Modern Love Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCCBDEEDFGGHIJJI A KLLKMNNMOPPOQRST A UVVUWXXWYZZYA2B2B2A2 S C2D2D2C2E2F2F2E2G2H2 H2G2I2J2J2I2 S K2L2L2K2M2N2N2M2M2O2 O2M2P2M2M2P2 S Q2SSQ2R2E2E2R2S2K2K2 T2U2V2W2U2 S X2Y2Y2X2M2YYM2CQQCZ2 M2M2Z2 S A3B3B3A3C3D3D3C3E3OO E3F3M2M2F3 M2 M2SSM2G3 Y2 H3I3I3H3J3K3K3J3 M2 L3M3M3L3YM2M2YM3J3J3 M3M2E2E2M2 M2 M2N3N3M2ZM2M2ZO3M2M2 O3M2D3D3M2 M2 M2S

IA
-
By this he knew she wept with waking eyesB
That at his hand's light quiver by her headC
The strange low sobs that shook their common bedC
Were called into her with a sharp surpriseB
And strangled mute like little gaping snakesD
Dreadfully venomous to him She layE
Stone still and the long darkness flowed awayE
With muffled pulses Then as midnight makesD
Her giant heart of Memory and TearsF
Drink the pale drug of silence and so beatG
Sleep's heavy measure they from head to feetG
Were moveless looking through their dead black yearsH
By vain regret scrawled over the blank wallI
Like sculptured effigies they might be seenJ
Upon their marriage tomb the sword betweenJ
Each wishing for the sword that severs allI
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IIA
-
It ended and the morrow brought the taskK
Her eyes were guilty gates that let him inL
By shutting all too zealous for their sinL
Each sucked a secret and each wore a maskK
But oh the bitter taste her beauty hadM
He sickened as at breath of poison flowersN
A languid humour stole among the hoursN
And if their smiles encountered he went madM
And raged deep inward till the light was brownO
Before his vision and the world forgotP
Looked wicked as some old dull murder spotP
A star with lurid beams she seemed to crownO
The pit of infamy and then againQ
He fainted on his vengefulness and stroveR
To ape the magnanimity of loveS
And smote himself a shuddering heap of painT
-
IIIA
-
This was the woman what now of the manU
But pass him If he comes beneath a heelV
He shall be crushed until he cannot feelV
Or being callous haply till he canU
But he is nothing nothing Only markW
The rich light striking out from her on himX
Ha what a sense it is when her eyes swimX
Across the man she singles leaving darkW
All else Lord God who mad'st the thing so fairY
See that I am drawn to her even nowZ
It cannot be such harm on her cool browZ
To put a kiss Yet if I meet him thereY
But she is mine Ah no I know too wellA2
I claim a star whose light is overcastB2
I claim a phantom woman in the PastB2
The hour has struck though I heard not the bellA2
-
IVS
-
All other joys of life he strove to warmC2
And magnify and catch them to his lipD2
But they had suffered shipwreck with the shipD2
And gazed upon him sallow from the stormC2
Or if Delusion came 'twas but to showE2
The coming minute mock the one that wentF2
Cold as a mountain in its star pitched tentF2
Stood high Philosophy less friend than foeE2
Whom self caged Passion from its prison barsG2
Is always watching with a wondering hateH2
Not till the fire is dying in the grateH2
Look we for any kinship with the starsG2
Oh wisdom never comes when it is goldI2
And the great price we pay for it full worthJ2
We have it only when we are half earthJ2
Little avails that coinage to the oldI2
-
VS
-
A message from her set his brain aflameK2
A world of household matters filled her mindL2
Wherein he saw hypocrisy designedL2
She treated him as something that is tameK2
And but at other provocation bitesM2
Familiar was her shoulder in the glassN2
Through that dark rain yet it may come to passN2
That a changed eye finds such familiar sightsM2
More keenly tempting than new lovelinessM2
The 'What has been' a moment seemed his ownO2
The splendours mysteries dearer because knownO2
Nor less divine Love's inmost sacrednessM2
Called to him 'Come ' In his restraining startP2
Eyes nurtured to be looked at scarce could seeM2
A wave of the great waves of DestinyM2
Convulsed at a checked impulse of the heartP2
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VIS
-
It chanced his lips did meet her forehead coolQ2
She had no blush but slanted down her eyeS
Shamed nature then confesses love can dieS
And most she punishes the tender foolQ2
Who will believe what honours her the mostR2
Dead is it dead She has a pulse and flowE2
Of tears the price of blood drops as I knowE2
