Out Of The East Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABABCC DEDEFEGG HIHJHKLM NONONODD PQPQPQGG ARASASTT UVUVUVWW XYXYXY ZA2ZA2ZA2IK CB2CB2CB2C2 GD2GD2GD2E2E2 F2G2H2G2H2G2I2J2 K2L2K2L2K2L2B2B2 M2N2M2N2M2O2P2Q2 R2S2R2T2R2S2U2U2 V2AV2AV2VW2W2 X2Y2X2Y2X2Y2B2B2 BZ2BA3BZ2B3C3 YD3YD3YD3E3E3 WF3WG3WF3H3H3 TZTZTZA2A2 H2I3H2I3H2H2T2T2 B2H2B2H2B2H2ZZ H2H2H2H2H2H2AA BH2BH2BH2H2H2 J3B2J3B2J3B2H2H2 K3BK3BK3BB2B2 GH2GH2GH2IJ E3L3E3L3E3L3ZZ H2H2H2H2H2H2H2H2 M3N3M3N3O3P3RS Q3H2Q3H2Q3H2B2B2 D3H2D3H2D3H2H2H2 R3H2R3H2R3H2S3S3 T3WU3WU3WK2K2 V3H2V3H2V3H2H2H2 V2H2V2H2V2H2H2H2 W3H2W3H2W3H2W3W3 D3L3D3L3D3L3IJ H2U3H2T3H2T3H2H2 W3H2W3H2W3H2W3W3 H2VH2VH2VW3W3 H2B2H2B2H2B2X3X3 T3W3T3W3T3W3H2H2 H2H2H2H2H2H2H2H2 Z2H2Z2H2X3H2VV H2W3H2W3H2W3H2H2 Y3T3Y3T3Y3T3T3T3 H2B2H2B2H2B2H2H2 H2T3H2T3H2T3H2H2 W3T3W3T3W3T3W3W3 Z3H2Z3H2Z3H2K3A4 H2H2H2H2H2H2Y3Y3 B2T3B2T3B2T3H2H2 Y3H2Y3H2Y3H2H2H2 B2H2W3H2B2H2T3T3 B2W3B2W3B2W3Y3Y3

When man first walked upright and soberly	A
Reflecting as he paced to and fro	B
And no more swinging from wide tree to tree	A
Or sheltered by vast boles from sheltered foe	B
Or crouched within some deep cave by the sea	A
Stared at the noisy waste of water's woe	B
Where the earth ended and far lightning died	C
Splintered upon the rigid tideless tide	C
	-
When man above Time's cloud lifted his head	D
And speech knew and the company of speech	E
And from his alien presence wild beasts fled	D
And birds flew wary from his arrow's reach	E
And cattle trampling the long meadow weed	F
Did sentry in the wind's path set when each	E
Horn hoof claw sting and sinew against man	G
Was turned and the old enmity began	G
	-
When following beneath the hand of kings	H
Moved men their parting ways and some passed on	I
To forest refuge some by dark browed springs	H
And some to high remoter pastures won	J
And some o'er yellow deserts spread their wings	H
Thinning with time and thirst and so were gone	K
Forgotten when between each wandered host	L
The seldom travellers faltered and were lost	M
	-
In those old days upon the soft dew'd sward	N
That held its green between the thicket's cloud	O
Walked two men musing ere the wide moon poured	N
Her full girthed weightless flood And one was bowed	O
With years past knowledge and his face was scored	N
Where light or deep had every long year ploughed	O
Pain labour present peril distant dread	D
Scored in his brow and bending his shagged head	D
	-
Palsy his frame shook as a harsh wind shakes	P
Complaining reeds fringing a frozen river	Q
His eye the aspect had of frozen lakes	P
Whereunder the foiled waters swirl and quiver	Q
His voice the deep note that the north wind takes	P
Drawn through bare beechwoods where forlorn birds shiver	Q
Deep and unfaltering A younger man	G
Listened while warmer currents in him ran	G
	-
Was not my son even as myself to me	A
As you to him showed his own life again	R
Now he is dead and all I looked to see	A
In him removes to you less near and plain	S
Confused with other blood and what will be	A
I groping cannot tell and grope in vain	S
For men have turned to other ways than mine	T
Yourself are less fulfilment than a sign	T
	-
Sign of a changing world And change I fear	U
I have seen old and young like brief gnats die	V
And have faced death by plague and flood and spear	U
I have seen mine own familiar people lie	V
In generations reaped and near and near	U
Age leads on Death I hear his husky sigh	V
Yet Death I fear not but these clouds of change	W
Sweeping the old firm world with new and strange	W
	-
Son of my son to whom the world shines new	X
You are strange to me for whom the world is old	Y
Your thoughts are not my thoughts and unto you	X
The past sole warmth for me is void and cold	Y
Another passion pours your spirit through	X
Another faith has leapt upon the fold	Y
