The Singing Man Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCDEDE FGFGHIHI JKJKL LM NOPNPQKOQPKP NRNRSMSM TPTPUEUE NPNPQNQQPPNNP A VWWXYYXVVWXXZZA2B2A2 B2C2C2D2D2D2D2 WWWE2E2PPNNTTD2D2 F2F2G2G2D2D2D2D2 WWH2H2I2J2K2K2SSL2M2 N2N2D2D2 VVO2DP2P2Q2Q2D2 D2 D2R2D2R2D2D2 A WWS2S2E2P2T2E2P2T2N2 N2U2U2D2D2N2N2KV2KW2 N2N2N2R2D2R2D2 QQX2Y2N2N2N2N2VV D2 S2S2D2D2Z2Z2A3A3 D2D2D2D2D2D2A2A2B3B3 VVC3C3 S2S2S2D3D3 Z2ZZ2ZE3E3Z2Z2 N2N2N2N2 Z2Z2N2N2N2N2Z2Z2Z2Z2 D2 Z2Z2Z2Z2D2Z2D2Z2 F3G3F3G3H3D2H3D2 N2VN2

IA
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He sang above the vineyards of the worldB
And after him the vines with woven handsC
Clambered and clung and everywhere unfurledB
Triumphing green above the barren landsC
Till high as gardens grow he climbed he stoodD
Sun crowned with life and strength and singing toilE
And looked upon his work and it was goodD
The corn the wine the oilE
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He sang above the noon The topmost cleftF
That grudged him footing on the mountain scarsG
He planted and despaired not till he leftF
His vines soft breathing to the host of starsG
He wrought he tilled and even as he sangH
The creatures of his planting laughed to scornI
The ancient threat of deserts where there sprangH
The wine the oil the cornI
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He sang not for abundance Over lordsJ
Took of his tilth Yet was there still to reapK
The portion of his labor dear rewardsJ
Of sunlit day and bread and human sleepK
He sang for strength for glory of the lightL
He dreamed above the furrows 'They are mine '-
When all he wrought stood fair before his sightL
With corn and oil and wineM
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Truly the light is sweetN
Yea and a pleasant thingO
It is to see the SunP
And that a man should eatN
His bread that he hath wonP
So is it sung and saidQ
That he should take and keepK
After his laboringO
The portion of his labor in his breadQ
His bread that he hath wonP
Yea and in quiet sleepK
When all is doneP
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He sang above the burden and the heatN
Above all seasons with their fitful graceR
Above the chance and change that led his feetN
To this last ambush of the Market placeR
'Enough for him ' they said and still they sayS
'A crust with air to breathe and sun to shineM
He asks no more ' Before they took awayS
The corn the oil the wineM
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He sang No more he sings now anywhereT
Light was enough before he was undoneP
They knew it well who took away the airT
Who took away the sunP
Who took to serve their soul devouring greedU
Himself his breath his bread the goad of toilE
Who have and hold before the eyes of NeedU
The corn the wine the oilE
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Truly one thing is sweetN
Of things beneath the SunP
This that a man should earn his bread and eatN
Rejoicing in his work which he hath doneP
What shall be sung or saidQ
Of desolate deceitN
When others take his breadQ
His and his children's breadQ
And the laborer hath noneP
This for his portion now of all that he hath doneP
He earns and others eatN
He starves they sit at meatN
Who have taken away the SunP
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IIA
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Seek him now that singing ManV
Look for himW
Look for himW
In the millsX
In the minesY
Where the very daylight pinesY
He who once did walk the hillsX
You shall find him if you scanV
Shapes all unbefitting ManV
Bodies warped and faces dimW
In the mines in the millsX
Where the ceaseless thunder fillsX
Spaces of the human brainZ
Till all thought is turned to painZ
Where the skirl of wheel on wheelA2
Grinding him who is their toolB2
Makes the shattered senses reelA2
To the numbness of the foolB2
Perisht thought and halting tongueC2
Once it spoke once it sungC2
Live to hunger dead to songD2
Only heart beats loud with wrongD2
Hammer on How longD2
How long How longD2
-
Search for himW
Search for himW
Where the crazy atoms swimW
Up the fiery furnace blastE2
You shall find him at the lastE2
He whose forehead braved the sunP
Wreckt and tortured and undoneP
Where no breath across the heatN
Whispers him that life was sweetN
But the sparkles mock and flareT
Scattering up the crooked airT
Blackened with that bitter mirkD2
Would God know His handiworkD2
-
Thought is not for such as heF2
Naught but strength and miseryF2
Since for just the bite and supG2
Life must needs be swallowed upG2
Only reeling up the skyD2
Hurtling flames that hurry byD2
Gasp and flare with Why WhyD2
WhyD2
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Why the human mind of himW
Shrinks and falters and is dimW
When he tries to make it outH2
What the torture is aboutH2
Why he breathes a fugitiveI2
Whom the World forbids to liveJ2
Why he earned for his abodeK2
Habitation of the toadK2
Why his fevered day by dayS
Will not serve to drive awayS
Horror that must always hauntL2
Want WantM2