For whom the midnight sobs around Love's ghostR2
Since then I heard her and so will sob onS2
The love is here it has but changed its aimK2
O bitter barren woman what's the nameK2
The name the name the new name thou hast wonT2
Behold me striking the world's coward strokeU2
That will I not do though the sting is direV2
Beneath the surface this while by the fireW2
They sat she laughing at a quiet jokeU2
-
VIIS
-
She issues radiant from her dressing roomX2
Like one prepared to scale an upper sphereY2
By stirring up a lower much I fearY2
How deftly that oiled barber lays his bloomX2
That long shanked dapper Cupid with frisked curlsM2
Can make known women torturingly fairY
The gold eyed serpent dwelling in rich hairY
Awakes beneath his magic whisks and twirlsM2
His art can take the eyes from out my headC
Until I see with eyes of other menQ
While deeper knowledge crouches in its denQ
And sends a spark up is it true we are wedC
Yea filthiness of body is most vileZ2
But faithlessness of heart I do hold worseM2
The former it were not so great a curseM2
To read on the steel mirror of her smileZ2
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VIIIS
-
Yet it was plain she struggled and that saltA3
Of righteous feeling made her pitifulB3
Poor twisting worm so queenly beautifulB3
Where came the cleft between us whose the faultA3
My tears are on thee that have rarely droppedC3
As balm for any bitter wound of mineD3
My breast will open for thee at a signD3
But no we are two reed pipes coarsely stoppedC3
The God once filled them with his mellow breathE3
And they were music till he flung them downO
Used used Hear now the discord loving clownO
Puff his gross spirit in them worse than deathE3
I do not know myself without thee moreF3
In this unholy battle I grow baseM2
If the same soul be under the same faceM2
Speak and a taste of that old time restoreF3
-
IXM2
-
He felt the wild beast in him betweenwhilesM2
So masterfully rude that he would grieveS
To see the helpless delicate thing receiveS
His guardianship through certain dark defilesM2
Had he not teeth to rend and hunger tooG3
But still he spared her Once 'Have you no fear '-
He said 'twas dusk she in his grasp none nearY2
She laughed 'No surely am I not with you '-
And uttering that soft starry 'you ' she leanedH3
Her gentle body near him looking upI3
And from her eyes as from a poison cupI3
He drank until the flittering eyelids screenedH3
Devilish malignant witch and oh young beamJ3
Of heaven's circle glory Here thy shapeK3
To squeeze like an intoxicating grapeK3
I might and yet thou goest safe supremeJ3
-
XM2
-
But where began the change and what's my crimeL3
The wretch condemned who has not been arraignedM3
Chafes at his sentence Shall I unsustainedM3
Drag on Love's nerveless body thro' all timeL3
I must have slept since now I wake PrepareY
You lovers to know Love a thing of moodsM2
Not like hard life of laws In Love's deep woodsM2
I dreamt of loyal Life the offence is thereY
Love's jealous woods about the sun are curledM3
At least the sun far brighter there did beamJ3
My crime is that the puppet of a dreamJ3
I plotted to be worthy of the worldM3
Oh had I with my darling helped to minceM2
The facts of life you still had seen me goE2
With hindward feather and with forward toeE2
Her much adored delightful Fairy PrinceM2
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XIM2
-
Out in the yellow meadows where the beeM2
Hums by us with the honey of the SpringN3
And showers of sweet notes from the larks on wingN3
Are dropping like a noon dew wander weM2
Or is it now or was it then for nowZ
As then the larks from running rings pour showersM2
The golden foot of May is on the flowersM2
And friendly shadows dance upon her browZ
What's this when Nature swears there is no changeO3
To challenge eyesight Now as then the graceM2
Of heaven seems holding earth in its embraceM2
Nor eyes nor heart has she to feel it strangeO3
Look woman in the West There wilt thou seeM2
An amber cradle near the sun's declineD3
Within it featured even in death divineD3
Is lying a dead infant slain by theeM2
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XIIM2
-
Not solely that the Future she destroysM2
And the fair lifeS

George Meredith



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