The Norsemen ( From Narrative And Legendary Poems ) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDEECCFFGGHHIIJJ KLMM GGCCCCCCNNOOPPOOQQRR SSOTCCUVWWXXYY ZZQQCCA2A2KLDDB2B2PP C2C2D2D2CE2A2A2 F2F2A2A2G2G2MMH2H2GG YMMMI2I2CCCCCCJ2K2MM OOCCL2L2CCM2M2MMA | |
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GIFT from the cold and silent Past | B |
A relic to the present cast | B |
Left on the ever changing strand | C |
Of shifting and unstable sand | C |
Which wastes beneath the steady chime | D |
And beating of the waves of Time | D |
Who from its bed of primal rock | E |
First wrenched thy dark unshapely block | E |
Whose hand of curious skill untaught | C |
Thy rude and savage outline wrought | C |
The waters of my native stream | F |
Are glancing in the sun's warm beam | F |
From sail urged keel and flashing oar | G |
The circles widen to its shore | G |
And cultured field and peopled town | H |
Slope to its willowed margin down | H |
Yet while this morning breeze is bringing | I |
The home life sound of school bells ringing | I |
And rolling wheel and rapid jar | J |
Of the fire winged and steedless car | J |
And voices from the wayside near | K |
Come quick and blended on my ear | L |
A spell is in this old gray stone | M |
My thoughts are with the Past alone | M |
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A change The steepled town no more | G |
Stretches along the sail thronged shore | G |
Like palace domes in sunset's cloud | C |
Fade sun gilt spire and mansion proud | C |
Spectrally rising where they stood | C |
I see the old primeval wood | C |
Dark shadow like on either hand | C |
I see its solemn waste expand | C |
It climbs the green and cultured hill | N |
It arches o'er the valley's rill | N |
And leans from cliff and crag to throw | O |
Its wild arms o'er the stream below | O |
Unchanged alone the same bright river | P |
Flows on as it will flow forever | P |
I listen and I hear the low | O |
Soft ripple where its water go | O |
I hear behind the panther's cry | Q |
The wild bird's scream goes thrilling by | Q |
And shyly on the river's brink | R |
The deer is stooping down to drink | R |
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But hard from wood and rock flung back | S |
What sound come up the Merrimac | S |
What sea worn barks are those which throw | O |
The light spray from each rushing prow | T |
Have they not in the North Sea's blast | C |
Bowed to the waves the straining mast | C |
Their frozen sails the low pale sun | U |
Of Thul 's night has shone upon | V |
Flapped by the sea wind's gusty sweep | W |
Round icy drift and headland steep | W |
Wild Jutland's wives and Lochlin's daughters | X |
Have watched them fading o'er the waters | X |
Lessening through driving mist and spray | Y |
Like white winged sea birds on their way | Y |
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Onward they glide and now I view | Z |
Their iron armed and stalwart crew | Z |
Joy glistens in each wild blue eye | Q |
Turned to green earth and summer sky | Q |
Each broad seamed breast has cast aside | C |
Its cumbering vest of shaggy hide | C |
Bared to the sun and soft warm air | A2 |
Streams back the Northmen's yellow hair | A2 |
I see the gleam of axe and spear | K |
A sound of smitten shields I hear | L |
Keeping a harsh and fitting time | D |
To Saga's chant and Runic rhyme | D |
Such lays as Zetland's Scald has sung | B2 |
His gray and naked isles among | B2 |
Or mutter low at midnight hour | P |
Round Odin's mossy stone of power | P |
The wolf beneath the Arctic moon | C2 |
Has answered to that startling rune | C2 |
The Gael has heard its stormy swell | D2 |
The light Frank knows its summons well | D2 |
Iona's sable stoled Culdee | C |
Has heard it sounding o'er the sea | E2 |
And swept with hoary beard and hair | A2 |
His altar's foot in trembling prayer | A2 |
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'T is past the 'wildering vision dies | F2 |
In darkness on my dreaming eyes | F2 |
The forest vanishes in air | A2 |
Hill slope and vale lie starkly bare | A2 |
I hear the common tread of men | G2 |
And hum of work day life again | G2 |
The mystic relic seems alone | M |
A broken mass of common stone | M |
And if it be the chiselled limb | H2 |
Of Berserker or idol grim | H2 |
A fragment of Valhalla's Thor | G |
The stormy Viking's god of War | G |
Or Praga of the Runic lay | Y |
Or love awakening Siona | M |
I know not for no graven line | M |
Nor Druid mark nor Runic sign | M |
Is left me here by which to trace | I2 |
Its name or origin or place | I2 |
Yet for this vision of the Past | C |
This glance upon its darkness cast | C |
My spirit bows in gratitude | C |
Before the Giver of all good | C |
Who fashioned so the human mind | C |
That from the waste of Time behind | C |
A simple stone or mound of earth | J2 |
Can summon the departed forth | K2 |
Quicken the Past to life again | M |
The Present lose in what hath been | M |
And in their primal freshness show | O |
The buried forms of long ago | O |
As if a portion of that Thought | C |
By which the Eternal will is wrought | C |
Whose impulse fills anew with breath | L2 |
The frozen solitude of Death | L2 |
To mortal mind were sometimes lent | C |
To mortal musing sometimes sent | C |
To whisper even when it seems | M2 |
But Memory's fantasy of dreams | M2 |
Through the mind's waste of woe and sin | M |
Of an immortal origin | M |
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John Greenleaf Whittier
(1)
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