The Pennsylvania Pilgrim Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCCBCDEDCEED B FFF GGG HHH III EEE JJJ KKK LJL MMM NNO PAP QQQ RRR SSS TTT UUU GGG GGG VV WXX YY UUU UUU ZZZ A2A2A2 B2B2B2 JXC2 UUU BBB UUU BBB UU UUU UU UUU VVV UU D2D2D2 UUU UUU UUU E2E2E2 UUU UUU UUU UUU F2F2F2 G2G2H2 UUU UUU RRR I2J2J2 EEE LG2

PreludeA
-
I sing the Pilgrim of a softer climeB
And milder speech than those brave men's who broughtC
To the ice and iron of our winter timeB
A will as firm a creed as stern and wroughtC
With one mailed hand and with the other foughtC
Simply as fits my theme in homely rhymeB
I sing the blue eyed German Spener taughtC
Through whose veiled mystic faith the Inward LightD
Steady and still an easy brightness shoneE
Transfiguring all things in its radiance whiteD
The garland which his meekness never soughtC
I bring him over fields of harvest sownE
With seeds of blessing now to ripeness grownE
I bid the sower pass before the reapers' sightD
-
-
The Pennsylvania PilgrimB
-
Never in tenderer quiet lapsed the dayF
From Pennsylvania's vales of spring awayF
Where forest walled the scattered hamlets layF
-
Along the wedded rivers One long barG
Of purple cloud on which the evening starG
Shone like a jewel on a scimitarG
-
Held the sky's golden gateway Through the deepH
Hush of the woods a murmur seemed to creepH
The Schuylkill whispering in a voice of sleepH
-
All else was still The oxen from their ploughsI
Rested at last and from their long day's browseI
Came the dun files of Krisheim's home bound cowsI
-
And the young city round whose virgin zoneE
The rivers like two mighty arms were thrownE
Marked by the smoke of evening fires aloneE
-
Lay in the distance lovely even thenJ
With its fair women and its stately menJ
Gracing the forest court of William PennJ
-
Urban yet sylvan in its rough hewn framesK
Of oak and pine the dryads held their claimsK
And lent its streets their pleasant woodland namesK
-
Anna Pastorius down the leafy laneL
Looked city ward then stooped to prune againJ
Her vines and simples with a sigh of painL
-
For fast the streaks of ruddy sunset paledM
In the oak clearing and as daylight failedM
Slow overhead the dusky night birds sailedM
-
Again she looked between green walls of shadeN
With low bent head as if with sorrow weighedN
Daniel Pastorius slowly came and saidO
-
'God's peace be with thee Anna ' Then he stoodP
Silent before her wrestling with the moodA
Of one who sees the evil and not goodP
-
'What is it my Pastorius ' As she spokeQ
A slow faint smile across his features brokeQ
Sadder than tears 'Dear heart ' he said 'our folkQ
-
'Are even as others Yea our goodliest FriendsR
Are frail our elders have their selfish endsR
And few dare trust the Lord to make amendsR
-
'For duty's loss So even our feeble wordS
For the dumb slaves the startled meeting heardS
As if a stone its quiet waters stirredS
-
'And as the clerk ceased reading there beganT
A ripple of dissent which downward ranT
In widening circles as from man to manT
-
'Somewhat was said of running before sentU
Of tender fear that some their guide outwentU
Troublers of Israel I was scarce intentU
-
'On hearing for behind the reverend rowG
Of gallery Friends in dumb and piteous showG
I saw methought dark faces full of woeG
-
'And in the spirit I was taken whereG
They toiled and suffered I was made awareG
Of shame and wrath and anguish and despairG
-
'And while the meeting smothered our poor pleaV
With cautious phrase a Voice there seemed to beV
As ye have done to these ye do to me '-
-
'So it all passed and the old tithe went onW
Of anise mint and cumin till the sunX
Set leaving still the weightier work undoneX
-
'Help for the good man faileth Who is strongY
If these be weak Who shall rebuke the wrongY
If these consent How long O Lord how long '-
-
He ceased and bound in spirit with the boundU
With folded arms and eyes that sought the groundU
Walked musingly his little garden roundU
-
About him beaded with the falling dewU
Rare plants of power and herbs of healing grewU
Such as Van Helmont and Agrippa knewU
-
For by the lore of Gorlitz' gentle sageZ
