Memories Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAABCDCD EFEEFGHGH IJIKJLMLM NONNOPQPQ RJRRJFSFS TUTTUVOVO WXWWXBYBZ JA2JJA2OB2OB2 NC2NNC2D2OD2OA beautiful and happy girl | A |
With step as light as summer air | B |
Eyes glad with smiles and brow of pearl | A |
Shadowed by many a careless curl | A |
Of unconfined and flowing hair | B |
A seeming child in everything | C |
Save thoughtful brow and ripening charms | D |
As Nature wears the smile of Spring | C |
When sinking into Summer's arms | D |
- | |
A mind rejoicing in the light | E |
Which melted through its graceful bower | F |
Leaf after leaf dew moist and bright | E |
And stainless in its holy white | E |
Unfolding like a morning flower | F |
A heart which like a fine toned lute | G |
With every breath of feeling woke | H |
And even when the tongue was mute | G |
From eye and lip in music spoke | H |
- | |
How thrills once more the lengthening chain | I |
Of memory at the thought of thee | J |
Old hopes which long in dust have lain | I |
Old dreams come thronging back again | K |
And boyhood lives again in me | J |
I feel its glow upon my cheek | L |
Its fulness of the heart is mine | M |
As when I leaned to hear thee speak | L |
Or raised my doubtful eye to thine | M |
- | |
I hear again thy low replies | N |
I feel thy arm within my own | O |
And timidly again uprise | N |
The fringed lids of hazel eyes | N |
With soft brown tresses overblown | O |
Ah memories of sweet summer eves | P |
Of moonlit wave and willowy way | Q |
Of stars and flowers and dewy leaves | P |
And smiles and tones more dear than they | Q |
- | |
Ere this thy quiet eye hath smiled | R |
My picture of thy youth to see | J |
When half a woman half a child | R |
Thy very artlessness beguiled | R |
And folly's self seemed wise in thee | J |
I too can smile when o'er that hour | F |
The lights of memory backward stream | S |
Yet feel the while that manhood's power | F |
Is vainer than my boyhood's dream | S |
- | |
Years have passed on and left their trace | T |
Of graver care and deeper thought | U |
And unto me the calm cold face | T |
Of manhood and to thee the grace | T |
Of woman's pensive beauty brought | U |
More wide perchance for blame than praise | V |
The school boy's humble name has flown | O |
Thine in the green and quiet ways | V |
Of unobtrusive goodness known | O |
- | |
And wider yet in thought and deed | W |
Diverge our pathways one in youth | X |
Thine the Genevan's sternest creed | W |
While answers to my spirit's need | W |
The Derby dalesman's simple truth | X |
For thee the priestly rite and prayer | B |
And holy day and solemn psalm | Y |
For me the silent reverence where | B |
My brethren gather slow and calm | Z |
- | |
Yet hath thy spirit left on me | J |
An impress Time has worn not out | A2 |
And something of myself in thee | J |
A shadow from the past I see | J |
Lingering even yet thy way about | A2 |
Not wholly can the heart unlearn | O |
That lesson of its better hours | B2 |
Not yet has Time's dull footstep worn | O |
To common dust that path of flowers | B2 |
- | |
Thus while at times before our eyes | N |
The shadows melt and fall apart | C2 |
And smiling through them round us lies | N |
The warm light of our morning skies | N |
The Indian Summer of the heart | C2 |
In secret sympathies of mind | D2 |
In founts of feeling which retain | O |
Their pure fresh flow we yet may find | D2 |
Our early dreams not wholly vain | O |
John Greenleaf Whittier
(1)
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