A Dream Of Bric-a-brac Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCDD EEAAFF GGHHIIJJ KLKLDDDD DMDMNKNKDDDDGGOGPPQQ DDRR KDKDDSDDS AAGGTTUVWWXXXBBYYTDT DDAGAGZZA2A2 B2B2C2C2D2E2AADDDDF2 C2F2C2DD C2C2KKDDG2C2G2C2C2C2 DDC2C2KKDDDDCCC2C2BB C2KKC2C2H2C2H2

I dreamed I was in fair NiphonA
Amid tea fields I journeyed onA
Reclined in my jinrikishawB
Across the rolling plains I sawC
The lordly Fusi yama riseD
His blue cone lost in bluer skiesD
-
At last I bade my bearers stopE
Before what seemed a china shopE
I roused myself and entered inA
A fearful joy like some sweet sinA
Pierced through my bosom as I gazedF
Entranced transported and amazedF
-
For all the house was but one roomG
And in its clear and grateful gloomG
Filled with all odors strange and strongH
That to the wondrous East belongH
I saw above around belowI
A sight to make the warm heart glowI
And leave the eager soul no lackJ
An endless wealth of bric a bracJ
-
I saw bronze statues old and rareK
Fashioned by no mere mortal skillL
With robes that fluttered in the airK
Blown out by Art's eternal willL
And delicate ivory netsukesD
Richer in tone than Cheddar cheeseD
Of saints and hermits cats and dogsD
Grim warriors and ecstatic frogsD
-
And here and there those wondrous masksD
More living flesh than sandal woodM
Where the full soul in pleasure basksD
And dreams of love the only goodM
The walls were all with pictures hungN
Gay villas bright in rain washed airK
Trees to whose boughs brown monkeys clungN
Outlineless dabs of fuzzy hairK
And all about the opulent shelvesD
Littered with porcelain beyond priceD
Imari pots arrayed themselvesD
Beside Ming dishes grain of riceD
Vied with the Royal SatsumaG
Proud of its sallow ivory beamG
And Kaga's Thousand Hermits layO
Tranced in some punch bowl's golden gleamG
Over bronze censers black with ageP
The five clawed dragons strife engageP
A curled and insolent Dog of FooQ
Sniffs at the smoke aspiring throughQ
-
In what old days in what far landsD
What busy brains what cunning handsD
With what quaint speech what alien thoughtR
Strange fellow men these marvels wroughtR
-
As thus I mused I was awareK
There grew before my eager eyesD
A little maid too bright and fairK
Too strangely lovely for surpriseD
It seemed the beauty of the placeD
Had suddenly become concreteS
So full was she of Orient graceD
From her slant eyes and burnished faceD
Down to her little gold bronze feetS
-
She was a girl of old JapanA
Her small hand held a gilded fanA
Which scattered fragrance through the roomG
Her cheek was rich with pallid bloomG
Her eye was dark with languid fireT
Her red lips breathed a vague desireT
Her teeth of pearl inviolateU
Sweetly proclaimed her maiden stateV
Her garb was stiff with broidered goldW
Twined with mysterious fold on foldW
That gave no hint where hidden wellX
Her dainty form might warmly dwellX
A pearl within too large a shellX
So quaint so short so lissome sheB
It seemed as if it well might beB
Some jocose god with sportive whirlY
Had taken up a long lithe girlY
And tied a graceful knot in herT
I tried to speak and found oh blissD
I needed no interpreterT
I knew the Japanese for kissD
I had no other thought but thisD
And she with smile and blush divineA
Kind to my stammering prayer did seemG
My thought was hers and hers was mineA
In the swift logic of my dreamG
My arms clung round her slender waistZ
Through gold and silk the form I tracedZ
And glad as rain that follows drouthA2
I kissed and kissed her bright red mouthA2
-
What ailed the girl No loving sighB2
Heaved the round bosom in her eyeB2
Trembled no tear from her dear throatC2
Bubbled a sweet and silvery noteC2
Of girlish laughter shrill and clearD2
That all the statues seemed to hearE2
The bronzes tinkled laughter fineA
I heard a chuckle argentineA
Ring from the silver imagesD
Even the ivory netsukesD
Uttered in every silent pauseD
Dry bony laughs from tiny jawsD
The painted monkeys on the wallF2
Waked up with chatter impudentC2
Pottery porcelain bronze and allF2
Broke out in ghostly merrimentC2
Faint as rain pattering on dry leavesD
Or cricket's chirp on summer evesD
-
And suddenly upon my sightC2
There grew a portent left and rightC2
On every side as if the airK
Had taken substance then and thereK
In every sort of form and faceD
A throng of tourists filled the placeD
I saw a Frenchman's sneering shrugG2
A German countess in one handC2
A sky blue string which held a pugG2
With the other a fiery face she fannedC2
A Yankee with a soft felt hatC2
A Coptic priest from AraratC2
An English girl with cheeks of roseD
A Nihilist with Socratic noseD
Paddy from Cork with baggage lightC2
And pockets stuffed with dynamiteC2
A haughty Southern ReadjusterK
Wrapped in his pride and linen dusterK
Two noisy New York stock brokersD
And twenty British globe trottersD
To my disgust and vast surpriseD
They turned on me lack lustre eyesD
And each with dropped and wagging jawC
Burst out into a wild guffawC
They laughed with huge mouths opened wideC2
They roared till each one held his sideC2
They screamed and writhed with brutal gleeB
With fingers rudely stretched to meB
Till lo at once the laughter diedC2
The tourists faded into airK
None but my fair maid lingered thereK
Who stood demurely by my sideC2
Who were your friends I asked the maidC2
Taking a tea cup from its shelfH2
This audience is disclosed she saidC2
Whenever a man makes a fool of himselfH2

John Hay



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