And wrestles with the ancient faith 'And lo '	-
Lightly men say 'Even the gods come and go '	-
	-
He paused awhile in pacing and hung still	Z
Amid the thickening shades a darker shade	A2
Down the steep valley from the barren hill	Z
A herd of deer with antlered leader made	A2
Brief apparition Mist brimmed up until	Z
Only the great round heights yet solid stayed	A2
Then they too changed to spectral and upon	I
The changing mist wavered and were gone	K
	-
Standing to day your father's grave beside	C
I knew my heart with his was covered there	B2
O more than flesh did in the cold earth hide	C
My past his promise There was none to care	B2
Save for the body of a prince that died	C
As princes die there was none whispered 'Where	B2
Moves now among us his unburied part	C2
What breast beats with the pulses of his heart '	-
	-
Vain thoughts are these that but a dying man	G
Searches among the dark caves of his mind	D2
But as I stood the very wind that ran	G
Between the files breathed more than common wind	D2
As though the gods of men when Time began	G
Fathers of fathers of old humankind	D2
Startled heard now the changeful future knock	E2
And their lament it was from rock to rock	E2
	-
Tossed with the wind's long echo O speak not	F2
Nor tell me with my loss I am so dazed	G2
That my tongue speaks unfaithfully my thought	H2
That you you too within his shadow raised	G2
Stand bare now wanting all you held or thought	H2
By aimless love or prisoned grief amazed	G2
Tell me not let me out of silence speak	I2
Or let me still my thoughts in silence break	J2
	-
And so both stood and not a word to say	K2
By silence overborne until at last	L2
The young man breathed Look how the end of day	K2
Falls heavily as though the earth were cast	L2
Into a shapeless soundless pit where ray	K2
Of heavenly light never the verge has past	L2
Yet will the late moon's light anon shine here	B2
And then gray light and then the sun's light clear	B2
	-
Sire 'twas my father died and like night's pit	M2
Soundless and shapeless yawn my orphaned years	N2
And yet I know morn comes and brings with it	M2
Old tasks again and new joys hopes and fears	N2
Or sword or plough these fingers will find fit	M2
And morrows end with other cries and tears	O2
With women's arms and children's voices and	P2
The sacred gods blessing the new sown land	Q2
	-
But look upon your beard the dew is bright	R2
Chill is the winter fall let us go in	S2
Then moved they slowly downward till a light	R2
Shining the door post and thonged door between	T2
Showed the square Prince's House Out of the night	R2
They passed the sudden rubied warmth within	S2
Curled shadowy by the wall a servant slept	U2
A sleepy hound from the same corner crept	U2
	-
Soon were they couched The young man fell asleep	V2
While the old Prince drowsing uneasily	A
Tossing on the crest of agitations deep	V2
Dreamed waking waking dreamed Then memory	A
The unseen hound did from her corner creep	V2
Into his bosom and stirred him with her sigh	V
Soundless And he arose and answering pressed	W2
Her beloved head yet closer to his breast	W2
	-
Happy those years returned when first he strode	X2
Beside his father's knees or climbed and felt	Y2
The warm strength of those arms or singing rode	X2
High on his shoulders or in winter pelt	Y2
Of dread beasts wrapt set as his father showed	X2
Snares in the frosty grass and at dawn knelt	Y2
Beside the snares and shouting homeward tore	B2
Winged with such pride as seldom manhood wore	B2
	-
How many many many years ago	B
There was no older man now walked the earth	Z2
Had all those years sunk to a bitter glow	B
Like the fire lingering yet upon the hearth	A3
Ah he might warm his hands there still and so	B
Must warm his heart now in this wintry dearth	Z2
