Poet John L. Stoddard

John L. Stoddard

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The Silver Herons Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDDD EFGFHHH BIJIKKK LMNMOOO PQRQNNN STHTUUU VWXWYYY ZA2OA2B2B2B2 C2D2E2D2FFF F2G2H2G2I2I2I2 J2K2A2K2L2L2L2

Within a home for captive beastsA
Whose world had dwindled to a cageB
I noted in their mournful eyesC
Such resignation fear and rageB
I longed at once to set them freeD
And send them over land and seaD
To live again in libertyD
-
For them no more the mountain rangeE
The desert vast the jungle's lairF
Their meaner fate through grated barsG
To feel the public's hateful stareF
Poor prisoners doomed henceforth to paceH
With stinted strides a narrow spaceH
And daily gaping crowds to faceH
-
At length I stood before a cageB
Where guarded by a loftier screenI
Were artificial rocks and poolsJ
And strips of vegetation greenI
There perched upon some rocky moundK
Or crouching on the miry groundK
A flock of waterfowl I foundK
-
Storks poised upon a single legL
Stood dreaming of the eternal NileM
The Mecca of their winter flightN
When lured by Egypt's sunny smileM
While ducks and geese in gabbling moodO
Explored the muddy pond for foodO
Attended by their noisy broodO
-
Their keeper brought their evening mealP
And instantly on broad webbed feetQ
And stilt like legs and flapping wingsR
The feathered bipeds rushed to greetQ
With snaps and cluckings of delightN
The joyful ever welcome sightN
Of supper at the approach of nightN
-
Yet all came not Two stood apartS
With plumage like fresh fallen snowT
Two Silver Herons of a raceH
As pure and fine as earth can showT
Amid the tumult that was rifeU
These loathed the others' greedy strifeU
And looked disgusted with their lifeU
-
With closed eyes shrinking from the massV
They seemed in thought removed as farW
From all their coarse environmentX
As sun is separate from starW
The very picture of disdainY
From all such gorging it was plainY
They had determined to refrainY
-
The keeper murmured with reproachZ
Those Silver Herons are too proudA2
Why should they not partake of foodO
Together with the common crowdA2
They eat a little from my handB2
But would prefer to starve than standB2
Besmeared by that uncleanly bandB2
-
A month hence neither will be hereC2
For both will grieve themselves to deathD2
And when one falls its mate expiresE2
With scarcely an additional breathD2
And should there come another pairF
In their turn they the fate will shareF
Of those two herons standing thereF
-
Poor hapless birds I see them yetF2
Alone and starving in their prideG2
Their glittering plumage still intactH2
While standing bravely side by sideG2
And although put to hunger's testI2
Continuing mutely to protestI2
Against defilement with the restI2
-
O Silver Herons teach mankindJ2
To cherish thus a stainless nameK2
To shun the vile ignoble crowdA2
Preferring death to smirch and shameK2
A foul unfriendly mob to braveL2
And go unspotted to the graveL2
Is not to lose one's life but saveL2

John L. Stoddard



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