The Fires Of God Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDCBDEF GHIJGIKKBBLL A MNNMOPOPOPQPQRSRS TUTUVVQQW A XYYYYXZNA2ZNYYA2B2B2 C2YD2C2E2B2MRMF2F2RY YG2WG2SWSY YYYYYLYY LYH2A2A2H2 C2 BYI2YYBJ2YC2WWC2C2YC 2YRNRYK2ZMMZH2L2H2L2 PPL2BYYBYYP PPH2MMH2 N H2H2M2MM2YMYMYYYMYYY N2H2H2N2H2H2MH2H2Y YH2O2P2P2O2 C2 YYYQ2YH2YH2YH2Q2YH2Y H2YH2YYH2NN YOYOOYMM NMNMMNYY MZMZZMH2 H2H2H2H2H2H2H2H2 R2YR2YYR2YY OYOYYOY C2 H2H2H2ZH2NYNZYH2YYYH 2Y

IA
-
Time gathers to my nameB
Along the ways wheredown my feet have passedC
I see the years with little triumph crownedD
Exulting not for perils dared downcastC
And weary eyed and desolate for shameB
Of having been unstirred of all the soundD
Of the deep music of the men that moveE
Through the world's days in suffering and loveF
-
Poor barren years that brooded over muchG
On your own burden pale and stricken yearsH
Go down to your oblivion we partI
With no reproach or ceremonial tearsJ
Henceforth my hands are lifted to the touchG
Of hands that labour with me and my heartI
Hereafter to the world's heart shall be setK
And its own pain forgetK
Time gathers to my nameB
Days dead are dark the days to be a flameB
Of wonder and of promise and great criesL
Of travelling people reach me I must riseL
-
-
IIA
-
Was I not man Could I not rise aloneM
Above the shifting of the things that beN
Rise to the crest of all the stars and seeN
The ways of all the world as from a throneM
Was I not man with proud imperial willO
To cancel all the secrets of high heavenP
Should not my sole unbridled purpose fillO
All hidden paths with light when once was rivenP
God's veil by my indomitable willO
So dreamt I little man of little visionP
Great only in unconsecrated prideQ
Man's pity grew from pity to derisionP
And still I thought 'Albeit they derideQ
Yet is it mine uncharted ways to dareR
Unknown to theseS
And they shall stumble darkly unawareR
Of solemn mysteriesS
Whereof the key is mine alone to bear '-
-
So I forgot my God and I forgotT
The holy sweet communion of menU
And moved in desolate places where are notT
Meek hands held out with patient healing whenU
The hours are heavy with uncharitable painV
No company but vainV
And arrogant thoughts were with me at my sideQ
And ever to myself I liedQ
Saying 'Apart from all men thus I goW
To know the things that they may never know '-
-
-
IIIA
-
Then a great change befellX
Long time I stoodY
In witless hardihoodY
With eyes on one sole changeless vision setY
The deep disturbed fretY
Of men who made brief tarrying in hellX
On their earth travellingZ
It was as though the lives of men should beN
Set circle wise whereof one little spanA2
Through which all passed was blackened with the wingZ
Of perilous evil bateless miseryN
But all beyond making the whole completeY
O'er which the travelling feetY
Of every manA2
Made way or ever he might come to deathB2
Was odorous with the breathB2
Of honey laden flowers and aliveC2
With sacrificial ministrations sweetY
Of man to man and swift and holy lovesD2
And large heroic hopes whereby should thriveC2
Man's spirit as he movesE2
From dawn of life to the great dawn of deathB2
It was as though mine eyes were set aloneM
Upon that woeful passage of despairR
Until I held that life had never knownM
Dominion but in this most troubled placeF2
Where many a ruined graceF2
And many a friendless careR
Ran to and fro in sorrowful unrestY
Still in my hand I pressedY
Hope's fragile chalice whence I drew deep draughtsG2
Shaping belief that even yet should growW
Out of this dread confusion as of broken craftsG2
Driven along ungovernable seasS
Some threads of order and that I should knowW
After long vigil all the mysteriesS
Of human wonder and of human fateY
-
O fool O only greatY
In pride unhallowed O most blind of heartY
Confusion but more dark confusion bredY
Grief nurtured grief I cried aloud and saidY
'Through trackless ways the soul of man is hurledY
No sign upon the forehead of the skiesL
No beacon and no chartY
Are given to him and the inscrutable worldY
But mocks his scars and fills his mouth with dust '-
-
'And lies bore liesL
And lust bore lustY
And the world was heavy with flowerless rodsH2
And pride outranA2
The strength of a manA2
Who had set himself in the place of gods'H2
-
-
IVC2
-
Soon was I then to gather bitter shameB
Of spirit I had been most wildly proudY
Yet in my pride had beenI2
Some little courage formless as a cloudY
Unpiloted save by the vagrant windY
But still an earnest of the bonds that tameB
The legionary hates of sacred loves that leanJ2
From the high soul of man towards his kindY
And all my griefC2
Had been for those I watched go to and froW
In uncompassioned woeW
Along that little span my unbeliefC2
Had fashioned in my vision as all lifeC2
Now even this so little virtue wanedY
For I became caught up into the strifeC2
That I had pitied and my soul was stainedY
At last by that most venomous despairR
Self pityN
I no longer was awareR
Of any will to heal the world's unrestY
I suffered as it suffered and I grewK2
Troubled in all my daily traffickingZ
Not with the large heroic trouble knownM
By proud adventurous men who would atoneM
With their own passionate pity for the stingZ
And anguish of a world of peril and snaresH2
It was the trouble of a soul in thrallL2
To mean despairsH2
