The Pastoral Letter Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AA BCB DEFFGFHFIJIJKFLFMNMO PCPCQNQNRFR STUTVTWTXNXNOTOTXYXY TYTYXYXYTNTNFNFNXFX ONONXFXFYTYTZFZFTJTJ XGXGXNXNXNXNA2YA2YUN UNTNTN

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So this is all the utmost reachB
Of priestly power the mind to fetterC
When laymen think when women preachB
A war of words a 'Pastoral Letter '-
Now shame upon ye parish PopesD
Was it thus with those your predecessorsE
Who sealed with racks and fire and ropesF
Their loving kindness to transgressorsF
A 'Pastoral Letter ' grave and dullG
Alas in hoof and horns and featuresF
How different is your Brookfield bullH
From him who bellows from St Peter'sF
Your pastoral rights and powers from harmI
Think ye can words alone preserve themJ
Your wiser fathers taught the armI
And sword of temporal power to serve themJ
Oh glorious days when Church and StateK
Were wedded by your spiritual fathersF
And on submissive shoulders satL
Your Wilsons and your Cotton MathersF
No vile 'itinerant' then could marM
The beauty of your tranquil ZionN
But at his peril of the scarM
Of hangman's whip and branding ironO
Then wholesome laws relieved the ChurchP
Of heretic and mischief makerC
And priest and bailiff joined in searchP
By turns of Papist witch and QuakerC
The stocks were at each church's doorQ
The gallows stood on Boston CommonN
A Papist's ears the pillory boreQ
The gallows rope a Quaker womanN
Your fathers dealt not as ye dealR
With 'non professing' frantic teachersF
They bored the tongue with red hot steelR
And flayed the backs of 'female preachers '-
Old Hampton had her fields a tongueS
And Salem's streets could tell their storyT
Of fainting woman dragged alongU
Gashed by the whip accursed and goryT
And will ye ask me why this tauntV
Of memories sacred from the scornerT
And why with reckless hand I plantW
A nettle on the graves ye honorT
Not to reproach New England's deadX
This record from the past I summonN
Of manhood to the scaffold ledX
And suffering and heroic womanN
No for yourselves alone I turnO
The pages of intolerance overT
That in their spirit dark and sternO
Ye haply may your own discoverT
For if ye claim the 'pastoral right'X
To silence Freedom's voice of warningY
And from your precincts shut the lightX
Of Freedom's day around ye dawningY
If when an earthquake voice of powerT
And signs in earth and heaven are showingY
That forth in its appointed hourT
The Spirit of the Lord is goingY
And with that Spirit Freedom's lightX
On kindred tongue and people breakingY
Whose slumbering millions at the sightX
In glory and in strength are wakingY
When for the sighing of the poorT
And for the needy God hath risenN
And chains are breaking and a doorT
Is opening for the souls in prisonN
If then ye would with puny handsF
Arrest the very work of HeavenN
And bind anew the evil bandsF
Which God's right arm of power hath rivenN
What marvel that in many a mindX
Those darker deeds of bigot madnessF
Are closely with your own combinedX
Yet 'less in anger than in sadness '-
What marvel if the people learnO
To claim the right of free opinionN
What marvel if at times they spurnO
The ancient yoke of your dominionN
A glorious remnant linger yetX
Whose lips are wet at Freedom's fountainsF
The coming of whose welcome feetX
Is beautiful upon our mountainsF
Men who the gospel tidings bringY
Of Liberty and Love foreverT
Whose joy is an abiding springY
Whose peace is as a gentle riverT
But ye who scorn the thrilling taleZ
Of Carolina's high souled daughtersF
Which echoes here the mournful wailZ
Of sorrow from Edisto's watersF
Close while ye may the public earT
With malice vex with slander wound themJ
The pure and good shall throng to hearT
And tried and manly hearts surround themJ
Oh ever may the power which ledX
Their way to such a fiery trialG
And strengthened womanhood to treadX
The wine press of such self denialG
Be round them in an evil landX
With wisdom and with strength from HeavenN
With Miriam's voice and Judith's handX
And Deborah's song for triumph givenN
And what are ye who strive with GodX
Against the ark of His salvationN
Moved by the breath of prayer abroadX
With blessings for a dying nationN
What but the stubble and the hayA2
To perish even as flax consumingY
With all that bars His glorious wayA2
Before the brightness of His comingY
And thou sad Angel who so longU
Hast waited for the glorious tokenN
That Earth from all her bonds of wrongU
To liberty and light has brokenN
Angel of Freedom soon to theeT
The sounding trumpet shall be givenN
And over Earth's full jubileeT
Shall deeper joy be felt in HeavenN

John Greenleaf Whittier



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