Suggested By Matthew Arnold's Stanzas Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABACDD EFEFGH IJIKLM NEOEPP QRQRSS TUTUII VWVWXX YZYZEE A2EA2EB2B2 B2B2B2B2EE C2SC2SLM D2ID2IA2A2 B2B2B2B2B2B2 E2B2E2B2XX B2F2B2F2B2B2 G2B2G2B2H2I2 J2RJ2RK2K2 QL2QM2D2D2 E2N2E2O2P2P2 Q2 R2B2R2B2S2S2 T2AT2AEE DU2DV2EE W2D2W2D2EE B2X2B2X2FF Y2EY2EW2W2 B2D2B2D2B2B2 FGFGEE Z2B2Z2B2GG QIQIW2W2 A3B3A3B3B2B2 C2GC2GC3C3 D3B2D3B2II Q2 C3EC3EC2C2 EB2EB2LM W2EW2EP2P2 GPGPE3E3 Y2P2Y2P2F3F3 B2C2

That one long dirge moan sad and deepA
Low muffled by the solemn stressB
Of such emotion as doth steepA
The soul in brooding quietnessC
Befits our anguished time too wellD
Whose Life march is a funeral knellD
-
Dirge for a mighty Creed outwornE
Its spirit fading from the earthF
Its mouldering body left forlornE
Weak idol feeding scornful mirthF
In shallow hearts divine no moreG
Save to some ignorant pagan poorH
-
And some who know how by Its lightI
The past world well did walk and liveJ
And feel It even now more brightI
Than any lamp mere men can giveK
So cling to It with yearning faithL
Yet own It almost quenched in deathM
-
While many who win wealth and powerN
And honours serving at Its shrineE
Rather than lose their worldly dowerO
Proclaim their dead thing 'Life divine'E
And sacrifice to coward lustP
Their own souls' truth a peoplc's trustP
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And will none mourn the mighty DeadQ
Pillar of heavenly fire and cloudR
Which through this life's wild desert ledQ
For whole millenniums each grand crowdR
Of sages bards saints heroes allS
Whose names we glory to recallS
-
None mourn Him dead with deep moved soulT
Whom living all our sires adoredU
None feel the heavy darkness rollT
Stifling about us when the LordU
Leaves us to walk by our own lightI
That one pale speck in boundless NightI
-
That earthly lamp when sun and starV
When all the heavenly lights are lostW
Does it shed radiance round afarV
Our pathway is by deep gulfs cross'dW
It fathoms none We lift it highX
It casts not one beam on the skyX
-
If He thus died as no more fitY
To lead the modern marcli of thoughtZ
Supreme commanding guiding itY
With noblest love and wisdom fraughtZ
He was at least Divine and noneE
Of human souls can lead it onE
-
We pine in our dark living tombA2
Waiting the God illumined OneE
Who only can disperse the gloomA2
Completing what the Dead begunE
Or farther leading us some spaceB2
Toward our eternal resting placeB2
-
But Israel wanders shepherdlessB2
Or gloom involved unloving liesB2
And in despair's stark sinfulnessB2
Reviles the promised ParadiseB2
It cannot reach Father divineE
Let us not long thus hopeless pineE
-
Still the deep dirge notcs long and lowC2
Breathe forth strange anguish to recallS
Could we forget our direst woeC2
A proud strong Age fast losing allS
Earth has of heaven bereft of faithL
And living in Eternal DeathM
-
And loudly boastful of such lifeD2
Blinded by our material mightI
Absorbed in frantic worldly strifeD2
Unconscious of the utter NightI
Whose palpable and monstrous gloomA2
Is gathering for our spirits' tombA2
-
We feel as gods in our own heartsB2
Seeming to conquer Time and SpaceB2
Wealth gorging our imperial martsB2
Earth pregnant from the fierce embraceB2
Our matter lusting spirits pressB2
With unexampled fruitfulnessB2
-
God answering well our worldly prayerE2
Our hearts' chief prayer through all the hoursB2
Of selfish joy and sordid careE2
Comes down to us in golden showersB2
God turns to Mammon at our cryX
Our souls wealth crushed dross stifled lieX
-
Those few how rich while this great massB2
Myriads with equal greed for goldF2
Sink in such want and woe alasB2
As never can on earth be toldF2
These starve and those yet wealthier riseB2
Meanwhile in both the spirit diesB2
-
Hear now the thrilling dirge notes pealG2
The anguished cry in thunder rollsB2
The few yet left who think and feelG2
Who yearn with strenuous soaring soulsB2
For more than earth or time can grantH2
Where where shall they appease their wantI2
-
Black disbelief substantial doubtJ2
Wreathe blent into one louring cloudR
Through which Heaven's light can scarce shine outJ2
Round all the Faiths all in such shroudR
Fade ghostlike to th' entombing PastK2
Our Heaven is wildly overcastK2
-
Yet each Creed senile sick half deadQ
With bitter spite and doting rageL2
Reviles all others Whoso ledQ
