The Theologian's Tale - The Wayside Inn - Part Second Poem Rhyme Scheme

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THE LEGEND BEAUTIFUL	A
	-
Hads't thou stayed I must have fled	B
That is what the Vision said	B
	-
In his chamber all alone	C
Kneeling on the floor of stone	C
Prayed the Monk in deep contrition	D
For his sins of indecision	D
Prayed for greater self denial	A
In temptation and in trial	A
It was noonday by the dial	A
And the Monk was all alone	C
	-
Suddenly as if it lightened	E
An unwonted splendor brightened	E
All within him and without him	F
In that narrow cell of stone	C
And he saw the Blessed Vision	D
Of our Lord with light Elysian	D
Like a vesture wrapped about him	F
Like a garment round him thrown	D
	-
Not as crucified and slain	D
Not in agonies of pain	D
Not with bleeding hands and feet	G
Did the Monk his Master see	H
But as in the village street	G
In the house or harvest field	I
Halt and lame and blind he healed	I
When he walked in Galilee	H
	-
In an attitude imploring	J
Hands upon his bosom crossed	K
Wondering worshipping adoring	J
Knelt the Monk in rapture lost	K
Lord he thought in heaven that reignest	K
Who am I that thus thou deignest	K
To reveal thyself to me	H
Who am I that from the centre	L
Of thy glory thou shouldst enter	L
This poor cell my guest to be	H
	-
Then amid his exaltation	D
Loud the convent bell appalling	J
From its belfry calling calling	J
Rang through court and corridor	L
With persistent iteration	D
He had never heard before	M
It was now the appointed hour	L
When alike in shine or shower	L
Winter's cold or summer's heat	K
To the convent portals came	N
All the blind and halt and lame	N
All the beggars of the street	K
For their daily dole of food	K
Dealt them by the brotherhood	K
And their almoner was he	H
Who upon his bended knee	H
Rapt in silent ecstasy	H
Of divinest self surrender	L
Saw the Vision and the Splendor	L
	-
Deep distress and hesitation	D
Mingled with his adoration	D
Should he go or should he stay	K
Should he leave the poor to wait	K
Hungry at the convent gate	K
Till the Vision passed away	K
Should he slight his radiant guest	K
Slight this visitant celestial	A
For a crowd of ragged bestial	A
Beggars at the convent gate	K
Would the Vision there remain	D
Would the Vision come again	D
Then a voice within his breast	K
Whispered audible and clear	O
As if to the outward ear	P
Do thy duty that is best	K
Leave unto thy Lord the rest	K
	-
Straightway to his feet he started	K
And with longing look intent	K
On the Blessed Vision bent	K
Slowly from his cell departed	K
Slowly on his errand went	K
	-
At the gate the poor were waiting	J
Looking through the iron grating	J
With that terror in the eye	Q
That is only seen in those	R
Who amid their wants and woes	R
Hear the sound of doors that close	S
And of feet that pass them by	Q
Grown familiar with disfavor	L
Grown familiar with the savor	L
Of the bread by which men die	Q
But to day they knew not why	Q
Like the gate of Paradise	T
Seemed the convent sate to rise	U
Like a sacrament divine	D
Seemed to them the bread and wine	D
In his heart the Monk was praying	J
Thinking of the homeless poor	V
What they suffer and endure	W
What we see not what we see	H
And the inward voice was saying	J
Whatsoever thing thou doest	Q
To the least of mine and lowest	Q
That thou doest unto me	H
	-
Unto me but had the Vision	D
Come to him in beggar's clothing	J
Come a mendicant imploring	J
Would he then have knelt adoring	J
Or have listened with derision	D
And have turned away with loathing	J
	-
Thus his conscience put the question	D
Full of troublesome suggestion	D
As at length with hurried pace	X
Towards his cell he turned his face	X
And beheld the convent bright	Q
With a supernatural light	Q
Like a luminous cloud expanding	J
Over floor and wall and ceiling	J
	-
But he paused with awe struck feeling	J
At the threshold of his door	M
For the Vision still was standing	J
As he left it there before	M
When the convent bell appalling	J
From its belfry calling calling	J
Summoned him to feed the poor	V
Through the long hour intervening	J
It had waited his return	D
And he felt his bosom burn	D
Comprehending all the meaning	J
When the Blessed Vision said	Q
Hadst thou stayed I must have fled	Q
	-
	-
	-
INTERLUDE	Q
	-
All praised the Legend more or less	Y
Some liked the moral some the verse	Z
Some thought it better and some worse	Z
Than other legends of the past	Q
Until with ill concealed distress	Y
At all their cavilling at last	Q
The Theologian gravely said	Q
The Spanish proverb then is right	Q
Consult your friends on what you do	Q
And one will say that it is white	Q
And others say that it is red	Q
And Amen quoth the Spanish Jew	Q
	-
Six stories told We must have seven	D
A cluster like the Pleiades	A2
And lo it happens as with these	A2
That one is missing from our heaven	D
Where is the Landlord Bring him here	P
Let the Lost Pleiad reappear	O
	-
Thus the Sicilian cried and went	Q
Forthwith to seek his missing star	B2
But did not find him in the bar	B2
A place that landlords most frequent	Q
Nor yet beside the kitchen fire	L
Nor up the stairs nor in the hall	C2
It was in vain to ask or call	C2
There were no tidings of the Squire	D2
	-
So he came back with downcast head	Q
Exclaiming Well our bashful host	Q
Hath surely given up the ghost	Q
Another proverb says the dead	Q
Can tell no tales and that is true	Q
It follows then that one of you	Q
Must tell a story in his stead	Q
You must he to the Student said	Q
Who know so many of the best	Q
And tell them better than the rest	Q
Straight by these flattering words beguiled	Q
The Student happy as a child	Q
When he is called a little man	D
Assumed the double task imposed	Q
And without more ado unclosed	Q
His smiling lips and thus began	D

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Theologian's Tale - The Wayside Inn - Part Second Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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