Funeral Tree Of The Sokokis Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AAA BCB DDD EEE FFF GGG HHH III JJJ KKK LLL LLL JJJ LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL KKK LLL MMM AAA LLL KKK FNF LLL JJJ LLL OOP LLL QQR KKK SSS

Around Sebago's lonely lakeA
There lingers not a breeze to breakA
The mirror which its waters makeA
-
The solemn pines along its shoreB
The firs which hang its gray rocks o'erC
Are painted on its glassy floorB
-
The sun looks o'er with hazy eyeD
The snowy mountain tops which lieD
Piled coldly up against the skyD
-
Dazzling and white save where the bleakE
Wild winds have bared some splintering peakE
Or snow slide left its dusky streakE
-
Yet green are Saco's banks belowF
And belts of spruce and cedar showF
Dark fringing round those cones of snowF
-
The earth hath felt the breath of springG
Though yet on her deliverer's wingG
The lingering frosts of winter clingG
-
Fresh grasses fringe the meadow brooksH
And mildly from its sunny nooksH
The blue eye of the violet looksH
-
And odors from the springing grassI
The sweet birch and the sassafrasI
Upon the scarce felt breezes passI
-
Her tokens of renewing careJ
Hath Nature scattered everywhereJ
In bud and flower and warmer airJ
-
But in their hour of bitternessK
What reek the broken SokokisK
Beside their slaughtered chief of thisK
-
The turf's red stain is yet undriedL
Scarce have the death shot echoes diedL
Along Sebago's wooded sideL
-
And silent now the hunters standL
Grouped darkly where a swell of landL
Slopes upward from the lake's white sandL
-
Fire and the axe have swept it bareJ
Save one lone beech unclosing thereJ
Its light leaves in the vernal airJ
-
With grave cold looks all sternly muteL
They break the damp turf at its footL
And bare its coiled and twisted rootL
-
They heave the stubborn trunk asideL
The firm roots from the earth divideL
The rent beneath yawns dark and wideL
-
And there the fallen chief is laidL
In tasselled garb of skins arrayedL
And girded with his wampum braidL
-
The silver cross he loved is pressedL
Beneath the heavy arms which restL
Upon his scarred and naked breastL
-
'T is done the roots are backward sentL
The beechen tree stands up unbentL
The Indian's fitting monumentL
-
When of that sleeper's broken raceK
Their green and pleasant dwelling placeK
Which knew them once retains no traceK
-
Oh long may sunset's light be shedL
As now upon that beech's headL
A green memorial of the deadL
-
There shall his fitting requiem beM
In northern winds that cold and freeM
Howl nightly in that funeral treeM
-
To their wild wail the waves which breakA
Forever round that lonely lakeA
A solemn undertone shall makeA
-
And who shall deem the spot unblestL
Where Nature's younger children restL
Lulled on their sorrowing mother's breastL
-
Deem ye that mother loveth lessK
These bronzed forms of the wildernessK
She foldeth in her long caressK
-
As sweet o'er them her wild flowers blowF
As if with fairer hair and browN
The blue eyed Saxon slept belowF
-
What though the places of their restL
No priestly knee hath ever pressedL
No funeral rite nor prayer hath blessedL
-
What though the bigot's ban be thereJ
And thoughts of wailing and despairJ
And cursing in the place of prayerJ
-
Yet Heaven hath angels watching roundL
The Indian's lowliest forest moundL
And they have made it holy groundL
-
There ceases man's frail judgment allO
His powerless bolts of cursing fallO
Unheeded on that grassy pallP
-
O peeled and hunted and reviledL
Sleep on dark tenant of the wildL
Great Nature owns her simple childL
-
And Nature's God to whom aloneQ
The secret of the heart is knownQ
The hidden language traced thereonR
-
Who from its many cumberingsK
Of form and creed and outward thingsK
To light the naked spirit bringsK
-
Not with our partial eye shall scanS
Not with our pride and scorn shall banS
The spirit of our brother manS

John Greenleaf Whittier



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about Funeral Tree Of The Sokokis poem by John Greenleaf Whittier


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 0 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets