The Mantle Of St. John De Matha. A Legend Of "the Red, White, And Blue," A. D. 1154-1864 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDEFGAHIHFJKJACLC MNONPQRQSTUTVWNWVXYX FWZWAHA2HVB2C2B2FD2W D2UE2VE2E2VF2VG2H2I2 H2MJ2VJ2VVC2VYK2YK2Y L2M2L2E2N2O2N2YVA2VV P2Q2P2E2XWXXR2S2R2E2 VXVFWUWFVDV| A strong and mighty Angel | A |
| Calm terrible and bright | B |
| The cross in blended red and blue | C |
| Upon his mantle white | B |
| Two captives by him kneeling | D |
| Each on his broken chain | E |
| Sang praise to God who raiseth | F |
| The dead to life again | G |
| Dropping his cross wrought mantle | A |
| Wear this the Angel said | H |
| Take thou O Freedom's priest its sign | I |
| The white the blue and red | H |
| Then rose up John de Matha | F |
| In the strength the Lord Christ gave | J |
| And begged through all the land of France | K |
| The ransom of the slave | J |
| The gates of tower and castle | A |
| Before him open flew | C |
| The drawbridge at his coming fell | L |
| The door bolt backward drew | C |
| For all men owned his errand | M |
| And paid his righteous tax | N |
| And the hearts of lord and peasant | O |
| Were in his hands as wax | N |
| At last outbound from Tunis | P |
| His bark her anchor weighed | Q |
| Freighted with seven score Christian souls | R |
| Whose ransom he had paid | Q |
| But torn by Paynim hatred | S |
| Her sails in tatters hung | T |
| And on the wild waves rudderless | U |
| A shattered hulk she swung | T |
| God save us cried the captain | V |
| For naught can man avail | W |
| Oh woe betide the ship that lacks | N |
| Her rudder and her sail | W |
| Behind us are the Moormen | V |
| At sea we sink or strand | X |
| There's death upon the water | Y |
| There's death upon the land | X |
| Then up spake John de Matha | F |
| God's errands never fail | W |
| Take thou the mantle which I wear | Z |
| And make of it a sail | W |
| They raised the cross wrought mantle | A |
| The blue the white the red | H |
| And straight before the wind off shore | A2 |
| The ship of Freedom sped | H |
| God help us cried the seamen | V |
| For vain is mortal skill | B2 |
| The good ship on a stormy sea | C2 |
| Is drifting at its will | B2 |
| Then up spake John de Matha | F |
| My mariners never fear | D2 |
| The Lord whose breath has filled her sail | W |
| May well our vessel steer | D2 |
| So on through storm and darkness | U |
| They drove for weary hours | E2 |
| And lo the third gray morning shone | V |
| On Ostia's friendly towers | E2 |
| And on the walls the watchers | E2 |
| The ship of mercy knew | V |
| They knew far off its holy cross | F2 |
| The red the white and blue | V |
| And the bells in all the steeples | G2 |
| Rang out in glad accord | H2 |
| To welcome home to Christian soil | I2 |
| The ransomed of the Lord | H2 |
| So runs the ancient legend | M |
| By bard and painter told | J2 |
| And lo the cycle rounds again | V |
| The new is as the old | J2 |
| With rudder foully broken | V |
| And sails by traitors torn | V |
| Our country on a midnight sea | C2 |
| Is waiting for the morn | V |
| Before her nameless terror | Y |
| Behind the pirate foe | K2 |
| The clouds are black above her | Y |
| The sea is white below | K2 |
| The hope of all who suffer | Y |
| The dread of all who wrong | L2 |
| She drifts in darkness and in storm | M2 |
| How long O Lord how long | L2 |
| But courage O my mariners | E2 |
| Ye shall not suffer wreck | N2 |
| While up to God the freedman's prayers | O2 |
| Are rising from your deck | N2 |
| Is not your sail the banner | Y |
| Which God hath blest anew | V |
| The mantle that De Matha wore | A2 |
| The red the white the blue | V |
| Its hues are all of heaven | V |
| The red of sunset's dye | P2 |
| The whiteness of the moon lit cloud | Q2 |
| The blue of morning's sky | P2 |
| Wait cheerily then O mariners | E2 |
| For daylight and for land | X |
| The breath of God is in your sail | W |
| Your rudder is His hand | X |
| Sail on sail on deep freighted | X |
| With blessings and with hopes | R2 |
| The saints of old with shadowy hands | S2 |
| Are pulling at your ropes | R2 |
| Behind ye holy martyrs | E2 |
| Uplift the palm and crown | V |
| Before ye unborn ages send | X |
| Their benedictions down | V |
| Take heart from John de Matha | F |
| God's errands never fail | W |
| Sweep on through storm and darkness | U |
| The thunder and the hail | W |
| Sail on The morning cometh | F |
| The port ye yet shall win | V |
| And all the bells of God shall ring | D |
| The good ship bravely in | V |
John Greenleaf Whittier
(1)
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About The Mantle Of St. John De Matha. A Legend Of "the Red, White, And Blue," A. D. 1154-1864
The Mantle Of St. John De Matha. A Legend Of "the Red, White, And Blue," A. D. 1154-1864 is a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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