Rachel Poem Rhyme Scheme

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John L. Stoddard

Rachel Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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'Twas sunset in Jerusalem the light	A
Still lingered on the city's walls and crowned	B
Mount Olivet with splendor while below	C
Among the trees of dark Gethsemane	D
And on the Kedron gloomy shadows lay	E
As if but waiting for the death of day	E
To rise and mantle Zion in a shroud	F
To one who watched it in that golden light	A
Across the gulf between the sunlit hills	G
The city seemed transfigured lifted high	H
Above the gloom and misery of earth	I
A fit abode for Israel's ancient kings	J
The broad plateau where Abram once had knelt	K
And where the hallowed Temple of the Jews	L
Had glittered gorgeous with its gems and gold	M
Now bore 'tis true the stately Moslem mosque	N
But bore it as a captive bears his chains	O
Whose spirit is not crushed but borne aloft	P
By thrilling memories of a noble past	Q
The rays of dying day yet half illumed	Q
A dreary spot outside the city walls	R
Where sat apart an old man and his child	Q
	-
Beside them rose the cherished blocks of stone	D
Which once had graced the Temple's sacred court	Q
It was the Day of Wailing and the Jews	L
A poor scant remnant of their outcast race	S
Had gathered there as is their weekly wont	Q
To read of all the glories they have lost	Q
And count their endless list of shattered hopes	T
Some moaned at thought of their contrasted lot	Q
Some plucked their beards in anguish and despair	U
Some turned their tear stained faces to the wall	V
And mutely kissed the precious blocks as if	W
The historic stones held sentient sympathy	X
Their lamentations ended all had gone	D
To their poor dwellings sadly one by one	D
Save these two lingering mourners who still sat	Q
With downcast eyes and slowly dropping tears	Y
At length the old man raised his head and spoke	Z
	-
Our Fathers' God whose all protecting hand	Q
Led us Thy people to this chosen land	Q
Through the cleft waters of a distant sea	X
That we might rear a temple here to Thee	X
Thou who on Zion hadst Thy favorite shrine	D
And in Thy majesty and power divine	D
Wast daily by our suppliant race adored	Q
As sovereign Jehovah peerless Lord	Q
Why hast Thou cast us off to toil and die	Q
In foreign countries' harsh captivity	X
Our race is scattered now the wide world o'er	A2
Our wailings rise to Thee from every shore	B2
Baited or banished by the Christian Powers	C2
Cursed by the Moslem mid our ruined towers	C2
Like pariah dogs an execrated race	S
We crouch to day within our 'Wailing Place'	S
Begging and paying dearly for the right	Q
To bathe with tears this consecrated site	Q
How long O Israel's God shall this endure	D2
Are not Thy promises to Jacob sure	D2
Oh speed the day when once again Thy name	E2
Shall here be worshipped and the sacred flame	E2
Of pure atoning offerings shall rise	S
And smoke ascend from daily sacrifice	S
	-
Tears choked his utterance and the old man wept	Q
His meagre frame convulsed with mighty sobs	S
Pathetic tokens of a broken heart	Q
His daughter crept beside him drew his head	Q
Adorned with thin white hair upon her breast	Q
And soothed him as a mother might her child	Q
Then when his grief abated took his hands	S
So worn and white within her own soft palms	S
And chafed them gently with a loving care	U
Then pressed them to her lips and lightly lay	E
Her warm cheek next his own while murmuring words	S
Of tender filial love in that old tongue	F2
Which once had rung in triumph on this spot	Q
When poets of her race in glowing words	S
Had sung their glorious prophetic strains	S
	-
Father she whispered shall we now despair	U
When we at last inhale the sacred air	U
Of our ancestral glory and have come	G2
Despite long years of waiting to our home	H2
Didst thou not say when far beyond the sea	S
In our dark days of want and misery	S
That thou hadst but one prayer to go to die	Q
Upon the hill where Zion's ruins lie	Q
Now this is granted and thou hast attained	Q
Thy dearest wish with ample wealth retained	Q
To keep us here from want till on the breast	Q
Of Olivet's gray slope in death we rest	Q
	-
She paused and faintly smiled while at her voice	S
Her father turned his tear dimmed eyes to hers	S
