The Visit Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAA BBB CDC EEE FFF GGG HHH IIJ KKK LMM NNN OPP QQR SSS TTT UUU TTT TTT VVW XXX TTT YYX ZOP A2B2A2 TTT GGG CCD BBC2 PPP B2YA2NI reached the cottage I knew it from the card | A |
He had given me the low door heavily barred | A |
Steep roof and two yews whispering on guard | A |
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Dusk thickened as I came but I could smell | B |
First red wallflower and an early hyacinth bell | B |
And see dim primroses O I can tell | B |
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I thought they love the flowers he loved The rain | C |
Shook from fruit bushes in new showers again | D |
As I brushed past and gemmed the window pane | C |
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Bare was the window yet and the lamp bright | E |
I saw them sitting there streamed with the light | E |
That overflowed upon the enclosing night | E |
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Poor things I wonder why they've lit up so | F |
A voice said passing on the road below | F |
Who are they asked another Don't you know | F |
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Their voices crept away I heard no more | G |
As I crossed the garden and knocked at the door | G |
I waited then knocked louder than before | G |
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And thrice and still in vain So on the grass | H |
I stepped and tap tapped on the rainy glass | H |
Then did a girl without turning towards me pass | H |
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From the room I heard the heavy barred door creak | I |
And a voice entreating from the doorway speak | I |
Will you come this way a voice childlike and quick | J |
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The way was dark I followed her white frock | K |
Past the now chiming sweet tongued unseen clock | K |
Into the room One figure like a rock | K |
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Draped in an unstarred night his mother bowed | L |
Unrising and unspeaking His aunt stood | M |
And took my hand murmuring So good so good | M |
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Never such quiet people had I known | N |
Voices they scarcely needed they had grown | N |
To talk less by the word than muted tone | N |
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We'll soon have tea the girl said Please sit here | O |
She pushed a heavy low deep seated chair | P |
I knew at once was his and I sat there | P |
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I could not look at them It seemed I made | Q |
Noise in that quietness I was afraid | Q |
To look or speak until the aunt's voice said | R |
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You were his friend And that You were awoke | S |
My sense and nervousness found voice and spoke | S |
Of what he had been until a bullet broke | S |
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A too brief friendship The rock like mother kept | T |
Night still around her The aunt silently wept | T |
And the girl into the screen's low shadow stept | T |
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You were great friends said with calm voice the mother | U |
I answered Never friend had such another | U |
Then the girl's lips Nor sister such a brother | U |
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Her words were like a sounding pebble cast | T |
Into a hollow silence but at last | T |
She moved and bending to my low chair passed | T |
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Swift leaf like fingers o'er my face and said | T |
You are not like him And as she turned her head | T |
Into full light beneath the lamp's green shade | T |
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I saw the sunken spaces of her eyes | V |
Then her face listening to my dumb surprise | V |
Forgive she said a blind girl's liberties | W |
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You were his friend I wanted so to see | X |
The friends my brother had Now let's have tea | X |
She poured and passed a cup and cakes to me | X |
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These are my cakes she smiled and as I ate | T |
She talked and to the others cup and plate | T |
Passed as they in their shadow and silence sat | T |
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Thanks we are used to each other she said when I | Y |
Rose in the awkwardness of seeing shy | Y |
Of helping and of watching helplessly | X |
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And from the manner of their hands 'twas clear | Z |
They too were blind but I knew they could hear | O |
My pitiful thoughts as I sat aching there | P |
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I needs must talk until the girl was gone | A2 |
A while out of the room The lamp shone on | B2 |
But the true light out of the room was gone | A2 |
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Rose loved him so her mother said and sighed | T |
He was our eyes he was our joy and pride | T |
And all that's left is but to say he died | T |
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She ceased as Rose returned Then as before | G |
We talked and paused until Tell me once more | G |
What was it he said And I told her once more | G |
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She listened in her face was pride and pain | C |
As in her mind's eye near he stood and plain | C |
Then the thin leaves fell on my cheek again | D |
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And on my hands He must have loved you well | B |
She whispered as her hands from my hands fell | B |
Silence flowed back with thoughts unspeakable | C2 |
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It was a painful thing to leave them there | P |
Within the useless light and stirless air | P |
Let me show you the way Mind there's a stair | P |
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Here then another stair ten paces on | B2 |
Isn't there a moon Good bye | Y |
And she was gone | A2 |
Full moon upon the drenched fruit garden shone | N |
John Freeman
(1)
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