The Pumpkin Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDD AABBEEFF GGHHIIJJ KKLLMMNN OOPPQQRRJJOh greenly and fair in the lands of the sun | A |
The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run | A |
And the rock and the tree and the cottage enfold | B |
With broad leaves all greenness and blossoms all gold | B |
Like that which o'er Nineveh's prophet once grew | C |
While he waited to know that his warning was true | C |
And longed for the storm cloud and listened in vain | D |
For the rush of the whirlwind and red fire rain | D |
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On the banks of the Xenil the dark Spanish maiden | A |
Comes up with the fruit of the tangled vine laden | A |
And the Creole of Cuba laughs out to behold | B |
Through orange leaves shining the broad spheres of gold | B |
Yet with dearer delight from his home in the North | E |
On the fields of his harvest the Yankee looks forth | E |
Where crook necks are coiling and yellow fruit shines | F |
And the sun of September melts down on his vines | F |
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Ah on Thanksgiving day when from East and from West | G |
From North and from South come the pilgrim and guest | G |
When the gray haired New Englander sees round his board | H |
The old broken links of affection restored | H |
When the care wearied man seeks his mother once more | I |
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before | I |
What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye | J |
What calls back the past like the rich Pumpkin pie | J |
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Oh fruit loved of boyhood the old days recalling | K |
When wood grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling | K |
When wild ugly faces we carved in its skin | L |
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within | L |
When we laughed round the corn heap with hearts all in tune | M |
Our chair a broad pumpkin our lantern the moon | M |
Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like steam | N |
In a pumpkin shell coach with two rats for her team | N |
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Then thanks for thy present none sweeter or better | O |
E'er smoked from an oven or circled a platter | O |
Fairer hands never wrought at a pastry more fine | P |
Brighter eyes never watched o'er its baking than thine | P |
And the prayer which my mouth is too full to express | Q |
Swells my heart that thy shadow may never be less | Q |
That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below | R |
And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin vine grow | R |
And thy life be as sweet and its last sunset sky | J |
Golden tinted and fair as thy own Pumpkin pie | J |
John Greenleaf Whittier
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