Till the reluming sunken fire should give	B3
Warmth to his ageing wits and bid him live	C3
	-
Even this house It was his father told	Y
How in the days half lost in icy time	D3
Men first forsook their wormy caves and cold	Y
To build where the wind footed cattle climb	D3
And noise of labour broke the silence old	Y
By such unbroken since the sparkling prime	D3
Of the world's spring And so the house arose	E3
A builded cave perpetual as the snows	E3
	-
On the remotest summits of the range	W
Hemming the north Then house by house appeared	F3
'Neath valley eaves and change following on change	W
Unnoted tamed earth's shaggy front Men heard	G3
Strange voices syllabling with accents strange	W
By travellers breathed who startled paused and feared	F3
Seeing the smoke of habitations curled	H3
Above this hollow of an unrumoured world	H3
	-
Startled they paused and spoke by doubtful sign	T
Answered by hesitating sign until	Z
Moved one with aspect fearless and benign	T
And met one fearless while all else hung still	Z
And then was welcome rest and meat and wine	T
And intercourse of uncouth word as shrill	Z
Voice with deep voice was mingled So they stayed	A2
And to astonished eyes strange arts betrayed	A2
	-
By them the oarage of the wind was taught	H2
And how the quick tail steered the cockled boat	I3
They netted fruitful streams and smiling brought	H2
Their breaking wickers home too full to float	I3
And opening the earth's rich womb they wrought	H2
Arms from the sullied ore and labouring smote	H2
The mountain's bosom till a path was seen	T2
Stony amid the flushed snow and flushed green	T2
	-
Then first upon earth's wave the silver share	B2
Floated by the teamed oxen drawn then first	H2
Were seed time rites and harvest rites when bare	B2
The cropped fields lay and gathered tumult nurst	H2
Long in the breasts of men that laboured there	B2
Now in the broad ease of fulfilment burst	H2
And when the winter tasks failed in days chill	Z
Weaving of bright hued yarn and chattering shrill	Z
	-
And the loved tones of music sounded sweet	H2
Unwonted when the new stopped pipe was heard	H2
Rising and falling and the falling feet	H2
Of sudden dancers And old men were stirred	H2
With old men's memories of ancient heat	H2
When youth sang in their bosoms like a bird	H2
Sweet that divine musician Memory	A
Fingering her many reeded melody	A
	-
Then as he stared into the wasting glow	B
And watched the fire faint in the whitening wood	H2
Came starker shadows moving vast and slow	B
And echoes of wild strife and smell of blood	H2
Twitching of slain men cries of parting woe	B
Bruised bodies ghastly in the mountain flood	H2
Burials and burnings triumph with terrors blent	H2
And widowed languors and night long lament	H2
	-
Like seeds long buried these dead memories	J3
Upthrust in their new green and spread to flower	B2
An eager child against his father's knees	J3
Leaning he had listened many an evening hour	B2
Now these remote reworded histories	J3
Entangled with his own renewed their power	B2
Breathing an antique virtue through his mind	H2
As through dense yew boughs breathes the undying wind	H2
	-
Sighing he rose up softly On the wall	K3
A dark shape shambled aimless to and fro	B
Head bent eyes inward seeing rugged tall	K3
Himself a shadow moved with musings slow	B
Amid his cumbered past and heard sweet call	K3
Of mother voice and mother folk and flow	B
Of gentle and proud speech and tender laughter	B2
Story and song fault and forgiveness after	B2
	-
And a voice graver gentler than a man	G
Might hear from any but a woman beloved	H2
Stilling and awakening the blood that ran	G
Like ocean tide as neared she or removed	H2
Faded that music Then a voice began	G
Paining within his heart yet unreproved	H2
For dear the anguish is that steals upon	I
