The Naked Goddess Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCC DDEEFFAA CCCGGCCHH IIJJKKCCLLMMAA NNBBOOPPCCKKCCQQ AACCRRCC EESSTTCCUUCCCCCC CCCCCCAASS CCAVCCAAOO CCMMCCBBWWBBCCXXAAAC CCCDDDD GGCCFFKKYYCCHHCCZZA2 A2CCDDDD EENNB2B2CCCCKK CCEEHHHHC2D2CCKKAAE2 F2CCKKAA DDCCCCG2G2 CCAACCHHH2R TTCCCCCC CCCCB2B2BBCCCCCCCCHH KKCCCC GGOOKKDDCCCCCCF2F2CC I2I2 HHCCKKAACCAAKKJ2J2F2 F2F2F2 CCCCK2K2CCCCCC RREEAAL2L2CCCCCCEECC J2J2CCDDGGJ2J2AACCCC

Arcane danzeA
D'immortal piede i ruinosi gioghiB
Scossero e l'ardue selve oggi romitoC
Nido de' vendC
LEOPARDIC
-
-
Through the country to the townD
Ran a rumour and renownD
That a woman grand and tallE
Swift of foot and therewithalE
Naked as a lily gleamingF
Had been seen by eyes not dreamingF
Darting down far forest gladesA
Flashing sunshine through the shadesA
-
With this rumour's swelling wordC
All the city buzzed and stirredC
Solemn senators conferredC
Priest astrologer and mageG
Subtle sophist bard and sageG
Brought their wisdom lore and witC
To expound or riddle itC
Last a porter ventured WeH
Might go out ourselves to seeH
-
Thus upon a summer mornI
Lo the city all forlornI
Every house and street and squareJ
In the sunshine still and bareJ
Every galley left to swayK
Silent in the glittering bayK
All the people swarming outC
Young and old a joyous routC
Rich and poor far streaming throughL
Fields and meadows dark with dewL
Crowd on crowd and throng on throngM
Chatter laughter jest and songM
Deafened all the singing birdsA
Wildered sober grazing herdsA
-
Up the hillside 'gainst the sunN
Where the forest outskirts runN
On along the level highB
Where the azure of the skyB
And the ruddy morning sheenO
Drop in fragments through the treenO
Where the sward surrounds the brakeP
With a lucid glassy lakeP
Where the ample glades extendC
Until clouds and foliage blendC
Where whoever turneth mayK
See the city and the bayK
And beyond the broad sea brightC
League on league of slanting lightC
Where the moist blue shadows sleepQ
In the sacred forest deepQ
-
Suddenly the foremost pauseA
Ere the rear discern a causeA
Loiterers press up row on rowC
All the mass heaves to and froC
All seem murmuring in one strainR
All seem hearkening fixed and fainR
Silence and the lifted lightC
Of countless faces gazing whiteC
-
Four broad beech trees great of boleE
Crowned the green smooth swelling knollE
There She leant the glorious formS
Dazzling with its beauty warmS
Naked as the sun of noonT
Naked as the midnight moonT
And around her tame and mildC
All the forest creatures wildC
Lion panther kid and fawnU
Eagle hawk and dove all drawnU
By the magic of her splendourC
By her great voice rich and tenderC
Whereof every beast and birdC
Understood each tone and wordC
While she fondled and carestC
Playing freaks of joyous zestC
-
Suddenly the lion stoodC
Turned and saw the multitudeC
Swelled his mighty front in ireC
Roared the roar of raging fireC
Then She turned the living lightC
Sprang erect grew up in heightC
Smote them with the flash and blazeA
Of her terrible swift gazeA
A divine flushed throbbing formS
Dreadfuller than blackest stormS
-
All the forest creatures coweredC
Trembling moaning overpoweredC
All the simple folk who sawA
Sank upon their knees in aweV
Of this Goddess fierce and splendidC
Whom they witless had offendedC
And they murmured out faint prayersA
Inarticulate despairsA
Till her haught and angry mienO
Grew more gentle and sereneO
-
Stood the high priest forth and wentC
Halfway up the green ascentC
There began a preachment longM
Of the great and grievous wrongM
She unto her own soul wroughtC
In thus living without thoughtC
Of the gods who sain and saveB
Of the life beyond the graveB
Living with the beasts that perishW
Far from all the rites that cherishW
Hope and faith and holy loveB
And appease the thrones aboveB
Full of unction pled the preacherC
Let her come and they would teach herC
Spirit strangled in the meshX
Of the vile and sinful fleshX
How to gain the heavenly prizeA
How grow meet for ParadiseA
Penance prayer self sacrificeA
Fasting cloistered solitudeC
Mind uplifted heart subduedC
Thus a Virgin clean and chasteC
In the Bridegroom's arms embracedC
Vestal sister's hooded gownD
Straight and strait of dismal brownD
Here he proffered and laid downD
On the green grass like a frownD
-
Then stood forth the old arch sageG
Wrinkled more with thought than ageG
What could worse afflict dejectC
Any well trained intellectC
Than in savage forest seeingF
Such a full grown human beingF
With the beasts and birds at playK
Ignorant and wild as theyK
Sciences and arts by whichY
Man makes Nature's poor life richY
Dominates the world aroundC
Proves himself its King self crownedC
She knew nothing of them sheH
Knew not even what they beH
Body naked to the airC
And the reason just as bareC
Yet since circumstance that canZ
Hinder the full growth of manZ
Cannot kill the seeds of worthA2
Innate in the Lord of EarthA2
Yet she might be taught and broughtC
To full sovranty of thoughtC
Crowned with reason's glorious crownD
So he tendered and laid downD
Sober grey beside the brownD
Amplest philosophic gownD
-
Calm and proud she stood the whileE
With a certain wondering smileE
When the luminous sage was doneN
She began to speak as oneN
Using language not her ownB2
Simplest words in sweetest toneB2
Poor old greybeards worn and bentC
I do know not what they meantC
Only here and there a wordC
Reached my mind of all I heardC
Let some child come here I mayK
