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 VXVFWUWFVDVA 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
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