The Monks Of Basle Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCB DEFE GHGH IFEF JEEE EEEE KLEL MNON PEEE MEPE QRSR TCUC VNWN XYEY ZEA2E EEEE CB2C2B2 P D2EE2E PEF2E

I tore this weed from the rank dark soilA
Where it grew in the monkish timeB
I trimmed it close and set it againC
In a border of modern rhymeB
-
-
I-
-
Long years ago when the Devil was looseD
And faith was sorely triedE
Three monks of Basle went out to walkF
In the quiet eventideE
-
A breeze as pure as the breath of HeavenG
Blew fresh through the cloister shadesH
A sky as glad as the smile of HeavenG
Blushed rose o'er the minster gladesH
-
But scorning the lures of summer and senseI
The monks passed on in their walkF
Their eyes were abased their senses sleptE
Their souls were in their talkF
-
In the tough grim talk of the monkish daysJ
They hammered and slashed aboutE
Dry husks of logic old scraps of creedE
And the cold gray dreams of doubtE
-
And whether Just or JustifiedE
Was the Church's mystic HeadE
And whether the Bread was changed to GodE
Or God became the BreadE
-
But of human hearts outside their wallsK
They never paused to dreamL
And they never thought of the love of GodE
That smiled in the twilight gleamL
-
II-
-
As these three monks went bickering onM
By the foot of a spreading treeN
Out from its heart of verdurous gloomO
A song burst wild and freeN
-
A wordless carol of life and loveP
Of nature free and wildE
And the three monks paused in the evening shadeE
Looked up at each other and smiledE
-
And tender and gay the bird sang onM
And cooed and whistled and trilledE
And the wasteful wealth of life and loveP
From his happy heart was spilledE
-
The song had power on the grim old monksQ
In the light of the rosy skiesR
And as they listened the years rolled backS
And tears came into their eyesR
-
The years rolled back and they were youngT
With the hearts and hopes of menC
They plucked the daisies and kissed the girlsU
Of dear dead summers againC
-
-
III-
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But the eldest monk soon broke the spellV
'Tis sin and shame quoth heN
To be turned from talk of holy thingsW
By a bird's cry from a treeN
-
Perchance the Enemy of SoulsX
Hath come to tempt us soY
Let us try by the power of the Awful WordE
If it be he or noY
-
To Heaven the three monks raised their handsZ
We charge thee speak they saidE
By His dread Name who shall one day comeA2
To judge the quick and the deadE
-
Who art thou Speak The bird laughed loudE
I am the Devil he saidE
The monks on their faces fell the birdE
Away through the twilight spedE
-
A horror fell on those holy menC
The faithful legends sayB2
And one by one from the face of earthC2
They pined and vanished awayB2
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-
IVP
-
So goes the tale of the monkish booksD2
The moral who runs may readE
He has no ears for Nature's voiceE2
Whose soul is the slave of creedE
-
Not all in vain with beauty and loveP
Has God the world adornedE
And he who Nature scorns and mocksF2
By Nature is mocked and scornedE

John Hay



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