A father's spirit lamenting his lost son	J
	-
The latest born and latest lost of those	E3
Of his strong and her gentle being born	L3
By earthquake pestilence by human foes	E3
Long were they dead and yet not all forlorn	L3
He grieved for at his side the youngest rose	E3
Bright as a willow gilded by dewy morn	L3
Felled now the tree silent that music still	Z
The motion that did all the vale air fill	Z
	-
Once more they bore the body from the hunt	H2
Where he alone had died Once more he heard	H2
The wail and sigh and saw once more their front	H2
Of drooping grief once more the wailing stirred	H2
Old hounds to baying wilder than was wont	H2
Fell once more like slow sullen rain each word	H2
Reluctant telling to his senses strayed	H2
How while the gods drowsed and men hung afraid	H2
	-
Slain was the Prince unwary by the paw	M3
Of a springing beast that died in giving death	N3
Again the featureless torn face he saw	M3
The ribboned bosom emptied of warm breath	N3
Again the circle sudden hush'd with awe	O3
And smothered moaning heard the hush beneath	P3
Again again and every night again	R
Vision renewed and voice recalled in vain	S
	-
Again those dear and lamentable rites	Q3
Within the winter stems of forest shade	H2
The pile the smokeless flame the thousand lights	Q3
The one light that in all the thousand played	H2
Deep burthened voices while around the heights	Q3
Lifting young trebles their wild echo made	H2
Then the returning torches at the pyre	B2
Lit when the eye glowed faint within the fire	B2
	-
	-
	-
Even as a man that by slow steps may climb	D3
An unknown mountain path with tired tread	H2
By ice fringed brook and close herb white with rime	D3
Sees sudden far below a strange land spread	H2
Immense so from his lonely crag of Time	D3
The Prince his eye bewildered and adread	H2
Gazed at the vast with mist and storm confused	H2
Cloud racked and changing even while he mused	H2
	-
Ending were the old wise and stable ways	R3
Adventurers into distant lands had fared	H2
From distant lands adventurers with gaze	R3
Proud and unenvying on his kingdom stared	H2
And sojourning had shaken quiet days	R3
With restless knowledge and strange worship reared	H2
Of foreign altars idols prayers and songs	S3
And sacrifice as to such gods belongs	S3
	-
And all unsatisfied his people grown	T3
Would move from this rejected mountain range	W
By yearlong valley journeys slowly down	U3
Sun following till surfeited with change	W
Mid idle pastures pitched or fabled town	U3
Subdued to climes and kings and customs strange	W
At length their very name should die away	K2
And all their remnant be a vague Men say	K2
	-
Men say he sighed and from that lofty verge	V3
Of inward seeing drooped his doubtful sight	H2
Sweet was it from such reverie to emerge	V3
And breathe once more the thoughtless air of night	H2
And watch the fire slave through fresh billets urge	V3
The sleeping flame until the vivid light	H2
And toothed shadows wearied And then crept	H2
The hounds a little nearer and all slept	H2
	-
	-
	-
But the young man still lay in quiet sleep	V2
Or half sleep and a dream born cloud enwreathed	H2
With memories hopes and longings hidden deep	V2
In his flown mind Another air he breathed	H2
Saw from an unsubstantial mountain sweep	V2
In purest light soon in low shadow sheathed	H2
Semblance of faint known faces or beloved	H2
Daily acquainted still or long removed	H2
	-
Even as sacred fire in fennel stalks	W3
Through windy ways is borne and densest night	H2
Till where the outpost shivering sentry walks	W3
Beating the minutes into hours the light	H2
Touches the guarded pile and flaring balks	W3
Beasts padding near and each unvisioned sprite	H2
By old dread apprehended and new gladness	W3
Shakes in the village prone in winter sadness	W3