As one who hears soft music with delight	Q
The sunset glow fell full upon her face	S
A rich dark oval crowned with raven hair	U
Her lustrous eyes were shrines of tenderness	S
Large dark profound and tremulously bright	Q
And fringed by lashes of the deepest hue	I2
Which swept the downy smoothness of her cheek	J2
While her full lips inimitably arched	Q
And exquisitely mobile told her thoughts	S
Ere their soft motion framed them into speech	K2
Divinely there had Beauty set her seal	L2
As who should say Behold a perfect type	M2
Of southern loveliness in whose warm veins	S
The blood of good ancestral stock runs pure	D2
Maintained through centuries of Spanish suns	S
The old man fondly took her hands in his	S
And bending forward kissed her broad fair brow	N2
Then in a faint and weary voice replied	Q
	-
Rachel my well belov'd I have in thee	S
The only blessing left on earth to me	S
The one sweet solace in my dreary life	O2
Of fourscore years of racial hate and strife	O2
Dear Comforter 'tis true our feet now stand	Q
Within the limits of our people's land	Q
Behind us are the obloquy and pain	D
Endured in cruel persecuting Spain	D
Yet feel I still more keenly here than there	U
The degradation which our people share	U
Each object here speaks sadly to the Jew	I2
Of all the grandeur which his race once knew	I2
But let that pass there is another pain	D
Which hurts me sorely Rachel and in vain	D
I seek a remedy it is that thou	N2
Hast now new lines of sorrow on thy brow	N2
'Tis true thou art a Jewess and must know	D
The shame which constitutes thy people's woe	D
But I detect the signs of some new grief	P2
For which the lapse of time brings no relief	P2
Thy cheek hath paled since our arrival here	Q2
And often on its pallor gleams a tear	U
	-
At first she spoke not but at length her lips	S
Moved quivering as in pain while o'er her face	S
An ashen paleness came which whiter seemed	Q
From startling contrast with her ebon hair	U
Father she murmured speak of that no more	B2
I shared thy coming to this Syrian shore	B2
And here shall die for nothing more I crave	R2
Than on these lonely hills to find a grave	R2
My life though like a flower deprived of light	Q
Hath yet known moments so divinely bright	Q
So full of rapture that I then forgave	R2
The insults we endured and still could brave	R2
Existence in Seville if thou wouldst stay	E
But in thy absence how could I betray	E
My dying mother's trust and farewell prayer	U
That I henceforth thy lonely life should share	U
	-
She paused and from her lips a stifled moan	D
Revealed the torture that her soul had known	D
Her father noted it and with a sigh	Q
Of self reproach attempted a reply	Q
Dear child thy love for me hath cost thee much	S2
For young Emanuel shrink not from my touch	S2
Was dear to thee I knew it and confess	S
That I to consummate thy happiness	S
Had given thee to him with full consent	Q
Who with Emanuel would not be content	Q
Had not my vow and purpose of long years	S
Compelled me to depart despite thy tears	S
I knew the struggle Rachel in thy heart	Q
I felt the anguish of thy soul to part	Q
From one for whom thy love was so intense	S
In truth for weeks I suffered in suspense	S
Lest thy impetuous temperament might lead	Q
Even thee to leave me in my hour of need	Q
Infirm with years to sail alone from Spain	D
Go unattended on the stormy main	D
And lay my poor worn body in a grave	R2
Unknown uncared for by a foreign wave	R2
God bless thee Rachel that thy noble soul	T2
Could make this filial choice and thus control	T2
A love which though supreme could not efface	S
Thy duty as a daughter of thy race	S
Thy ancestors were princes on this hill	U2
Within thy veins their blood runs nobly still	U2
	-
Rachel sat motionless with outstretched hands	S
And fingers interlocked her steadfast eyes	S
Had hopeless sorrow in their stony gaze	S
As though they read Fate's sentence of despair	U
At length she turned her face the light had fled	Q
From her young features just as in the west	Q
The glow had faded from the sky and left	Q
A wintry coldness in the unlit clouds	S
She seemed about to speak when sweet and clear	V2
From out the shadow of the ancient wall	V
Soft vocal music stirred the evening air	U
With plaintive passion thrilled a proof that love	W2
Inspired the words that floated into song	X2
