Ezekiel Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEE FFGGHIJJKK LMNNOOPPQQ RRSSTTUVLL WWQQXXYZA2A2 B2B2C2WUULLD2D2 LLE2ZF2F2HIG2 G2LLG2G2G2G2G2G2H2H2 G2G2I2J2ZZK2K2G2G2 LLL2M2LLLLG2G2 N2O2LLP2P2HILL LLQ2Q2R2S2LLAA

They hear Thee not O God nor seeA
Beneath Thy rod they mock at TheeA
The princes of our ancient lineB
Lie drunken with Assyrian wineB
The priests around Thy altar speakC
The false words which their hearers seekC
And hymns which Chaldea's wanton maidsD
Have sung in Dura's idol shadesD
Are with the Levites' chant ascendingE
With Zion's holiest anthems blendingE
-
On Israel's bleeding bosom setF
The heathen heel is crushing yetF
The towers upon our holy hillG
Echo Chaldean footsteps stillG
Our wasted shrines who weeps for themH
Who mourneth for JerusalemI
Who turneth from his gains awayJ
Whose knee with mine is bowed to prayJ
Who leaving feast and purpling cupK
Takes Zion's lamentation upK
-
A sad and thoughtful youth I wentL
With Israel's early banishmentM
And where the sullen Chebar creptN
The ritual of my fathers keptN
The water for the trench I drewO
The firstling of the flock I slewO
And standing at the altar's sideP
I shared the Levites' lingering prideP
That still amidst her mocking foesQ
The smoke of Zion's offering roseQ
-
In sudden whirlwind cloud and flameR
The Spirit of the Highest cameR
Before mine eyes a vision passedS
A glory terrible and vastS
With dreadful eyes of living thingsT
And sounding sweep of angel wingsT
With circling light and sapphire throneU
And flame like form of One thereonV
And voice of that dread Likeness sentL
Down from the crystal firmamentL
-
The burden of a prophet's powerW
Fell on me in that fearful hourW
From off unutterable woesQ
The curtain of the future roseQ
I saw far down the coming timeX
The fiery chastisement of crimeX
With noise of mingling hosts and jarY
Of falling towers and shouts of warZ
I saw the nations rise and fallA2
Like fire gleams on my tent's white wallA2
-
In dream and trance I saw the slainB2
Of Egypt heaped like harvest grainB2
I saw the walls of sea born TyreC2
Swept over by the spoiler's fireW
And heard the low expiring moanU
Of Edom on his rocky throneU
And woe is me the wild lamentL
From Zion's desolation sentL
And felt within my heart each blowD2
Which laid her holy places lowD2
-
In bonds and sorrow day by dayL
Before the pictured tile I layL
And there as in a mirror sawE2
The coming of Assyria's warZ
Her swarthy lines of spearmen passF2
Like locusts through Bethhoron's grassF2
I saw them draw their stormy hemH
Of battle round JerusalemI
And listening heard the Hebrew wailG2
-
Blend with the victor trump of BaalG2
Who trembled at my warning wordL
Who owned the prophet of the LordL
How mocked the rude how scoffed the vileG2
How stung the Levites' scornful smileG2
As o'er my spirit dark and slowG2
The shadow crept of Israel's woeG2
As if the angel's mournful rollG2
Had left its record on my soulG2
And traced in lines of darkness thereH2
The picture of its great despairH2
-
Yet ever at the hour I feelG2
My lips in prophecy unsealG2
Prince priest and Levite gather nearI2
And Salem's daughters haste to hearJ2
On Chebar's waste and alien shoreZ
The harp of Judah swept once moreZ
They listen as in Babel's throngK2
The Chaldeans to the dancer's songK2
Or wild sabbeka's nightly playG2
As careless and as vain as theyG2
-
-
-
And thus O Prophet bard of oldL
Hast thou thy tale of sorrow toldL
The same which earth's unwelcome seersL2
Have felt in all succeeding yearsM2
Sport of the changeful multitudeL
Nor calmly heard nor understoodL
Their song has seemed a trick of artL
Their warnings but the actor's partL
With bonds and scorn and evil willG2
The world requites its prophets stillG2
-
So was it when the Holy OneN2
The garments of the flesh put onO2
Men followed where the Highest ledL
For common gifts of daily breadL
And gross of ear of vision dimP2
Owned not the Godlike power of HimP2
Vain as a dreamer's words to themH
His wail above JerusalemI
And meaningless the watch He keptL
Through which His weak disciples sleptL
-
Yet shrink not thou whoe'er thou artL
For God's great purpose set apartL
Before whose far discerning eyesQ2
The Future as the Present liesQ2
Beyond a narrow bounded ageR2
Stretches thy prophet heritageS2
Through Heaven's vast spaces angel trodL
And through the eternal years of GodL
Thy audience worlds all things to beA
The witness of the Truth in theeA

John Greenleaf Whittier



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