Cities Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHI JDKLMMNOPQRS LPTUVCF WXYZZYW YYA2MB2C2WD2ZE2 WEC2F2YG2 WH2YGWW EWI2J2WK2WWWI2 L2WM2N2E OF2EA2W O2P2 Q2R2S2E2| Can we believe by an effort | A |
| comfort our hearts | B |
| it is not waste all this | C |
| not placed here in disgust | D |
| street after street | E |
| each patterned alike | F |
| no grace to lighten | G |
| a single house of the hundred | H |
| crowded into one garden space | I |
| - | |
| Crowded can we believe | J |
| not in utter disgust | D |
| in ironical play | K |
| but the maker of cities grew faint | L |
| with the beauty of temple | M |
| and space before temple | M |
| arch upon perfect arch | N |
| of pillars and corridors that led out | O |
| to strange court yards and porches | P |
| where sun light stamped | Q |
| hyacinth shadows | R |
| black on the pavement | S |
| - | |
| That the maker of cities grew faint | L |
| with the splendour of palaces | P |
| paused while the incense flowers | T |
| from the incense trees | U |
| dropped on the marble walk | V |
| thought anew fashioned this | C |
| street after street alike | F |
| - | |
| For alas | W |
| he had crowded the city so full | X |
| that men could not grasp beauty | Y |
| beauty was over them | Z |
| through them about them | Z |
| no crevice unpacked with the honey | Y |
| rare measureless | W |
| - | |
| So he built a new city | Y |
| ah can we believe not ironically | Y |
| but for new splendour | A2 |
| constructed new people | M |
| to lift through slow growth | B2 |
| to a beauty unrivalled yet | C2 |
| and created new cells | W |
| hideous first hideous now | D2 |
| spread larve across them | Z |
| not honey but seething life | E2 |
| - | |
| And in these dark cells | W |
| packed street after street | E |
| souls live hideous yet | C2 |
| O disfigured defaced | F2 |
| with no trace of the beauty | Y |
| men once held so light | G2 |
| - | |
| Can we think a few old cells | W |
| were left we are left | H2 |
| grains of honey | Y |
| old dust of stray pollen | G |
| dull on our torn wings | W |
| we are left to recall the old streets | W |
| - | |
| Is our task the less sweet | E |
| that the larve still sleep in their cells | W |
| Or crawl out to attack our frail strength | I2 |
| You are useless We live | J2 |
| We await great events | W |
| We are spread through this earth | K2 |
| We protect our strong race | W |
| You are useless | W |
| Your cell takes the place | W |
| of our young future strength | I2 |
| - | |
| Though they sleep or wake to torment | L2 |
| and wish to displace our old cells | W |
| thin rare gold | M2 |
| that their larve grow fat | N2 |
| is our task the less sweet | E |
| - | |
| Though we wander about | O |
| find no honey of flowers in this waste | F2 |
| is our task the less sweet | E |
| who recall the old splendour | A2 |
| await the new beauty of cities | W |
| - | |
| The city is peopled | O2 |
| with spirits not ghosts O my love | P2 |
| - | |
| Though they crowded between | Q2 |
| and usurped the kiss of my mouth | R2 |
| their breath was your gift | S2 |
| their beauty your life | E2 |
Hilda Doolittle
(1)
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