Burial-song For Sumner Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCDCADAA EFFBGGBGBBHHIIBBHEE JJKJKBBLMHHHNGGGGOOG GGPPCCGGG QQRSSTURHRHHHDDC HHGG VWVWBBXXYGGZ GXBGBBBBGA2GA2GGB2HB 2 C2GVGD2D2EEGHHC2 BBHHHGHGBGBBG BBE2F2F2E2GE2BKBKHGH H

Now the last wreath of snowA
That melts in mist exhalesB
White aspiration and our deep voiced galesB
In chorus chant the measured march of springC
Whom griefs of life and deathD
Are burdeningC
Slow slowA
With half held breathD
Tread slow O mourners that all men may knowA
What hero here lies lowA
-
O music sweepE
From some deep cave and bearF
To us that gasp in this so meagre airF
Sweet ministeringsB
And consolations of contorted soundG
With agonies profoundG
Of nobly warring and enduring chordsB
That lie close boundG
Unstirred as yet 'neath thy wide wakening wingsB
So that our hearts break not in broken wordsB
O music that hast powerH
This darkness to devourH
In vivid light that from the dusk of griefI
Canst cause to grow divergent flower and leafI
And from death's darkest rootsB
Bring forth the fairest fruitsB
Come thou to quicken this hourH
Of loss and keepE
Thy spell on all that none may dare to weepE
-
For he whom now we mournJ
As if from giants bornJ
Was strong in limb and strong in brainK
And nobly with a giant scornJ
Withstood the direst painK
That healing science knowsB
When by the dastard blowsB
Of his brute enemyL
Laid low he sought to rise againM
Through help of knife and fireH
The awful engineryH
Wherewith men dare aspireH
To wrest from Death his victims YeaN
Though he who healed him shrank and throbbedG
With horror of the woundG
Brave Sumner gave no soundG
Nor flinched nor sobbedG
But as though within the manO
Instant premonition ranO
Of his high fateG
Imperishable sculptured stateG
Enthroned in death to holdG
He stood a statued formP
Of veiled and voiceless stormP
Inwardly quiveringC
Like the swift smitten stringC
Of unheard music yetG
As massively and firmly setG
As if he had been marble or wrought goldG
-
Built in so brave a shapeQ
How could he hope escapeQ
The blundering people's wrathR
Who seeing him strongS
Supposed it right to cast on him their wrongS
Since he could bear it allT
Lo now the sombre pallU
Sweeps their dull errors from the pathR
And leaves it freeH
For him whose hushed heart no reproaches hathR
Unto his grave to fareH
In shrouded majestyH
His triumph fills the airH
Behold the streets are bordered with vain breathD
Of those who reverent watch the train of deathD
But he has done with breathingC
-
Wise Death still choosing near and farH
Thou couldst not strike a higher starH
From out our heaven and yet its lightG
In falling glorifies the nightG
-
Leader in life his lips though dumbV
Still rule us by their restfulness their smileW
Of far off meanings and the people comeV
In tributary hosts for many a mileW
Drawn by an eloquenceB
More solemn and intenseB
Than that wherewith he shookX
The Senate while his lookX
Of sober lightning cleft the knotty growthY
Of error that within the riven rootG
Uplifted lit with peace truth's buds might shootG
And blow sweet breath o'er all however lothZ
-
Unspeaking though his eyes forgetG
The light that late forsookX
Their chambers there doth riseB
Mysteriously yetG
A radiance thence that glowsB
On brows of them the great and wiseB
Poets and men of propheciesB
Who with looks of strange reposeB
Calm exalted here have metG
Him to follow to his graveA2
Well they know he's crossed their boundG
Yet with baffled longing braveA2
Seek with him the depths to soundG
That gulf our lonely life aroundG
Oh on these mortal faces frailB2
What immortalityH
Falls from the death light paleB2
-
Ev'n thus the path unto thy tombC2
Sumner all our brave and goodG
Still shall pace through time to comeV
For in distant Auburn woodG
Seeing the glimmer of thy stoneD2
They a shaft shall deem it thrownD2
From a dawn beyond the deepE
And so haste with thee to keepE
Angelic brotherhoodG
O herald gone beforeH
For these throw wide the doorH
Make room make roomC2
-
Now music ceaseB
And bitter brazen trumpets hold your peaceB
Now while the dumb white airH
Draws from our still despairH
A purer prayerH
Then must the sodG
Fulfill its humble shareH
Meek folded o'er his breastG
Here where he lies amongst the waiting treesB
They shall break bud when warm winds from the westG
And southern breezes come to touch the placeB
Made precious by this graceB
Of memory dear to GodG
-
We leave him where the granite Lion liesB
And gazes toward the East with woman's eyesB
That read the riddle of the undying sunE2
Bearing within her breast the stony germF2
Of continents but lasting no less firmF2
The memory of those marvels doneE2
The battles fought the words that wroughtG
To free a race and chasten oneE2
We leave him where the river slowly windsB
A broken chainK
The river that so late its hero findsB
Without a stainK
Whose name so long expectantly it boreH
And echoing now a people's thoughtG
The Charles shall murmur by this reedy shoreH
His fame forevermoreH

George Parsons Lathrop



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