Nightmare shot with waking pangsN2
Tightening coil and certain fangsN2
Close and closer always nighD2
Why WhyD2
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Why he labors under banV
That denies him for a manV
Why his utmost drop of bloodO2
Buys for him no human goodD
Why his utmost urge of strengthP2
Only lets Them starve at lengthP2
Will not let him starve aloneQ2
He must watch and see his ownQ2
Fade and fail and starve and dieD2
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-
-
Why WhyD2
-
-
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Heart beats in a hammering songD2
Heavy as an ox may plodR2
Goaded goaded faint with wrongD2
Cry unto some ghost of GodR2
How long How longD2
How longD2
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IIIA
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Seek him yet Search for himW
You shall find him spent and grimW
In the prisons where we penS2
These unsightly shards of menS2
Sheltered fastE2
Housed at lengthP2
Clothed and fed no matter howT2
Where the householders aghastE2
Measure in his broken strengthP2
Nought but power for evil nowT2
Beast of burden drudgeriesN2
Could not earn him what was hisN2
He who heard the world applaudU2
Glories seized by force and fraudU2
He must break he must takeD2
Both for hate and hunger's sakeD2
He must seize by fraud and forceN2
He must strike without remorseN2
Seize he might but never keepK
Strike his once Behold him hereV2
Human life we buy so cheapK
Who should know we held it dearW2
-
No denial no defenceN2
From a brain bereft of senseN2
Any more than penitenceN2
But the heart beats now that plodR2
Goaded goaded dumb with wrongD2
Ask not even a ghost of GodR2
How longD2
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When the Sea gives up its deadQ
Prison caverns yield insteadQ
This rejected and despisedX2
This the Soiled and SacrificedY2
Without form or comelinessN2
Shamed for us that did transgressN2
Bruised for our iniquitiesN2
With the stripes that are all hisN2
Face that wreckage you who canV
It was once the Singing ManV
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IVD2
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Must it be Must we thenS2
Render back to God againS2
This His broken work this thingD2
For His man that once did singD2
Will not all our wonders doZ2
Gifts we stored the ages throughZ2
Trusting that He had forgotA3
Gifts the Lord requir d notA3
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Would the all but human serveD2
Monsters made of stone and nerveD2
Towers to threaten and defyD2
Curse or blessing of the skyD2
Shafts that blot the stars with smokeD2
Lightnings harnessed under yokeD2
Sea things air things wrought with steelA2
That may smite and fly and feelA2
Oceans calling each to eachB3
Hostile hearts with kindred speechB3
Every work that Titans canV
Every marvel save a manV
Who might rule without a swordC3
Is a man more precious LordC3
-
Can it be Must we thenS2
Render back to Thee againS2
Million million wasted menS2
Men of flickering human breathD3
Only made for life and deathD3
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Ah but see the sovereign FewZ2
Highly favored that remainZ
These the glorious residueZ2
Of the cherished race of CainZ
These the magnates of the ageE3
High above the human wageE3
Who have numbered and possesstZ2
All the portion of the restZ2
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What are all despairs and shamesN2
What the mean forgotten namesN2
Of the thousand more or lessN2
For one surfeit of successN2
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For those dullest lives we spentZ2
Take these Few magnificentZ2
For that host of blotted onesN2
Take these glittering central sunsN2
Few but how their lustre thrivesN2
On the million broken livesN2
Splendid over dark and doubtZ2
For a million souls gone outZ2
These the holders of our hoardZ2
Wilt thou not accept them LordZ2
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VD2
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Oh in the wakening thunders of the heartZ2
The small lost Eden troubled through the nightZ2
Sounds there not now forboded and apartZ2
Some voice and sword of lightZ2
Some voice and portent of a dawn to breakD2
Searching like God the ruinous human shardZ2
Of that lost Brother man Himself did makeD2
And Man himself hath marredZ2
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It sounds And may the anguish of that birthF3
Seize on the world and may all shelters failG3
Till we behold new Heaven and new EarthF3
Through the rent Temple vailG3
When the high tides that threaten near and farH3
To sweep away our guilt before the skyD2
Flooding the waste of this dishonored StarH3
Cleanse and o'erwhelm and cryD2
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Cry from the deep of world accusing wavesN2
With longing more than all since Light beganV
Above the nations underneath the gravesN2
'Give back the Singing Man '-

Josephine Preston Peabody



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