Cantos From Dante's Paradiso Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A ABAACDEFGHIJKLMKLNAO PALQRSAOAITOTAOAU AVUAWKXY LAOLAOAOZA2B2OAKC2D2 OAOE2WAOLF2D AAAAAOAAACSYG2OKKDOH 2B2OAB2AI2B2J2OK2KB2 K OAOB2LAL2M2OKPOKFPN2 FOOAOO2VVKB2OVOVO L2 KVKOB2P2KK OAAAKB2LAM2OOAAQ2OOA LOL2 KAOVAR2L2AS2L2OVAOA

Canto XXIIIA
-
Even as a bird 'mid the beloved leavesA
Quiet upon the nest of her sweet broodB
Throughout the night that hideth all things from usA
Who that she may behold their longed for looksA
And find the nourishment wherewith to feed themC
In which to her grave labors grateful areD
Anticipates the time on open sprayE
And with an ardent longing waits the sunF
Gazing intent as soon as breaks the dawnG
Even thus my Lady standing was erectH
And vigilant turned round towards the zoneI
Underneath which the sun displays least hasteJ
So that beholding her distraught and eagerK
Such I became as he is who desiringL
For something yearns and hoping is appeasedM
But brief the space from one When to the otherK
From my awaiting say I to the seeingL
The welkin grow resplendent more and moreN
And Beatrice exclaimed 'Behold the hostsA
Of the triumphant Christ and all the fruitO
Harvested by the rolling of these spheres '-
It seemed to me her face was all on flameP
And eyes she had so full of ecstasyA
That I must needs pass on without describingL
As when in nights serene of the full moonQ
Smiles Trivia among the nymphs eternalR
Who paint the heaven through all its hollow copeS
Saw I above the myriads of lampsA
A sun that one and all of them enkindledO
E'en as our own does the supernal starsA
And through the living light transparent shoneI
The lucent substance so intensely clearT
Into my sight that I could not sustain itO
O Beatrice my gentle guide and dearT
She said to me 'That which o'ermasters theeA
A virtue is which no one can resistO
There are the wisdom and omnipotenceA
That oped the thoroughfares 'twixt heaven and earthU
For which there erst had been so long a yearning '-
As fire from out a cloud itself dischargesA
Dilating so it finds not room thereinV
And down against its nature falls to earthU
So did my mind among those alimentsA
Becoming larger issue from itselfW
And what became of it cannot rememberK
'Open thine eyes and look at what I amX
Thou hast beheld such things that strong enoughY
Hast thou become to tolerate my smile '-
I was as one who still retains the feelingL
Of a forgotten dream and who endeavorsA
In vain to bring it back into his mindO
When I this invitation heard deservingL
Of so much gratitude it never fadesA
Out of the book that chronicles the pastO
It at this moment sounded all the tonguesA
That Polyhymnia and her sisters madeO
Most lubrical with their delicious milkZ
To aid me to a thousandth of the truthA2
It would not reach singing the holy smileB2
And how the holy aspect it illumedO
And therefore representing ParadiseA
The sacred poem must perforce leap overK
Even as a man who finds his way cut offC2
But whoso thinketh of the ponderous themeD2
And of the mortal shoulder that sustains itO
Should blame it not if under this it tremblesA
It is no passage for a little boatO
This which goes cleaving the audacious prowE2
Nor for a pilot who would spare himselfW
'Why does my face so much enamor theeA
That to the garden fair thou turnest notO
Which under the rays of Christ is blossomingL
There is the rose in which the Word DivineF2
Became incarnate there the lilies areD
By whose perfume the good way was selected '-
Thus Beatrice and I who to her counselsA
Was wholly ready once again betook meA
Unto the battle of the feeble browsA
As in a sunbeam that unbroken passesA
Through fractured cloud ere now a meadow of flowersA
Mine eyes with shadow covered have beheldO
So I beheld the multitudinous splendorsA
Refulgent from above with burning raysA
Beholding not the source of the effulgenceA
O thou benignant power that so imprint'st themC
Thou didst exalt thyself to give more scopeS
There to the eyes that were not strong enoughY
The name of that fair flower I e'er invokeG2
Morning and evening utterly enthralledO
My soul to gaze upon the greater fireK
And when in both mine eyes depicted wereK
The glory and greatness of the living starD