Understand what it can sayK
-
So two little children wentC
Lingering up the green ascentC
Hand in hand but grew the whileE
Bolder in her gentle smileE
When she kissed them they were freeH
Joyous as at mother's kneeH
Tell me darlings now said sheH
What they want to say to meH
Boy and girl then nothing lothC2
Sometimes one and sometimes bothD2
Prattled to her sitting thereC
Fondling with their soft young hairC
Dear kind lady do you stayK
Here with always holidayK
Do you sleep among the treesA
People want you if you pleaseA
To put on your dress and comeE2
With us to the City homeF2
Live with us and be our friendC
Oh such pleasant times we'll spendC
But if you can't come awayK
Will you let us stop and playK
With you and all these happy thingsA
With hair and horns and shining wingsA
-
She arose and went half downD
Took the vestal sister's gownD
Tried it on burst through its shroudC
As the sun burns through a cloudC
Flung it from her split and rentC
Said This cerement sad was meantC
For some creature stunted thinG2
Breastless blighted bones and skinG2
-
Then the sage's robe she triedC
Muffling in its long folds wideC
All her lithe and glorious graceA
I should stumble every paceA
This big bag was meant to holdC
Some poor sluggard fat and oldC
Limping shuffling wearilyH
With a form not fit to seeH
So she flung it off againH2
With a gesture of disdainR
-
Naked as the midnight moonT
Naked as the sun of noonT
Burning too intensely brightC
Clothed in its own dazzling lightC
Seen less thus than in the shroudC
Of morning mist or evening cloudC
She stood terrible and proudC
O'er the pallid quivering crowdC
-
At a gesture ere they wistC
Perched a falcon on her wristC
And she whispered to the birdC
Something it alone there heardC
Then she threw it off when thrownB2
Straight it rose as falls a stoneB2
Arrow swift on high on highB
Till a mere speck in the skyB
Then it circled round and roundC
Till as if the prey were foundC
Forth it darted on its questC
Straight away into the WestC
Every eye that watched its flightC
Felt a sideward flash of lightC
All were for a moment dazedC
Then around intently gazedC
What had passed them Where was SheH
The offended deityH
O'er the city o'er the bayK
They beheld her melt awayK
Melt away beyond their questC
Through the regions of the westC
While the eagle screamed rauque ireC
And the lion roared like fireC
-
That same night both priest and sageG
Died accursed in sombre rageG
Never more in wild wood greenO
Was that glorious Goddess seenO
Never more and from that dayK
Evil hap and dull decayK
Fell on countryside and townD
Life and vigour dwindled downD
Storms in Spring nipped bud and sproutC
Summer suns shed plague and droughtC
Autumn's store was crude and scantC
Winter snows beleaguered wantC
Vines were black at vintage tideC
Flocks and herds of murrain diedC
Fishing boats came empty homeF2
Good ships foundered in the foamF2
Haggard traders lost all heartC
Wandering through the empty martC
For the air hung thick with gloomI2
Silence and the sense of doomI2
-
But those little children sheH
Had caressed so tenderlyH
Were betrothed that self same nightC
Grew up beautiful and brightC
Lovers through the years of playK
Forward to their marriage dayK
Three long moons of bridal blissA
Overflowed them after thisA
With his bride and with a bandC
Of the noblest in the landC
Youths and maidens wedded pairsA
Scarcely older in life's caresA
He took ship and sailed awayK
Westward Ho from out the bayK
Portioned from their native shrineJ2
With the Sacred Fire divineJ2
They will cherish while they roamF2
Quenchless 'mid the salt sea foamF2
Till it burns beneath a domeF2
In some new and far off homeF2
-
As they ventured more and moreC
In that ocean without shoreC
And some hearts were growing coldC
At the emprise all too boldC
It is said a falcon cameK2
Down the void blue swift as flameK2
Every sunset came to restC
On the prow's high curving crestC
Every sunrise rose from restC
Flying forth into the westC
And they followed faint no moreC
Through that ocean without shoreC
-
Three moons crescent fill and waneR
O'er the solitary mainR
When behold a green shore smileE
It was that Atlantic isleE
Drowned beneath the waves and yearsA
Whereof some faint shadow peersA
Dubious through the modern streamL2
Of Platonic legend dreamL2
High upon that green shore stoodC
She who left their native woodC
Glorious and with solemn handC
Beckoned to them there to landC
Though She forthwith disappearedC
As the wave worn galley nearedC
They knew well her presence stillE
Haunted stream and wood and hillE
There they landed there grew greatC
Founders of a mighty stateC
There the Sacred Fire divineJ2
Burned within a wondrous shrineJ2
Which Her statue glorifiedC
Throughout many kingdoms wideC
There those children wore the crownD
To their children handed downD
Many and many a golden ageG
Blotted now from history's pageG
Till the last of all the lineJ2
Leagued him with the other nineJ2
Great Atlantic kings whose hostsA
Ravaged all the Mid Sea coastsA
Then the whelming deluge rolledC
Over all those regions oldC
Thrice three thousand years beforeC
Solon questioned Egypt's loreC

James Thomson - (bysshe Vanolis)



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Naked Goddess poem by James Thomson - (bysshe Vanolis)


 
Best Poems of James Thomson - (bysshe Vanolis)

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 2 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