	-
So through the young man's dream the kingly flame	D3
In his own breast was undiminished borne	L3
And other peoples catching from his fame	D3
A noble heat in neighbouring lands forlorn	L3
Would glow with new power and the ancient name	D3
Bless that had brightened through their narrow morn	L3
And purer yet and steadier would pass on	I
The sacred flame to son and son and son	J
	-
Or with contracting mind he saw the host	H2
Of mountain warriors banded moving down	U3
Untrodden ways as on young buds a frost	H2
Falls and the spring lies stiff The air was sown	T3
With strife the fields with blood the night with ghost	H2
Wandering by ghost and wounded men were strown	T3
Surprised unweaponed and chill air congealed	H2
Each hurt and with the blood their breath was sealed	H2
	-
And the loved tones of music sounded fierce	W3
When the returning files with aspect proud	H2
Approached and brandished their rich trophied spears	W3
Sweet the pipes' spearlike music sweet and loud	H2
And music of smitten arms was sweet to tears	W3
Sweet the dance unto smiling gods new vowed	H2
Sweet the recounting song and choral cries	W3
And age's quaverings and girls' envious sighs	W3
	-
So of himself a father king he dreamed	H2
Holding an equal nation in his eye	V
O with what golden points the future gleamed	H2
Rustled the years like laden mule trains by	V
Each with its burthen of old time redeemed	H2
Splendour on splendour poured and so would lie	V
Unnoted and unmeasured metals herds	W3
Distant sought wonders strange growths beasts and birds	W3
	-
Within the summer of that splendid shade	H2
Might men live happy and nought left to fear	B2
Or if an antique restless spirit played	H2
Fretful within their bones and change drew near	B2
Drumming wild airs and another music made	H2
A father king speaking assured and clear	B2
Bidding them follow he would lead them forth	X3
Through the yet undiscovered frowning north	X3
	-
And the last fire on the warm stones would burn	T3
And the smoke linger on the mountain skies	W3
And seeing they would muse yet of return	T3
And then forget their sadness in the cries	W3
Confused of the great caravan and so turn	T3
Towards the next sun setting and the next sunrise	W3
Many and many a day and wind and wind	H2
Through foreign earth as a dream through the mind	H2
	-
Flowing on with the changes of its thought	H2
And doubtful kings entreating them to stay	H2
Would sleep the easier when they lingered not	H2
And sullen tribes menacing would make way	H2
And broad slow rivers in their tide be caught	H2
And the long caravan o'er the ford all day	H2
And all day and all day pass while the tide slept	H2
In sluggish shallows or through marsh reeds crept	H2
	-
So would they on and on with death and birth	Z2
For wayfellows and nightly stars for guide	H2
While seasons bloomed and faded on the earth	Z2
And jealous gods their wandering gods would chide	H2
Until weary of endless going forth	X3
Dark locust like the old fret would subside	H2
And young men with aged men and women cry	V
In this full rivered pasture let us lie	V
	-
Here let us lie and wanderings be at rest	H2
Midmost a cedar grove high sacrifice	W3
Needs then be made that gods be manifest	H2
And while the smoke spread in long twilit skies	W3
Here let us lie and wanderings be at rest	H2
Would old men breathe repeated between sighs	W3
In this green world and cool would mothers say	H2
Rest we nor with thin babes yet longer stray	H2
	-
So stealing from the mind of the old King	Y3
Exhausted into the sleeping young man's brain	T3
Crept the same dream and lifted on new wing	Y3
And took from his swift passions a new stain	T3
Sanguine and azure and first fluttering	Y3
Rose then on easy vans that bore again	T3
The sleeper past his common thought's confine	T3
