Philosophy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBB CCC DDD EEE A FFF GGG HHH III A BBB JJJ KKK LLL MMM NNN OOO PPP QAQQ| I | A |
| - | |
| His eyes found nothing beautiful and bright | B |
| Nor wealth nor honour glory nor delight | B |
| Which he could grasp and keep with might and right | B |
| - | |
| Flowers bloomed for maidens swords outflashed for boys | C |
| The world's big children had their various toys | C |
| He could not feel their sorrows and their joys | C |
| - | |
| Hills held a secret they would not unfold | D |
| In careless scorn of him the ocean rolled | D |
| The stars were alien splendours high and cold | D |
| - | |
| He felt himself a king bereft of crown | E |
| Defrauded from his birthright of renown | E |
| Bred up in littleness with churl and clown | E |
| - | |
| II | A |
| - | |
| How could he vindicate himself His eyes | F |
| That found not anywhere their proper prize | F |
| Looked through and through the specious earth and skies | F |
| - | |
| They probed and all things yielded to their probe | G |
| They saw the void around the massy globe | G |
| The raging fire within its flowery robe | G |
| - | |
| They pierced through beauty saw the bones the mesh | H |
| Of nerves and veins the hideous raw red flesh | H |
| Beneath the skin most delicate and fresh | H |
| - | |
| Saw Space a mist unfurled around the steep | I |
| Where plunge Time's waters to the blackest deep | I |
| Saw Life a dream in Death's eternal sleep | I |
| - | |
| - | |
| III | A |
| - | |
| A certain fair form came before his sight | B |
| Responding to him as the day to night | B |
| To yearning love to cold and gloom warm light | B |
| - | |
| A hope sprang from his breast and fluttered far | J |
| On rainbow wings beyond the cloudy bar | J |
| Though very much beneath the nearest star | J |
| - | |
| His eyes drew back their beams to kindle fire | K |
| In his own heart whose masterful desire | K |
| Scorned all beyond its aim lower or higher | K |
| - | |
| This fire flung lustre upon grace and bloom | L |
| Gave warmth and brightness to a little room | L |
| Burned Thought to ashes in its fight with gloom | L |
| - | |
| IV | - |
| - | |
| He said Those eyes alone see well that view | - |
| Life's lovely surfaces of form and hue | - |
| And not Death's entrails looking through and through | - |
| - | |
| Bones nerves and veins and flesh are covered in | M |
| By this opaque transparency of skin | M |
| Precisely that we should not see within | M |
| - | |
| The corpse is hid that Death may work its vile | N |
| Corruption in black secrecy the while | N |
| Our saddest graves with grass and fair flowers smile | N |
| - | |
| If you will analyse the bread you eat | O |
| The water and the wine most pure and sweet | O |
| Your stomach soon must loathe all drink and meat | O |
| - | |
| Life liveth but in Life and doth not roam | P |
| To other realms if all be well at home | P |
| 'Solid as ocean foam ' quoth ocean foam | P |
| - | |
| If Midge will pine and curse its hours away | Q |
| Because Midge is not Everything For aye | A |
| Poor Midge thus loses its one summer day | Q |
| Loses its all and winneth what I pray | Q |
James Thomson
(1)
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mike pose: this is the best hands down
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