The Children's Crusade - [a Fragment.] Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BBCDDCEEC FGGFHHICJC KLAAKKA MNOONM PQPPRRQ EESHHSSSS TEETTE SSUUEVEV A PPFESSEF SSSSSSSWSBBWSE A SSWWS SWSSWSXXSSSSJSI YYEEZSSZE SSSWSSA2A2W SSB2SSSSB2WPPWP

IA
-
What is this I read in historyB
Full of marvel full of mysteryB
Difficult to understandC
Is it fiction is it truthD
Children in the flower of youthD
Heart in heart and hand in handC
Ignorant of what helps or harmsE
Without armor without armsE
Journeying to the Holy LandC
-
Who shall answer or divineF
Never since the world was madeG
Such a wonderful crusadeG
Started forth for PalestineF
Never while the world shall lastH
Will it reproduce the pastH
Never will it see againI
Such an army such a bandC
Over mountain over mainJ
Journeying to the Holy LandC
-
Like a shower of blossoms blownK
From the parent trees were theyL
Like a flock of birds that flyA
Through the unfrequented skyA
Holding nothing as their ownK
Passed they into lands unknownK
Passed to suffer and to dieA
-
O the simple child like trustM
O the faith that could believeN
What the harnessed iron mailedO
Knights of Christendom had failedO
By their prowess to achieveN
They the children could and mustM
-
Little thought the Hermit preachingP
Holy Wars to knight and baronQ
That the words dropped in his teachingP
His entreaty his beseechingP
Would by children's hands be gleanedR
And the staff on which he leanedR
Blossom like the rod of AaronQ
-
As a summer wind upheavesE
The innumerable leavesE
In the bosom of a woodS
Not as separate leaves but massedH
All together by the blastH
So for evil or for goodS
His resistless breath upheavedS
All at once the many leavedS
Many thoughted multitudeS
-
In the tumult of the airT
Rock the boughs with all the nestsE
Cradled on their tossing crestsE
By the fervor of his prayerT
Troubled hearts were everywhereT
Rocked and tossed in human breastsE
-
For a century at leastS
His prophetic voice had ceasedS
But the air was heated stillU
By his lurid words and willU
As from fires in far off woodsE
In the autumn of the yearV
An unwonted fever broodsE
In the sultry atmosphereV
-
-
IIA
-
In Cologne the bells were ringingP
In Cologne the nuns were singingP
Hymns and canticles divineF
Loud the monks sang in their stallsE
And the thronging streets were loudS
With the voices of the crowdS
Underneath the city wallsE
Silent flowed the river RhineF
-
From the gates that summer dayS
Clad in robes of hodden grayS
With the red cross on the breastS
Azure eyed and golden hairedS
Forth the young crusaders faredS
While above the band devotedS
Consecrated banners floatedS
Fluttered many a flag and streamerW
And the cross o'er all the restS
Singing lowly meekly slowlyB
Give us give us back the holyB
Sepulchre of the RedeemerW
On the vast procession pressedS
Youths and maidensE
-
-
IIIA
-
Ah what master hand shall paintS
How they journeyed on their wayS
How the days grew long and drearyW
How their little feet grew wearyW
How their little hearts grew faintS
-
Ever swifter day by dayS
Flowed the homeward river everW
More and more its whitening currentS
Broke and scattered into sprayS
Till the calmly flowing riverW
Changed into a mountain torrentS
Rushing from its glacier greenX
Down through chasm and black ravineX
Like a phoenix in its nestS
Burned the red sun in the WestS
Sinking in an ashen cloudS
In the East above the crestS
Of the sea like mountain chainJ
Like a phoenix from its shroudS
Came the red sun back againI
-
Now around them white with snowY
Closed the mountain peaks BelowY
Headlong from the precipiceE
Down into the dark abyssE
Plunged the cataract white with foamZ
And it said or seemed to sayS
Oh return while yet you mayS
Foolish children to your homeZ
There the Holy City isE
-
But the dauntless leader saidS
Faint not though your bleeding feetS
O'er these slippery paths of sleetS
Move but painfully and slowlyW
Other feet than yours have bledS
Other tears than yours been shedS
Courage lose not heart or hopeA2
On the mountains' southern slopeA2
Lies Jerusalem the HolyW
-
As a white rose in its prideS
By the wind in summer tideS
Tossed and loosened from the branchB2
Showers its petals o'er the groundS
From the distant mountain's sideS
Scattering all its snows aroundS
With mysterious muffled soundS
Loosened fell the avalancheB2
Voices echoes far and nearW
Roar of winds and waters blendingP
Mists uprising clouds impendingP
Filled them with a sense of fearW
Formless nameless never endingP

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow



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