Arms And The Man. - Heroes And Statesmen Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEE GHGH EIEI EEEE IJIJ EKEK LMNM OPOP MEME QOQO RERE MSMS MMMM MRMR MTMT EMEM RERE MPMP UMUM

Of their great names I may record but fewA
He who beholds the Ocean white with sailsB
And copies each confuses all the viewA
He paints too much and failsB
-
His picture shows no high emphatic lightC
Its shadows in full mass refuse to fallD
And as its broken details meet the lightC
Men turn it to the wallD
-
Of those great names but few may pass my lipsE
For he who speaks of Salamis then seesF
Not men who there commanded Grecian shipsE
But grand ThemistoclesE
-
Yet some I mark and these discreetly takeG
To grace my verse through duty and designH
As one notes barks that leave the broadest wakeG
Upon the stormy BrineH
-
These rise before me and there Mason standsE
The Constitution maker firm and boldI
Like Bernal Diaz planting with kind handsE
Fair trees to blaze in goldI
-
Amid the lofty group sedate I seeE
Great Franklin muse where Truth had locked her storesE
Holding within his steady hand the keyE
That opened many doorsE
-
And Trumbull strong as hammered steel of oldI
Stands boldly out in clear and high reliefJ
A blade unbending worth a hilt of goldI
He never failed his ChiefJ
-
Then Robert Morris glides into my VerseE
Turning the very stones at need to breadK
Filling the young Republic's slender purseE
When Credit's self seemed deadK
-
Tylers I see sprung from the sturdy WatL
A strong armed rebel of an ancient dateM
With Falkland Carys come to draw the lotN
Cast in the helm of FateM
-
And Marshall in his ermine white as snowO
Wise learned and profound Fame loves to drawP
His noble function on the Bench to showO
That Reason is the LawP
-
His sword unbuckled and his brows unbentM
The gallant Hamilton again appearsE
And in fair Freedom's mighty ParliamentM
He marches with the PeersE
-
Henry is there beneath his civic crownQ
He speaks in words that thunder as they flowO
And as he speaks his thunder tones bring downQ
An avalanche belowO
-
Nor does John Adams in the picture lagR
He was as bold as resolute and freeE
As is the eagle on a misty cragR
Above a stormy seaE
-
And 'mid his fellows in those days of needM
Impassioned Jefferson burns like a sunS
The New World's Prophet of the New World's CreedM
Prophet and Priest in oneS
-
These two together stood in our great pastM
When Independence flamed across the landM
On Independence Day these two at lastM
Departed hand in handM
-
And they are taken by a patriot's mindM
As kindred types of our great Saxon stockR
And that same thinker hopes some day to findM
Both statues in one blockR
-
But here I number splendid names too fastM
Heroes and Sages throng behind this groupT
And thick they come as came in Homer's pastM
A Goddess and her troopT
-
And as that troop 'mid frays and fell alarmsE
Swept all a glitter on their mission bentM
And bore from Vulcan the resplendent armsE
To great Achilles sentM
-
So came the names that light my pious SongR
Came bearing Union forged in high debatesE
A sun illuminated Shield and strongR
To guard these mighty StatesE
-
The Shield sent to the son of Peleus glowedM
With hammered wonders all without a flawP
The Shield of Union in its splendor showedM
The Compromise of LawP
-
And as the Epic lifts a form sublimeU
For all the Ages on its plinth of goldM
So does our Story challenging all timeU
Its crowning shape upholdM

James Barron Hope



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