So borne so soaring in that air divine	T3
	-
He saw his people stayed their journeys ended	H2
There should they no more fretful dwell for ever	B2
In the full nourished pasture where untended	H2
Herds multiplied and famine threatened never	B2
And where high border hills glittered with splendid	H2
Sparse covered veins washed by the hill born river	B2
So stead by stead arose and men there moved	H2
Satisfied and no more vain longings roved	H2
	-
Again the silver plough gleamed in the sod	H2
And seed from old fields slept in furrows new	T3
Then when Spring's rain and sun together trod	H2
And interweaved swift steps the meadow through	T3
Old rites revived they bore the shapen god	H2
With green stalks and first budded boughs and drew	T3
Together youth and age And sowers leapt	H2
High o'er the seed in earth's cold bosom wrapt	H2
	-
So in the golden hued and burning hours	W3
Of harvest leapt on high the full eared corn	T3
Friendly to pious hands those imaged Powers	W3
Of rain and sun And when the grain was borne	T3
By oxen trailing tangled straws and flowers	W3
With leaves and dying blossoms on each horn	T3
Friendly the gods commingling in the shades	W3
Of moon and torch and smoke delaying glades	W3
	-
Fell slowly sunset the starred evening cool	Z3
Drooped round as mid his people the king rode	H2
Blessing and blessed and in the faithful pool	Z3
Of their old loves his clear reflection glowed	H2
Like summer's golden moon in wise and fool	Z3
Noble and mean accustomed reverence showed	H2
Clear shining so he reached the unbarred hall	K3
Where lamps lords servitors flashed festival	A4
	-
Remembering old journeys and their end	H2
Bright throned he sat there with those lords around	H2
Snow polled co eval as with friends their friend	H2
Feasting Arose at length the awaited sound	H2
Of bardic chanting bidding their thoughts descend	H2
Into the chamber where the Past lay bound	H2
Wanting but music's finger so upspringing	Y3
The Past stormed all their minds in that loud singing	Y3
	-
And strangers furred and tawny seated there	B2
Far travellers from the sunrise looking on	T3
The feasting and the splendour and with ear	B2
Uncertain listening to the solemn tone	T3
Of most dear Memory envied all and sware	B2
A sudden fealty But the bard sang on	T3
While silver beakers brimmed untouched and darkened	H2
The proud remembering eyes of men that hearkened	H2
	-
Then came once more those strangers leading long	Y3
Migration of their subject folk They stayed	H2
And medley'd and were mingled and their throng	Y3
Melted in his like snows and so were made	H2
One with them and forgot their useless tongue	Y3
Nor now their ancient bloody worship paid	H2
To painted gods name language story died	H2
When their last faithless exile parting sighed	H2
	-
So year on year century on century	B2
In his imagination of delight	H2
Followed in a new world all innocency	W3
And simpleness and made for beings bright	H2
Where man to man was friend unfearful free	B2
And natural griefs alone darkened their night	H2
And natural joys as the wide air were common	T3
And kindness was the bond of all kin human	T3
	-
	-
	-
When the loved reeds of music sounded clear	B2
From birds' breasts quivering in tall woodland trees	W3
That rustled leafless in the winter air	B2
And with morn's new voice shrilled the western breeze	W3
Folding her wings the dream crept from his ear	B2
To hang where bats drowse until daylight dies	W3
Then he from sleep's dear vanity awaking	Y3
Watched a sole sunbeam the roof shadows raking	Y3

John Freeman

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Willy bum bum: I got a little Willy,I stuck it up my bum,my and my bum gets up to all kinds of fun

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