Which conquers there and here below it conqueredO
Athwart the heavens descended a bright sheenH2
Formed in a circle like a coronalB2
And cinctured it and whirled itself about itO
Whatever melody most sweetly soundethA
On earth and to itself most draws the soulB2
Would seem a cloud that rent asunder thundersA
Compared unto the sounding of that lyreI2
Wherewith was crowned the sapphire beautifulB2
Which gives the clearest heaven its sapphire hueJ2
'I am Angelic Love that circle roundO
The joy sublime which breathes from out the bosomK2
That was the hostelry of our DesireK
And I shall circle Lady of Heaven whileB2
Thou followest thy Son and mak'st divinerK
The sphere supreme because thou enterest it '-
Thus did the circulated melodyO
Seal itself up and all the other lightsA
Were making resonant the name of MaryO
The regal mantle of the volumes allB2
Of that world which most fervid is and livingL
With breath of God and with his works and waysA
Extended over us its inner curveL2
So very distant that its outward showM2
There where I was not yet appeared to meO
Therefore mine eyes did not possess the powerK
Of following the incoronated flameP
Which had ascended near to its own seedO
And as a little child that toward its motherK
Extends its arms when it the milk has takenF
Through impulse kindled into outward flameP
Each of those gleams of white did upward stretchN2
So with its summit that the deep affectionF
They had for Mary was revealed to meO
Thereafter they remained there in my sightO
Regina coeli singing with such sweetnessA
That ne'er from me has the delight departedO
Oh what exuberance is garnered upO2
In those resplendent coffers which had beenV
For sowing here below good husbandmenV
There they enjoy and live upon the treasureK
Which was acquired while weeping in the exileB2
Of Babylon wherein the gold was leftO
There triumpheth beneath the exalted SonV
Of God and Mary in his victoryO
Both with the ancient council and the newV
He who doth keep the keys of such a gloryO
-
-
Canto XXIVL2
-
'O company elect to the great supperK
Of the Lamb benedight who feedeth youV
So that for ever full is your desireK
If by the grace of God this man foretasteO
Something of that which falleth from your tableB2
Or ever death prescribe to him the timeP2
Direct your mind to his immense desireK
And him somewhat bedew ye drinking areK
For ever at the fount whence comes his thought '-
Thus Beatrice and those souls beatifiedO
Transformed themselves to spheres on steadfast polesA
Flaming intensely in the guise of cometsA
And as the wheels in works of horologesA
Revolve so that the first to the beholderK
Motionless seems and the last one to flyB2
So in like manner did those carols dancingL
In different measure of their affluenceA
Give me the gauge as they were swift or slowM2
From that one which I noted of most beautyO
Beheld I issue forth a fire so happyO
That none it left there of a greater brightnessA
And around Beatrice three several timesA
It whirled itself with so divine a songQ2
My fantasy repeats it not to meO
Therefore the pen skips and I write it notO
Since our imagination for such foldsA
Much more our speech is of a tint too glaringL
'O holy sister mine who us implorestO
With such devotion by thine ardent loveL2
Thou dost unbind me from that beautiful sphere '-
Thereafter having stopped the blessed fireK
Unto my Lady did direct its breathA
Which spake in fashion as I here have saidO
And she 'O light eterne of the great manV
To whom our Lord delivered up the keysA
He carried down of this miraculous joyR2
This one examine on points light and graveL2
As good beseemeth thee about the FaithA
By means of which thou on the sea didst walkS2
If he love well and hope well and believeL2
From thee 'tis hid not for thou hast thy sightO
There where depicted everything is seenV
But since this kingdom has made citizensA
By means of the true Faith to glorify itO
'Tis well he have theA

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about Cantos From Dante's Paradiso poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


 
Best Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 1 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