	-
Light of the glorious setting sun	D
Gilding the Syrian shore	B2
Ere the bright lingering day be done	D
Guide me to her whose heart well won	D
Holds me forevermore	B2
	-
Moon that hath spanned the silvered plain	D
Olivet's brow to kiss	S
Lead her by memory's golden chain	D
Back to the olive groves of Spain	D
Back to our days of bliss	S
	-
Star of the evening's darkening sky	Q
Gemming the lonely hill	U2
Whisper to her that I am nigh	Q
Waiting in hope for her reply	Q
Tell her I love her still	U2
	-
The song had ended Rachel stood erect	Q
Her pale lips parted breathlessly her head	Q
Bent forward to receive the words which came	E2
Like grateful raindrops to a drooping flower	B2
Her slender form was quivering with delight	Q
And sudden rush of feeling she scarce knew	I2
If this were all a dream or if in truth	Y2
She heard Emanuel's welcome accents there	B2
Her heart for that brief moment wanted naught	Q
To supplement its rapture 'twas enough	Z2
To stand thus in expectancy and know	D
The idol of her soul was drawing near	B2
At length her father touched her hand and spoke	Z
	-
'Tis he my Rachel thy sweet power hath drawn	D
Thy lover o'er the sea Again the dawn	D
Of love and hope is kindled in thy face	S
The concentrated beauty of thy race	S
Illumes thy features now alas I know	D
That thy self sacrifice hath cost thee woe	D
Intenser than I thought I too rejoice	S
To hear the music of Emanuel's voice	S
Although I tremble lest his purpose be	S
To lure thee Rachel far away from me	S
	-
His daughter even in the thrill of bliss	S
Which filled her throbbing heart yet saw the pain	D
That marked his closing words and turning twined	Q
Her arms about the old man's drooping neck	A3
Dear Father fear not that she gently said	Q
Though it be true that ardent love hath led	Q
Emanuel to this distant Syrian shore	B2
Thy lot shall still be mine forevermore	B2
Doubt not thy faithful child for none the less	S
'Twill be thy Rachel's greatest happiness	S
At thy dear side to minister to thee	S
For only death can come 'twixt thee and me	S
	-
She paused and hid her face upon his breast	Q
Her father clasped her fondly in his arms	S
And bent his cheek to hers his whitened locks	S
On her dark tresses glistening like the snow	D
'Twas thus Emanuel found them silently	S
He stood before them in a dread suspense	S
His very soul seemed poised upon the word	Q
Which left at last his trembling lips Rachel	B3
She raised her head and their bright ardent eyes	S
Exchanged the voiceless language of the soul	T2
A joy ineffable diffused its flush	C3
O'er both their faces yet she did not speak	J2
But only clung the closer to her sire	B2
As if in fear to lose her self control	T2
At length Emanuel spoke in tones so charged	Q
With deep emotion that the very air	B2
Seemed tremulous with thoughts transcending speech	K2
	-
Rachel my more than life Canst thou forgive	D3
The momentary thought that I could live	E3
Without thee See our separation ends	S
Henceforth I know no country home or friends	S
Save thine my love I gladly leave them all	V
Obedient to a higher nobler call	V
The cry of my whole being to be near	B2
Thee thee my Rachel now so wholly dear	B2
That life without thee is but lingering death	F3
Already with thee a diviner breath	F3
Of inspiration lifts my soul to gain	D
The purest loftiest heights I can attain	D
Not to entice thee from thy father's care	B2
Have I come hither but to seek a share	B2
In that dear filial duty and to give	D3
Love loyalty and homage while I live	E3
To him the honored hero of our race	S
Beside whom here I also crave a place	S
Not only do I plead my love anew	I2
But also thus lay open to thy view	I2
The dearest wishes of my soul and wait	Q
To learn thy answer Do I come too late	Q
	-
In doubt 'twixt hope and fear she raised her eyes	S
To read her fate in her lov'd father's face	S
Who taking her fair hands within his own	D
Advanced with her to where Emanuel stood	Q
And laid them in her lover's eager grasp	G3
With softened radiance from their lonely paths	S
The far off stars beheld their kneeling forms	S
While with his hands in benediction raised	Q
The old man stood absorbed in silent prayer	B2
	-
	-
	-
The old old story ever new	I2
Alike in Gentile and in Jew	I2
For Love remains man's sovereign yet	Q
In Eden and on Olivet	Q