Prometheus - Christ Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AB ACD EFG HIJK LMN OPQRMN STUVWXW YMGZ A2 B2C2D2E2F2G2H2I2 J2K2L2M2N2O2ME2P2 Q2R2S2W T2MWU2V2M2W2S2X2Y2Z2 A3B3FTX2MMC3GI2D3E3M ZF3F3W2S2W2 G3AH3WS2I3ZJ3K3SL3M2 OW2M3N3O3 P3Q3XR3R3S3G2

LASHED to the planet glaring at the skyA
An eagle at his heart the Pagan ChristB
-
Why is it Mystery O dumb Darkness whyA
Have always men with loving hearts themselvesC
Made devils of their godsD
-
The whirling globeE
Bears round man's sweating agony of bloodF
That Might may gloat above impotent PainG
-
Man's soul is dual he is half a fiendH
And from himself he typifies AlmightyI
O poison doubt the answer holds no peaceJ
Man did not make himself a fiend but GodK
-
Between them what Prometheus staresL
Through ether to the lurid eyes of JoveM
Between them DarknessN
-
But the gods are deadO
Ay Zeus is dead and all the gods but DoubtP
And Doubt is brother devil to DespairQ
What then for us Better Prometheus' fateR
Who dared the gods than insect unbeliefM
Better Doubt's fitful flame than abject nothingnessN
-
O world around us glory of the spheresS
God speaks in ordered harmony beholdT
Between us and the Darkness clad in lightU
Between us and the curtain of the Vast two FormsV
And each is crowned eternally and OneW
Is crowned with flowers and tender leaves and grassX
And smiles benignly and the other OneW
-
With sadly pitying eyes is crowned with thornsY
O Nature and O Christ for men to loveM
And seek and live by Thine the dual reignG
The health and hope and happiness of menZ
-
Behold our faith and fruitA2
-
What demon laughsB2
Behold our books our schools our statesC2
Where Christ and Nature are the daily wordD2
Behold our dealings between man and manE2
Our laws for home our treaties for abroadF2
Behold our honor honesty and freedomG2
And last our brotherhood For we are bornH2
In Christian times and ruled by Christian rulesI2
-
Bah God is mild or he would strike the worldJ2
As men should smite a liar on the mouthK2
Shame on the falsehood Let us tell the truthL2
Nor Christ nor Nature rules but Greed and CreedM2
And Caste and Cant and Craft and IgnoranceN2
Down to the dust with every decent faceO2
And whisper there the lies we daily liveM
O God forgive us Nature never canE2
For one is merciful the other justP2
-
Let us confess by Nations first our linesQ2
Are writ in blood and rapine and revengeR2
Conquest and pride have motive been and lawS2
Christ walks with us to hourly crucifixionW
-
As Men Would God the better tale were hereT2
Atom as whole corruption shrewdness selfM
Freedom A juggle hundreds slave for oneW
That one is free and boasts and lo the shameU2
The hundreds at the wheel go boasting tooV2
Justice The selfish only can succeedM2
Success means power did Christ mean it soW2
And power must be guarded by the lawS2
And preachers preach that law must be obeyedX2
Ay even when Right is ironed in the dockY2
And Rapine sits in ermine on the benchZ2
Mercy Behold it in the reeking slumsA3
That grow like cancers from the palace wallB3
Go hear it from the conquered how their bloodF
Is weighed in drops and purchased blood for goldT
Go ask the toiling tenant why he paidX2
The landlord's rent and let his children starveM
Go find the thief whose father was a thiefM
And ask what Christian leech has cured his sinC3
Honesty Our law of life is GainG
We must get gold or be accounted foolsI2
The lovable the generous must be crushedD3
And substituted by the hard and shrewdE3
What is it Christ this thing called Christian lifeM
Where Christ is not where ninety slave for tenZ
And never own a flower save when they steal itF3
And never hear a bird save when they cage itF3
Is this the freedom of Thy truth Ah woeW2
For those who see a higher nobler lawS2
Than his the Crucified if this be soW2
-
O man's blind hope Prometheus thine the giftG3
That bids him live when reason bids him dieA
We cling to this as sailors to a sparH3
We see that this is Truth that men are oneW
Nor king nor slave among them save by lawS2
We see that law is crime save God's sweet codeI3
That laps the world in freedom trees and menZ
And every life around us days and seasonsJ3
All for their natural order on the planetK3
To live their lives an hour a hundred yearsS
Equal content and free nor curse their soulsL3
With trade's malign unrest with books that breedM2
Disparity contempt for those who cannot readO
With cities full of toil and sin and sorrowW2
Climbing the devil builded hill called ProgressM3
Prometheus we reject thy gifts for Christ'sN3
Selfish and hard were thine but His are sweetO3
'Sell what thou hast and give it to the poor '-
Him we must follow to the great CommuneP3
Reading his book of Nature growing wiseQ3
As planet men who own the earth and passX
Him we must follow till foul Cant and CasteR3
Die like disease and Mankind freed at lastR3
Tramples the complex life and laws and limitsS3
That stand between all living things and FreedomG2

John Boyle O'reilly



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