William Forster Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFGF HIHI JKJL MNOE PQPQ HRHR STSS UVUU SWSW XSYS UZUZ SSSS A2B2A2B2 SUSU SC2SC2 SD2SD2The years are many since his hand | A |
Was laid upon my head | B |
Too weak and young to understand | A |
The serious words he said | B |
- | |
Yet often now the good man's look | C |
Before me seems to swim | D |
As if some inward feeling took | C |
The outward guise of him | D |
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As if in passion's heated war | E |
Or near temptation's charm | F |
Through him the low voiced monitor | G |
Forewarned me of the harm | F |
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Stranger and pilgrim from that day | H |
Of meeting first and last | I |
Wherever Duty's pathway lay | H |
His reverent steps have passed | I |
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The poor to feed the lost to seek | J |
To proffer life to death | K |
Hope to the erring to the weak | J |
The strength of his own faith | L |
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To plead the captive's right remove | M |
The sting of hate from Law | N |
And soften in the fire of love | O |
The hardened steel of War | E |
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He walked the dark world in the mild | P |
Still guidance of the Light | Q |
In tearful tenderness a child | P |
A strong man in the right | Q |
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From what great perils on his way | H |
He found in prayer release | R |
Through what abysmal shadows lay | H |
His pathway unto peace | R |
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God knoweth we could only see | S |
The tranquil strength he gained | T |
The bondage lost in liberty | S |
The fear in love unfeigned | S |
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And I my youthful fancies grown | U |
The habit of the man | V |
Whose field of life by angels sown | U |
The wilding vines o'erran | U |
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Low bowed in silent gratitude | S |
My manhood's heart enjoys | W |
That reverence for the pure and good | S |
Which blessed the dreaming boy's | W |
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Still shines the light of holy lives | X |
Like star beams over doubt | S |
Each sainted memory Christlike drives | Y |
Some dark possession out | S |
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O friend O brother I not in vain | U |
Thy life so calm and true | Z |
The silver dropping of the rain | U |
The fall of summer dew | Z |
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How many burdened hearts have prayed | S |
Their lives like thine might be | S |
But more shall pray henceforth for aid | S |
To lay them down like thee | S |
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With weary hand yet steadfast will | A2 |
In old age as in youth | B2 |
Thy Master found thee sowing still | A2 |
The good seed of His truth | B2 |
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As on thy task field closed the day | S |
In golden skied decline | U |
His angel met thee on the way | S |
And lent his arm to thine | U |
- | |
Thy latest care for man thy last | S |
Of earthly thought a prayer | C2 |
Oh who thy mantle backward cast | S |
Is worthy now to wear | C2 |
- | |
Methinks the mound which marks thy bed | S |
Might bless our land and save | D2 |
As rose of old to life the dead | S |
Who touched the prophet's grave | D2 |
John Greenleaf Whittier
(1)
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