Liberty Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCDD EFEFGG HCICJJ KLKMNN OPOPQQ A RBRBSS TATANN UKUKVV WAWAXX YZYA2B2B2 C2ZZC2CCC D2E2E2D2RRR NF2F2NCCC A RRCCCCG2G2CCH2I2CCCC ACJ2J2CCK2K2CCC2C2WW CCCC CCCCMEL2L2M2M2N2N2CC CCO2NNCCZZZA2ZA2 A P2Q2P2Q2 R2S2R2S2 I2Q2H2Q2 B2J2B2J2 T2CT2C CU2CU2 Q2CQ2 K2 CCV2V2EMCCW2W2X2X2CC PY2Z2Z2CCA3A3A3T2T2B 3B3A3A3CCBBCCCCNTi New Castle July i | A |
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or a hundred years the pulse of time | B |
Has throbbed for Liberty | C |
For a hundred years the grand old clime | B |
Columbia has been free | C |
For a hundred years our country's love | D |
The Stars and Stripes has waved above | D |
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Away far out on the gulf of years | E |
Misty and faint and white | F |
Through the fogs of wrong a sail appears | E |
And the Mayflower heaves in sight | F |
And drifts again with its little flock | G |
Of a hundred souls on Plymouth Rock | G |
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Do you see them there as long long since | H |
Through the lens of History | C |
Do you see them there as their chieftain prints | I |
In the snow his bended knee | C |
And lifts his voice through the wintry blast | J |
In thanks for a peaceful home at last | J |
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Though the skies are dark and the coast is bleak | K |
And the storm is wild and fierce | L |
Its frozen flake on the upturned cheek | K |
Of the Pilgrim melts in tears | M |
And the dawn that springs from the darkness there | N |
Is the morning light of an answered prayer | N |
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The morning light of the day of Peace | O |
That gladdens the aching eyes | P |
And gives to the soul that sweet release | O |
That the present verifies | P |
Nor a snow so deep nor a wind so chill | Q |
To quench the flame of a freeman's will | Q |
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II | A |
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Days of toil when the bleeding hand | R |
Of the pioneer grew numb | B |
When the untilled tracts of the barren land | R |
Where the weary ones had come | B |
Could offer nought from a fruitful soil | S |
To stay the strength of the stranger's toil | S |
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Days of pain when the heart beat low | T |
And the empty hours went by | A |
Pitiless with the wail of woe | T |
And the moan of Hunger's cry | A |
When the trembling hands upraised in prayer | N |
Had only the strength to hold them there | N |
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Days when the voice of hope had fled | U |
Days when the eyes grown weak | K |
Were folded to and the tears they shed | U |
Were frost on a frozen cheek | K |
When the storm bent down from the skies and gave | V |
A shroud of snow for the Pilgrim's grave | V |
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Days at last when the smiling sun | W |
Glanced down from a summer sky | A |
And a music rang where the rivers run | W |
And the waves went laughing by | A |
And the rose peeped over the mossy bank | X |
While the wild deer stood in the stream and drank | X |
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And the birds sang out so loud and good | Y |
In a symphony so clear | Z |
And pure and sweet that the woodman stood | Y |
With his ax upraised to hear | A2 |
And to shape the words of the tongue unknown | B2 |
Into a language all his own | B2 |
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'Sing every bird to day | C2 |
Sing for the sky so clear | Z |
And the gracious breath of the atmosphere | Z |
Shall waft our cares away | C2 |
Sing sing for the sunshine free | C |
Sing through the land from sea to sea | C |
Lift each voice in the highest key | C |
And sing for Liberty ' | - |
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'Sing for the arms that fling | D2 |
Their fetters in the dust | E2 |
And lift their hands in higher trust | E2 |
Unto the one Great King | D2 |
Sing for the patriot heart and hand | R |
Sing for the country they have planned | R |
Sing that the world may understand | R |
This is Freedom's land ' | - |
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'Sing in the tones of prayer | N |
Sing till the soaring soul | F2 |
Shall float above the world's control | F2 |
In freedom everywhere | N |
Sing for the good that is to be | C |
Sing for the eyes that are to see | C |
The land where man at last is free | C |
O sing for liberty ' | - |
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III | A |
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A holy quiet reigned save where the hand | R |
Of labor sent a murmur through the land | R |
And happy voices in a harmony | C |
Taught every lisping breeze a melody | C |
A nest of cabins where the smoke upcurled | C |
A breathing incense to the other world | C |
A land of languor from the sun of noon | G2 |
That fainted slowly to the pallid moon | G2 |
Till stars thick scattered in the garden land | C |
Of Heaven by the great Jehovah's hand | C |
Had blossomed into light to look upon | H2 |
The dusky warrior with his arrow drawn | I2 |
As skulking from the covert of the night | C |
With serpent cunning and a fiend's delight | C |
With murderous spirit and a yell of hate | C |
