The Star Of Bethlehem Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH IAIA JKJK LMLM NFNF FMFM OPOQ RSRS FFFF NHN TUTU MVMV WXYX ZHZH A2B2A2B2 C2HC2H QD2E2D2Where Time the measure of his hours | A |
By changeful bud and blossom keeps | B |
And like a young bride crowned with flowers | A |
Fair Shiraz in her garden sleeps | B |
- | |
Where to her poet's turban stone | C |
The Spring her gift of flowers imparts | D |
Less sweet than those his thoughts have sown | C |
In the warm soil of Persian hearts | D |
- | |
There sat the stranger where the shade | E |
Of scattered date trees thinly lay | F |
While in the hot clear heaven delayed | E |
The long and still and weary day | F |
- | |
Strange trees and fruits above him hung | G |
Strange odors filled the sultry air | H |
Strange birds upon the branches swung | G |
Strange insect voices murmured there | H |
- | |
And strange bright blossoms shone around | I |
Turned sunward from the shadowy bowers | A |
As if the Gheber's soul had found | I |
A fitting home in Iran's flowers | A |
- | |
Whate'er he saw whate'er he heard | J |
Awakened feelings new and sad | K |
No Christian garb nor Christian word | J |
Nor church with Sabbath bell chimes glad | K |
- | |
But Moslem graves with turban stones | L |
And mosque spires gleaming white in view | M |
And graybeard Mollahs in low tones | L |
Chanting their Koran service through | M |
- | |
The flowers which smiled on either hand | N |
Like tempting fiends were such as they | F |
Which once o'er all that Eastern land | N |
As gifts on demon altars lay | F |
- | |
As if the burning eye of Baal | F |
The servant of his Conqueror knew | M |
From skies which knew no cloudy veil | F |
The Sun's hot glances smote him through | M |
- | |
'Ah me ' the lonely stranger said | O |
'The hope which led my footsteps on | P |
And light from heaven around them shed | O |
O'er weary wave and waste is gone | Q |
- | |
'Where are the harvest fields all white | R |
For Truth to thrust her sickle in | S |
Where flock the souls like doves in flight | R |
From the dark hiding place of sin | S |
- | |
'A silent horror broods o'er all | F |
The burden of a hateful spell | F |
The very flowers around recall | F |
The hoary magi's rites of hell | F |
- | |
'And what am I o'er such a land | N |
The banner of the Cross to bear | H |
Dear Lord uphold me with Thy hand | N |
Thy strength with human weakness share ' | - |
- | |
He ceased for at his very feet | T |
In mild rebuke a floweret smiled | U |
How thrilled his sinking heart to greet | T |
The Star flower of the Virgin's child | U |
- | |
Sown by some wandering Frank it drew | M |
Its life from alien air and earth | V |
And told to Paynim sun and dew | M |
The story of the Saviour's birth | V |
- | |
From scorching beams in kindly mood | W |
The Persian plants its beauty screened | X |
And on its pagan sisterhood | Y |
In love the Christian floweret leaned | X |
- | |
With tears of joy the wanderer felt | Z |
The darkness of his long despair | H |
Before that hallowed symbol melt | Z |
Which God's dear love had nurtured there | H |
- | |
From Nature's face that simple flower | A2 |
The lines of sin and sadness swept | B2 |
And Magian pile and Paynim bower | A2 |
In peace like that of Eden slept | B2 |
- | |
Each Moslem tomb and cypress old | C2 |
Looked holy through the sunset air | H |
And angel like the Muezzin told | C2 |
From tower and mosque the hour of prayer | H |
- | |
With cheerful steps the morrow's dawn | Q |
From Shiraz saw the stranger part | D2 |
The Star flower of the Virgin Born | E2 |
Still blooming in his hopeful heart | D2 |
John Greenleaf Whittier
(1)
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