By thirst of love to pilgrimageM2
Seeks now old God given Wells of LifeD2
Finds drought dry centres of vain strifeD2
-
And turns away in blank despairE2
To scoff or weep as fits his moodN2
God in Heaven hear our prayerE2
We know Thou art Allwise AllgoodO2
Yet sink in godless miseryP2
Oh teach us how to worship TheeP2
-
-
-
PART IIQ2
-
The great Form lies there nerveless stillR2
But as we fix our longing gazeB2
It grows in grandest beauty tillR2
We worship in entranced amazeB2
Such holy love and wisdom seemS2
To be there rapt in heavenly dreamS2
-
Oh if He may once more awakeT2
Oh if it be not death but sleepA
And He from that dread slumber breakT2
Refreshed and strong full powered to sweepA
The darkness from our path againE
Once more the Guiding Star of menE
-
Yet though it be death view It wellD
The brow how nobly high and broadU2
What love on those shut lips might wellD
This Form sublimely templed GodV2
And if not perfect is a shrineE
Approaching well the most divineE
-
Do not turn hastily awayW2
From mighty death to petty lifeD2
Gaze in deep reverence on the clayW2
With such a soul's expression rifeD2
Read here read long the features wornE
By One incarnate Heavenly bornE
-
So may we hope to recogniseB2
That Greater One who shall succeedX2
This death bound Monarch who now liesB2
In mute appealing for our needX2
God cannot long desert His earthF
In the Old's death the New has birthF
-
What say we we know well this truthY2
There is no death for the DivineE
Which lives in ever perfect youthY2
The Form alone its earthly shrineE
Is subject to earth's mortal swayW2
Sickens and dies and rots awayW2
-
Thus each Form in its turn expiresB2
No more with all revealed Truth rifeD2
Which even at that time inspiresB2
Some new and nobler form with lifeD2
Grander and vaster to expressB2
More of Its infinite heavenlinessB2
-
Thus has it been since Time's first birthF
Thus must it be for evermoreG
Still lie moth eaten on the earthF
Old garments which this Spirit woreG
Till soiled and rent they were off thrownE
And wider flowing robes put onE
-
They could not grow with His great growthZ2
Pauseless though slow throughout the yearsB2
And vainly worshippers so loathZ2
To leave what lengthened use endearsB2
May still the empty robes adoreG
Their virtue was from Him who woreG
-
Let none say the Divine is deadQ
Although this Form be soul less quiteI
The Heavenly Sun doth ever shedQ
His lifeful heat His saving lightI
Never our earth doth lose His rayW2
Save when she turns herself awayW2
-
Let none say the Divine is dumbA3
Although His voice no more we hearB3
It is that we are deaf becomeA3
For measured to each eye and earB3
His glory shines His voice outspeaksB2
To each He gives the most it seeksB2
-
Our spirits may for ever growC2
And He will fill them as beforeG
And still their measure overflowC2
With His unlessened infinite MoreG
He gives us all we can receiveC3
He teaches all we can believeC3
-
The pure can see Him perfect pureD3
The strong feel Him OmnipotenceB2
The wise All wise He is obscureD3
But to the gross and earth bound senseB2
Alas for us with blinded sightI
Who dare to cry There is no lightI
-
-
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PART IIIQ2
-
Nay ask us not to rise and leaveC3
Him from whom power and life seem goneE
Say not that it is weak to grieveC3
Duty does not now urge us onE
In vain ye urge too well we knowC2
We cannot by our own strength goC2
-
Vainly ye choose you Saviours nowE
Of men however good and wiseB2
Be those your mean faith would endowE
With power to which no man can riseB2
No best men living lure our faithL
From the Divine though veiled in deathM
-
Vainly ye wander every wayW2
Throughout the earth in search of HeavenE
Changing your useless path each dayW2
With each new transient impulse givenE
By human guides who still agreeP2
In naught but fallibilityP2
-
We should know better from the loreG
Of worldly wisdom keen mistrustP
On which our minds so love to poreG
Nor leave for any child of dustP
This One Divine to Him adhereE3
Till the diviner One appearE3
-
My brothers let us own the truthY2
Bitter and mournful though it beP2
That we who spent our dreary youthY2
In foul and sensual slaveryP2
Are all too slavish too unmannedF3
For Conquerors of the Promised LandF3
-
In unprogressive wanderingsB2
We plC2

James Thomson



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