The Merrimac Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AAAABBCCDDEEFGAAHHII JJKKLLAAMMNNOPQQQQRS DD TTOOQQBBUUUUVVBBWWXX UUYYGGZZBBAA BBBBQQA2A2CCUB2UUBBU UC2C2D2D2E2E2E2BBBBF 2F2G2G2

Stream of my fathers sweetly stillA
The sunset rays thy valley fillA
Poured slantwise down the long defileA
Wave wood and spire beneath them smileA
I see the winding Powow foldB
The green hill in its belt of goldB
And following down its wavy lineC
Its sparkling waters blend with thineC
There 's not a tree upon thy sideD
Nor rock which thy returning tideD
As yet hath left abrupt and starkE
Above thy evening water markE
No calm cove with its rocky hemF
No isle whose emerald swells beginG
Thy broad smooth current not a sailA
Bowed to the freshening ocean galeA
No small boat with its busy oarsH
Nor gray wall sloping to thy shoresH
Nor farm house with its maple shadeI
Or rigid poplar colonnadeI
But lies distinct and full in sightJ
Beneath this gush of sunset lightJ
Centuries ago that harbor barK
Stretching its length of foam afarK
And Salisbury's beach of shining sandL
And yonder island's wave smoothed strandL
Saw the adventurer's tiny sailA
Flit stooping from the eastern galeA
And o'er these woods and waters brokeM
The cheer from Britain's hearts of oakM
As brightly on the voyager's eyeN
Weary of forest sea and skyN
Breaking the dull continuous woodO
The Merrimac rolled down his floodP
Mingling that clear pellucid brookQ
Which channels vast AgioochookQ
When spring time's sun and shower unlockQ
The frozen fountains of the rockQ
And more abundant waters givenR
From that pure lake 'The Smile of Heaven 'S
Tributes from vale and mountain sideD
With ocean's dark eternal tideD
-
On yonder rocky cape which bravesT
The stormy challenge of the wavesT
Midst tangled vine and dwarfish woodO
The hardy Anglo Saxon stoodO
Planting upon the topmost cragQ
The staff of England's battle flagQ
And while from out its heavy foldB
Saint George's crimson cross unrolledB
Midst roll of drum and trumpet blareU
And weapons brandishing in airU
He gave to that lone promontoryU
The sweetest name in all his storyU
Of her the flower of Islam's daughtersV
Whose harems look on Stamboul's watersV
Who when the chance of war had boundB
The Moslem chain his limbs aroundB
Wreathed o'er with silk that iron chainW
Soothed with her smiles his hours of painW
And fondly to her youthful slaveX
A dearer gift than freedom gaveX
-
But look the yellow light no moreU
Streams down on wave and verdant shoreU
And clearly on the calm air swellsY
The twilight voice of distant bellsY
From Ocean's bosom white and thinG
The mists come slowly rolling inG
Hills woods the river's rocky rimZ
Amidst the sea like vapor swimZ
While yonder lonely coast light setB
Within its wave washed minaretB
Half quenched a beamless star and paleA
Shines dimly through its cloudy veilA
-
Home of my fathers I have stoodB
Where Hudson rolled his lordly floodB
Seen sunrise rest and sunset fadeB
Along his frowning PalisadeB
Looked down the Appalachian peakQ
On Juniata's silver streakQ
Have seen along his valley gleamA2
The Mohawk's softly winding streamA2
The level light of sunset shineC
Through broad Potomac's hem of pineC
And autumn's rainbow tinted bannerU
Hang lightly o'er the SusquehannaB2
Yet wheresoe'er his step might beU
Thy wandering child looked back to theeU
Heard in his dreams thy river's soundB
Of murmuring on its pebbly boundB
The unforgotten swell and roarU
Of waves on thy familiar shoreU
And saw amidst the curtained gloomC2
And quiet of his lonely roomC2
Thy sunset scenes before him passD2
As in Agrippa's magic glassD2
The loved and lost arose to viewE2
Remembered groves in greenness grewE2
Bathed still in childhood's morning dewE2
Along whose bowers of beauty sweptB
Whatever Memory's mourners weptB
Sweet faces which the charnel keptB
Young gentle eyes which long had sleptB
And while the gazer leaned to traceF2
More near some dear familiar faceF2
He wept to find the vision flownG2
A phantom and a dream aloneG2

John Greenleaf Whittier



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