB
-
But I cannot help a doubtF
Whether this way be the trueF
The more I do to work it outF
The more there comes to doF
-
And yet were all done and pastF
I should feel just as smallW
For when I had tried to the very lastF
'Twas my duty after allW
-
It is only much the sameI2
As not being liar or thiefA
-
The Father answersO
-
One who tried it found even with shameI2
That of sinners he was the chiefA
-
My boy I am glad indeedF
You have been finding the truthY2
-
Willie speaksB
-
But where's the good I shall never speedF
Be one whit greater in soothY2
-
If duty itself must failZ2
And that be the only planP
How shall my scarce begun duty prevailZ2
To make me a mighty manP
-
The Father answersO
-
Ah Willie what if it wereH2
Quite another way to fallW
What if the greatness itself lie thereW2
In knowing that you are smallW
-
In seeing the good so goodF
That you feel poor weak and lowD
And hungrily long for it as for foodF
With an endless need to growD
-
The man who was lord of fateF
Born in an ox's stallW
Was great because he was much too greatF
To care about greatness at allW
-
Ever and only he soughtF
The will of his Father goodF
Never of what was high he thoughtF
But of what his Father wouldF
-
You long to be great you tryA
You feel yourself smaller stillN2
In the name of God let ambition dieA
Let him make you what he willN2
-
Who does the truth is oneV2
With the living Truth aboveA
Be God's obedient little sonV2
Let ambition die in loveA

George Macdonald



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