The Norsemen ( From Narrative And Legendary Poems ) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDEECCFFGGHHIIJJ KLMM GGCCCCCCNNOOPPOOQQRR SSOTCCUVWWXXYY ZZQQCCA2A2KLDDB2B2PP C2C2D2D2CE2A2A2 F2F2A2A2G2G2MMH2H2GG YMMMI2I2CCCCCCJ2K2MM OOCCL2L2CCM2M2MM| A | |
| - | |
| - | |
| 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 |
| - | |
| 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 |
| - | |
| 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 |
| - | |
| 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 |
| - | |
| '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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About The Norsemen ( From Narrative And Legendary Poems )
The Norsemen ( From Narrative And Legendary Poems ) 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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