The Cathedral Of Rheims Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A ABBACDDCECFGF HIIHAJJAKAAKLMLMNNOO GGPAAP BQRRSSAAAA CGCGTTTTA ALLUUVVWWX XAYYAFZZFA2B2B2A2 YAC2YLD2NND2L

From the French of Emile VerhaerenA
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He who walks through the meadows of ChampagneA
At noon in Fall when leaves like gold appearB
Sees it draw nearB
Like some great mountain set upon the plainA
From radiant dawn until the close of dayC
Nearer it growsD
To him who goesD
Across the country When tall towers layC
Their shadowy pallE
Upon his wayC
He enters whereF
The solid stone is hollowed deep by allG
Its centuries of beauty and of prayerF
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Ancient French temple thou whose hundred kingsH
Watch over thee emblazoned on thy wallsI
Tell me within thy memory hallowed hallsI
What chant of triumph or what war song ringsH
Thou hast known Clovis and his Frankish trainA
Whose mighty hand Saint Remy's hand did keepJ
And in thy spacious vault perhaps may sleepJ
An echo of the voice of CharlemagneA
For God thou has known fear when from His sideK
Men wandered seeking alien shrines and newA
But still the sky was bountiful and blueA
And thou wast crowned with France's love and prideK
Sacred thou art from pinnacle to baseL
And in thy panes of gold and scarlet glassM
The setting sun sees thousandfold his faceL
Sorrow and joy in stately silence passM
Across thy walls the shadow and the lightN
Around thy lofty pillars tapers whiteN
Illuminate with delicate sharp flamesO
The brows of saints with venerable namesO
And in the night erect a fiery wallG
A great but silent fervour burns in allG
Those simple folk who kneel pathetic dumbP
And know that down below beside the RhineA
Cannon horses soldiers flags in lineA
With blare of trumpets mighty armies comeP
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Suddenly each knows fearB
Swift rumours pass that every one must hearQ
The hostile banners blaze against the skyR
And by the embassies mobs rage and cryR
Now war has come and peace is at an endS
On Paris town the German troops descendS
They are turned back and driven to ChampagneA
And now as to so many weary menA
The glorious temple gives them welcome whenA
It meets them at the bottom of the plainA
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At once they set their cannon in its wayC
There is no gable now nor wallG
That does not suffer night and dayC
As shot and shell in crushing torrents fallG
The stricken tocsin quivers through the towerT
The triple nave the apse the lonely choirT
Are circled hour by hourT
With thundering bands of fireT
And Death is scattered broadcast among menA
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And thenA
That which was splendid with baptismal graceL
The stately arches soaring into spaceL
The transepts columns windows gray and goldU
The organ in whose tones the ocean rolledU
The crypts of mighty shades the dwelling placesV
The Virgin's gentle hands the Saints' pure facesV
All even the pardoning hands of Christ the LordW
Were struck and broken by the wanton swordW
Of sacrilegious lustX
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O beauty slain O glory in the dustX
Strong walls of faith most basely overthrownA
The crawling flames like adders glisteningY
Ate the white fabric of this lovely thingY
Now from its soul arose a piteous moanA
The soul that always loved the just and fairF
Granite and marble loud their woe confessedZ
The silver monstrances that Popes had blessedZ
The chalices and lamps and crosiers rareF
Were seared and twisted by a flaming breathA2
The horror everywhere did range and swellB2
The guardian Saints into this furnace fellB2
Their bitter tears and screams were stilled in deathA2
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Around the flames armed hosts are skirmishingY
The burning sun reflects the lurid sceneA
The German army fighting for its lifeC2
Rallies its torn and terrified left wingY
And as they near this placeL
The imperial eagles seeD2
Before them in their flightN
Here in the solemn nightN
The old cathedral to the years to beD2
Showing with wounded arms their own disgraceL

Joyce Kilmer



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