The voice of Hell might tremble to translate | C |
When the fond mother's tender lullaby | A |
Went quavering in shrieks all suddenly | C |
And baby lips were dabbled with the stain | J2 |
Of crimson at the bosom of the slain | J2 |
And peaceful homes and fortunes ruined lost | C |
In smoldering embers of the holocaust | C |
Yet on and on through years of gloom and strife | K2 |
Our country struggled into stronger life | K2 |
Till colonies like footprints in the sand | C |
Marked Freedom's pathway winding through the land | C |
And not the footprints to be swept away | C2 |
Before the storm we hatched in Boston Bay | C2 |
But footprints where the path of war begun | W |
That led to Bunker Hill and Lexington | W |
For he who dared to lead where others dared | C |
To follow found the promise there declared | C |
Of Liberty in blood of Freedom's host | C |
Baptized to Father Son and Holy Ghost | C |
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Oh there were times when every patriot breast | C |
Was riotous with sentiments expressed | C |
In tones that swelled in volume till the sound | C |
Of lusty war itself was well nigh drowned | C |
Oh those were times when happy eyes with tears | M |
Brimmed o'er as all the misty doubts and fears | E |
Were washed away and Hope with gracious mien | L2 |
Reigned from her throne again a sovereign queen | L2 |
Until at last upon a day like this | M2 |
When flowers were blushing at the summer's kiss | M2 |
And when the sky was cloudless as the face | N2 |
Of some sweet infant in its angel grace | N2 |
There came a sound of music thrown afloat | C |
Upon the balmy air a clanging note | C |
Reiterated from the brazen throat | C |
Of Independence Bell A sound so sweet | C |
The clamoring throngs of people in the streets | O2 |
Were stilled as at the solemn voice of prayer | N |
And heads were bowed and lips were moving there | N |
That made no sound until the spell had passed | C |
And then as when all sudden comes the blast | C |
Of some tornado came the cheer on cheer | Z |
Of every eager voice while far and near | Z |
The echoing bells upon the atmosphere | Z |
Set glorious rumors floating till the ear | A2 |
Of every listening patriot tingled clear | Z |
And thrilled with joy and jubilee to hear | A2 |
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I | A |
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'Stir all your echoes up | P2 |
O Independence Bell | Q2 |
And pour from your inverted cup | P2 |
The song we love so well | Q2 |
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'Lift high your happy voice | R2 |
And swing your iron tongue | S2 |
Till syllables of praise rejoice | R2 |
That never yet were sung | S2 |
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'Ring in the gleaming dawn | I2 |
Of Freedom Toll the knell | Q2 |
Of Tyranny and then ring on | H2 |
O Independence Bell | Q2 |
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'Ring on and drown the moan | B2 |
Above the patriot slain | J2 |
Till sorrow's voice shall catch the tone | B2 |
And join the glad refrain | J2 |
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'Ring out the wounds of wrong | T2 |
And rankle in the breast | C |
Your music like a slumber song | T2 |
Will lull revenge to rest | C |
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'Ring out from Occident | C |
To Orient and peal | U2 |
From continent to continent | C |
The mighty joy you feel | U2 |
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'Ring Independence Bell | Q2 |
Ring on till worlds to be | C |
Shall listen to the tale you tell | Q2 |
Of love and Liberty ' | - |
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IV | K2 |
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O Liberty the dearest word | C |
A bleeding country ever heard | C |
We lay our hopes upon thy shrine | V2 |
And offer up our lives for thine | V2 |
You gave us many happy years | E |
Of peace and plenty ere the tears | M |
A mourning country wept were dried | C |
Above the graves of those who died | C |
Upon thy threshold And again | W2 |
When newer wars were bred and men | W2 |
Went marching in the cannon's breath | X2 |
And died for thee and loved the death | X2 |
While high above them gleaming bright | C |
The dear old flag remained in sight | C |
And lighted up their dying eyes | P |
With smiles that brightened paradise | Y2 |
O Liberty it is thy power | Z2 |
To gladden us in every hour | Z2 |
Of gloom and lead us by thy hand | C |
As little children through a land | C |
Of bud and blossom while the days | A3 |
Are filled with sunshine and thy praise | A3 |
Is warbled in the roundelays | A3 |
Of joyous birds and in the song | T2 |
Of waters murmuring along | T2 |
The paths of peace whose flowery fringe | B3 |
Has roses finding deeper tinge | B3 |
Of crimson looking on themselves | A3 |
Reflected leaning from the shelves | A3 |
Of cliff and crag and mossy mound | C |
Of emerald splendor shadow drowned | C |
We hail thy presence as you come | B |
With bugle blast and rolling drum | B |
And booming guns and shouts of glee | C |
Commingled in a symphony | C |
That thrills the worlds that throng to see | C |
The glory of thy pageantry | C |
And with thy praise we breathe a prayer | N |
That God who leaves yo | T |
James Whitcomb Riley
(1)
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