The Legend Of The New Year. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCD EFGFHE CIEIEC BCFCFB FIIIIF CIFIFC FFIFIF ICFCFI FCFCFF FBIBII| I dreamed and lo I saw in my dream a beautiful gateway | A |
| Arched at the top and crowned with turrets lance windowed and olden | B |
| And sculptured in arabesque all knotted and woven and spangled | C |
| A wonderful legend ran in letters purple and golden | B |
| Written in leaves and blossoms inextricably intertangled | C |
| A legend I could not resolve crowning the gate so stately | D |
| - | |
| Like statues carven and niched in the front of some old cathedral | E |
| Four angels stood each in his turret immovable warders | F |
| The first with reverend locks snow white and a silver volume | G |
| Of beard that twinkled with frost and hung to the icicled borders | F |
| That fringed his girdle beneath ancient his look was and solemn | H |
| Like a wrinkled and bearded saint blessing some worshipping bedral | E |
| - | |
| As one in a vision wrapped with his staff he silently pointed | C |
| To the golden legend written in glittering star points under | I |
| Shining in crystal ferns and translucent berries of holly | E |
| Yet as I pondered the words of ineffable awe and wonder | I |
| A mist of rainbow brightness obscured them and hid them wholly | E |
| While wrapt in his vision he stood like a prophet anointed | C |
| - | |
| Divers yet lovely the next a white armed golden haired maiden | B |
| Blue were her eyes and sweet and her garments were lily bordered | C |
| Her hands were full of flowers and her eyes of innocent gladness | F |
| As the ranks of buds and blossoms of bees and buds she ordered | C |
| Each in their several paths Mine eyes were heavy with sadness | F |
| For I read not yet the legend with beauty and mystery laden | B |
| - | |
| Robed and crowned like an empress in some medieval palace | F |
| Stood the third in her place with glances of sun lighted splendour | I |
| Stately her height and tall as a queen in some antique story | I |
| With sheaves about her feet and the tribute which nations render | I |
| To her as the lady of Kingdoms yet underneath the glory | I |
| Of that bright legend to hers was like a containing chalice | F |
| - | |
| Last of the four in her turret serene and benignant | C |
| Sat in the midst of her children and maidens a household mother | I |
| Want and the sons of penury dwell not among her neighbours | F |
| Full is her heart of love her hands wipe the tears of another | I |
| Yet brings she the gold and the pearls of her manifold labours | F |
| To add to that shining legend the grace of her name and her signet | C |
| - | |
| Fast closed were the gates and mute in their places the wardens | F |
| No voice in my longing ear whispered the mystical sentence | F |
| And my heart was heavy and chilled with the fruitless endeavour | I |
| On this side lay the snow and the wind like the wail of repentance | F |
| Moaned in the branches forlorn but through the closed lattices ever | I |
| Drifted a stir and a fragrance of springtime over the borders | F |
| - | |
| Then through the stillness of night struck the clash and the clangor | I |
| Of bells that told twelve from the towers of the neighbouring city | C |
| And lo the great gates were flung wide and thronged with the hurrying races | F |
| High and low rich and poor and the light of ineffable pity | C |
| And infinite love shone down and illumined their faces | F |
| Faces of dolor some of hope of sorrow and anger | I |
| - | |
| Loud clanged the hells from the towers in jubilant rudeness | F |
| And like the voice of a multitude rising respondent | C |
| The words of that marvellous legend made vocal the silence | F |
| The voice of all sentient creatures ascended triumphant | C |
| And all the listening forests and mountains and islands | F |
| Heard it and sang it He crowneth the Year with His goodness | F |
| - | |
| Praise Him O sounding seas and floods praise Him abounding rivers | F |
| Praise Him ye flowery months and every fruitful season | B |
| Praise Him O stormy wind and ice and snow and vapor | I |
| Ye cattle that clothe the hills and man with marvellous reason | B |
| Who crowneth the year with goodness who prospereth all thy labour | I |
| Yea let all flesh bless the Lord and magnify Him forever | I |
Kate Seymour Maclean
(1)
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