Driven about a waste where neither fallL2
Of words from lips of love nor consolationP
Of grave eyes comforting nor ministrationP
Of hand or heart could pierce the deadly wallL2
Of self of self I was a living shameB
A broken purpose I had stood apartY
With pride rebellious and defiant heartY
And now my pride had perished in the flameB
I cried for succour as a little childY
Might supplicate whose days are undefiledY
For tutored pride and innocence are oneP
-
'To the gloom has wonP
A gleam of the sunP
And into the barren desolate waysH2
A scent is blownM
As of meadows mownM
By cooling rivers in clover days'H2
-
-
VN
-
I turned me from that place in humble wiseH2
And fingers soft were laid upon mine eyesH2
And I beheld the fruitful earth with storeM2
Of odorous treasure full and golden grainM
Ripe orchard bounty slender stalks that boreM2
Their flowered beauty with a meek contentY
The prosperous leaves that loved the sun and rainM
Shy creatures unreproved that came and wentY
In garrulous joy among the fostering greenM
And over all the changes of the dayY
And ordered year their mutable glory laidY
Expectant winter soberly arrayedY
The prudent diligent spring whose eyes have seenM
The beauty of the roses uncreateY
Imperial June magnificent elateY
Beholding all the ripening loves that strayY
Among her blossoms and the golden timeN2
Of the full ear and bounty of the boughsH2
And the great hills and solemn chanting seasH2
And prodigal meadows answering to the chimeN2
Of God's good year and bearing on their browsH2
The glory of processional mysteriesH2
From dawn to dawn the woven shadow and shineM
Of the high moon the twilight secreciesH2
And the inscrutable wonder of the starsH2
Flung out along the reaches of the nightY
-
'And the ancient mightY
Of the binding barsH2
Waned as I woke to a new desireO2
For the choric songP2
Of exultant strongP2
Earth passionate men with souls of fire'O2
-
-
VIC2
-
'Twas given me to hear As I beheldY
With a new wisdom tranquil asking notY
For mystic revelation this glory long forgotY
This re discovered triumph of the earthQ2
In high creative will and beauty's prideY
Established beyond the assaulting yearsH2
It came to me a music that compelledY
Surrender of all tributary fearsH2
Full throated fierce and rhythmic with the wideY
Beat of the pilgrim winds and labouring seasH2
Sent up from all the harbouring ways of earthQ2
Wherein the travelling feet of men have trodY
Mounting the firmamental silencesH2
And challenging the golden gates of GodY
'We bear the burden of the yearsH2
Clean limbed clear hearted open browedY
Albeit sacramental tearsH2
Have dimmed our eyes we know the proudY
Content of men who sweep unbowedY
Before the legionary fearsH2
In sorrow we have grown to beN
The masters of adversityN
-
Long ere from immanent silence leaptY
Obedient hands and fashioning willO
The giant god within us sleptY
And dreamt of seasons to fulfilO
The shaping of our souls that stillO
Expectant earthward vigil keptY
Our wisdom grew from secrets drawnM
From that far off dim memoried dawnM
-
Wise of the storied ages weN
Of perils dared and crosses borneM
Of heroes bound by no decreeN
Of laws defiled or faiths outwornM
Of poets who have held in scornM
All mean and tyrannous things that beN
We prophesy with lips that spedY
The songs of the prophetic deadY
-
Wise of the brief beloved spanM
Of this our glad earth travellingZ
Of beauty's bloom and ordered planM
Of love and love's compassioningZ
Of all the dear delights that springZ
From man's communion with manM
We cherish every hour that straysH2
Adown the cataract of the days '-
'We see the dear untroubled skiesH2
We see the glory of the roseH2
And laugh nor grieve that clouds will riseH2
And wax with every wind that blowsH2
Nor that the blossoming time will closeH2
For beauty seen of humble eyesH2
Immortal habitation hasH2
Though beauty's form may pale and passH2
-
Wise of the great unshapen ageR2
To which we move with measured treadY
All girt with passionate truth to wageR2
High battle for the word unsaidY
The song unsung the cause unledY
The freedom that no hope can gaugeR2
Strong armed sure footed iron willedY
We sift and weave we break and buildY
-
Into one hour we gather allO
The years gone down the years unwroughtY
Upon our ears brave measures fallO
Across uncharted spaces broughtY
Upon our lips the words are caughtY
Wherewith the dead the unborn callO
From love to love from height to heightY
We press and none may curb our might '-
-
-
VIIC2
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O blessed voices O compassionate handsH2
Calling and healing O great hearted brothersH2
I come to you Ring out across the landsH2
Your benediction and I too will singZ
With you and haply kindle in another'sH2
Dark desolate hour the flame you stirred in meN
O bountiful earth in adoration meetY
I bow to you O glory of years to beN
I too will labour to your fashioningZ
Go down go down unweariable feetY
Together we will march towards the waysH2
Wherein the marshalled hosts of morning waitY
In sleepless watch with banners wide unfurledY
Across the skies in ceremonial stateY
To greet the men who lived triumphant daysH2
And stormed the secret beauty of the worldY

John Drinkwater



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