The Sale Of Saint Thomas Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDEFGHEIJKLMNOEPQRS NTEUGGGGNGENGGNNNTNV GNGWGGXGYGZGNNNNNISA 2B2TGC2GJD2JGJNJWNE2 F2NWG2NNWH2I2J2NK2NL 2M2NN2GNNNGNGJGO2NP2 G Q2J R2J VGC2GN NS2GNO2NGGNN Q2JGT2S2J

A quay with vessels mooredA
-
-
ThomasB
To India Yea here I may take shipC
From here the courses go over the seasD
Along which the intent prows wonderfullyE
Nose like lean hounds and tack their journeys outF
Making for harbours as some sleuth was laidG
For them to follow on their shifting roadH
Again I front my appointed ministryE
But why the Indian lot to me Why mineI
Such fearful gospelling For the Lord knewJ
What a frail soul He gave me and a heartK
Lame and unlikely for the large eventsL
And this is worse than Baghdad though that wasM
A fearful brink of travel But if the lotsN
That gave to me the Indian duty wereO
Shuffled by the unseen skill of Heaven surelyE
That fear of mine in Baghdad was the sameP
Marvellous Hand working again to guardQ
The landward gate of India from me ThereR
I stood waiting in the weak early dawnS
To start my journey the great caravan'sN
Strange cattle with their snoring breaths made steamT
Upon the air and as I thought sadlyE
The beasts at market booths and awnings gayU
Of shops the city's comfortable tradeG
Lookt and then into months of plodding looktG
And swiftly on my brain there came a windG
Of vision and I saw the road mapt outG
Along the desert with a chalk of bonesN
I saw a famine and the Afghan greedG
Waiting for us spears at our throats all weE
Made women by our hunger and I sawN
Gigantic thirst grieving our mouths with dustG
Scattering up against our breathing saltG
Of blown dried dung till the taste eat like firesN
Of a wild vinegar into our sheath d marrowsN
And a sudden decay thicken'd all our bloodsN
As rotten leaves in fall will baulk a streamT
Then my kill'd life the muncht food of jackalsN
The wind of vision died in my brain and loV
The jangling of the caravan's long gaitG
Was small as the luting of a breeze in grassN
Upon my ears Into the waiting thirstG
Camels and merchants all were gone while IW
Had been in my amazement Was this notG
A sign God with a vision tript me lestG
Those tall fiends that ken for my approachX
In middle Asia Thirst and his grisly bandG
Of plagues should with their brigand fingers stopY
His message in my mouth Therefore I saidG
If India is the place where I must preachZ
I am to go by ship not overlandG
And here my ship is berthed But worse far worseN
Than Baghdad is this roadstead the brown sailsN
All the enginery of going on seaN
The tackle and the rigging tholes and sweepsN
The prows built to put by the waves the mastsN
Stayed for a hurricane and lo that lineI
Of gilded water there the sun has drawnS
In a long narrow band of shining oilA2
His light over the sea how evilly moveB2
Ripples along that golden skin the gleamT
Works like a muscular thing like the half gorgedG
Sleepy swallowing of a serpent's neckC2
The sea lives surely My eyes swear to itG
And like a murderous smile that glimpses throughJ
A villain's courtesy that twitching dazzleD2
Parts the kind mood of weather to bewrayJ
The feasted waters of the sea stretched outG
In lazy gluttony expecting preyJ
How fearful is this trade of sailing WorseN
Than all land evils is the water wayJ
Before me now What cowardice Nay whyW
Trouble myself with ugly words 'Tis prudenceN
And prudence is an admirable thingE2
Yet here's much cost these packages piled upF2
Ivory doubless emeralds gums and silksN
All these they trust on shipboard Ah but IW
I who have seen God I to put myselfG2
Amid the heathen outrage of the seaN
In a deal wood box It were plain follyN
There is naught more precious in the world than IW
I carry God in me to give to menH2
And when has the sea been friendly unto manI2
Let it but guess my errand it will callJ2
The dangers of the air to wreak upon meN
Winds to juggle the puny boat and pinchK2
The water into unbelievable creasesN
And shall my soul and God in my soul drownL2
Or venture drowning But no no I am safeM2
Smooth as believing souls over their deathsN
And over agonies shall slide henceforthN2
To God so shall my way be blest amidG
The quiet crouching terrors of the seaN
Like panthers when a fire weakens their heartsN
Ay this huge sin of nature the salt seaN
Shall be afraid of me and of the mindG
Within me that with gesture speech and eyesN
Of the Messiah flames What elementG
Dare snarl against my going what incubus dareJ
Remember to be fiendish when I lightG
My whole being with memory of HimO2
The malice of the sea will slink from meN
And the air be harmless as a muzzled wolfP2
For I am a torch and the flame of me is GodG
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A Ship's CaptainQ2
You are my man my passengerJ
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Thomas I amR2
I go to India with youJ
-
Captain Well I hope soV
There's threatening in the weather Have you a mindG
To hug your belly to the slanted deckC2
Like a louse on a whip top when the boatG
Spins on an axlie in the hissing galesN
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ThomasN
Fear not 'Tis likely indeed that storms are nowS2
Plotting against our voyage ay no doubtG
The very bottom of the sea preparesN
To stand up mountainous or reach a limbO2
Out of his night of water and huge shinglesN
That he and the waves may break our keel Fear notG
Like those who manage horses I've a wordG
Will fasten up within their evil naturesN
The meanings of the winds and waves and reefsN
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CaptainQ2
You have a talisman I have one tooJ
I know not if the storms think much of itG
I may be shark's meat yet And would your spellT2
Be daunting to a cuttle think you nowS2
We had a bout with one on our way hereJ

Lascelles Abercrombie



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