With the mild mystics of his dreamy ageZ
He read the herbal signs of nature's pageZ
-
As once he heard in sweet Von Merlau's' bowersA2
Fair as herself in boyhood's happy hoursA2
The pious Spener read his creed in flowersA2
-
'The dear Lord give us patience ' said his wifeB2
Touching with finger tip an aloe rifeB2
With leaves sharp pointed like an Aztec knifeB2
-
Or Carib spear a gift to William PennJ
From the rare gardens of John EvelynX
Brought from the Spanish Main by merchantmenC2
-
'See this strange plant its steady purpose holdU
And year by year its patient leaves unfoldU
Till the young eyes that watched it first are oldU
-
'But some time thou hast told me there shall comeB
A sudden beauty brightness and perfumeB
The century moulded bud shall burst in bloomB
-
'So may the seed which hath been sown to dayU
Grow with the years and after long delayU
Break into bloom and God's eternal YeaU
-
'Answer at last the patient prayers of themB
Who now by faith alone behold its stemB
Crowned with the flowers of Freedom's diademB
-
'Meanwhile to feel and suffer work and waitU
Remains for us The wrong indeed is greatU
But love and patience conquer soon or late '-
-
'Well hast thou said my Anna ' TendererU
Than youth's caress upon the head of herU
Pastorius laid his hand 'Shall we demurU
-
'Because the vision tarrieth In an hourU
We dream not of the slow grown bud may flowerU
And what was sown in weakness rise in power '-
-
Then through the vine draped door whose legend readU
'Procul este profani ' Anna ledU
To where their child upon his little bedU
-
Looked up and smiled 'Dear heart ' she said 'if weV
Must bearers of a heavy burden beV
Our boy God willing yet the day shall seeV
-
'When from the gallery to the farthest seatU
Slave and slave owner shall no longer meetU
But all sit equal at the Master's feet '-
-
On the stone hearth the blazing walnut blockD2
Set the low walls a glimmer showed the cockD2
Rebuking Peter on the Van Wyck clockD2
-
Shone on old tomes of law and physic sideU
By side with Fox and Belimen played at hideU
And seek with Anna midst her household prideU
-
Of flaxen webs and on the table bareU
Of costly cloth or silver cup but whereU
Tasting the fat shads of the DelawareU
-
The courtly Penn had praised the goodwife's cheerU
And quoted Horace o'er her home brewed beerU
Till even grave Pastorius smiled to hearU
-
In such a home beside the Schuylkill's waveE2
He dwelt in peace with God and man and gaveE2
Food to the poor and shelter to the slaveE2
-
For all too soon the New World's scandal shamedU
The righteous code by Penn and Sidney framedU
And men withheld the human rights they claimedU
-
And slowly wealth and station sanction lentU
And hardened avarice on its gains intentU
Stifled the inward whisper of dissentU
-
Yet all the while the burden rested soreU
On tender hearts At last Pastorius boreU
Their warning message to the Church's doorU
-
In God's name and the leaven of the wordU
Wrought ever after in the souls who heardU
And a dead conscience in its grave clothes stirredU
-
To troubled life and urged the vain excuseF2
Of Hebrew custom patriarchal useF2
Good in itself if evil in abuseF2
-
Gravely Pastorius listened not the lessG2
Discerning through the decent fig leaf dressG2
Of the poor plea its shame of selfishnessH2
-
One Scripture rule at least was unforgotU
He hid the outcast and betrayed him notU
And when his prey the human hunter soughtU
-
He scrupled not while Anna's wise delayU
And proffered cheer prolonged the master's stayU
To speed the black guest safely on his wayU
-
Yet who shall guess his bitter grief who lendsR
His life to some great cause and finds his friendsR
Shame or betray it for their private endsR
-
How felt the Master when his chosen stroveI2
In childish folly for their seats aboveJ2
And that fond mother blinded by her loveJ2
-
Besought him that her sons beside his throneE
Might sit on either hand Amidst his ownE
A stranger oft companionless and loneE
-
God's priest and prophet stands The martyr's painL
Is not alone from sG2

John Greenleaf Whittier



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