The Steeple-jack Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDBE FGHIGJ KLMNLO POQRMS TUVWUX SYSZYS XSSZZZ ZZZZZA2 B2C2D2E2C2F2 G2ZOH2ZI2 ZZXJ2ZK2 OOL2ZM2N2 AO2F2ZO2P2| D rer would have seen a reason for living | A |
| in a town like this with eight stranded whales | B |
| to look at with the sweet sea air coming into your house | C |
| on a fine day from water etched | D |
| with waves as formal as the scales | B |
| on a fish | E |
| - | |
| One by one in two's and three's the seagulls keep | F |
| flying back and forth over the town clock | G |
| or sailing around the lighthouse without moving their wings | H |
| rising steadily with a slight | I |
| quiver of the body or flock | G |
| mewing where | J |
| - | |
| a sea the purple of the peacock's neck is | K |
| paled to greenish azure as D rer changed | L |
| the pine green of the Tyrol to peacock blue and guinea | M |
| gray You can see a twenty five | N |
| pound lobster and fish nets arranged | L |
| to dry The | O |
| - | |
| whirlwind fife and drum of the storm bends the salt | P |
| marsh grass disturbs stars in the sky and the | O |
| star on the steeple it is a privilege to see so | Q |
| much confusion Disguised by what | R |
| might seem the opposite the sea | M |
| side flowers and | S |
| - | |
| trees are favored by the fog so that you have | T |
| the tropics first hand the trumpet vine | U |
| fox glove giant snap dragon a salpiglossis that has | V |
| spots and stripes morning glories gourds | W |
| or moon vines trained on fishing twine | U |
| at the back door | X |
| - | |
| cat tails flags blueberries and spiderwort | S |
| striped grass lichens sunflowers asters daisies | Y |
| yellow and crab claw ragged sailors with green bracts toad plant | S |
| petunias ferns pink lilies blue | Z |
| ones tigers poppies black sweet peas | Y |
| The climate | S |
| - | |
| is not right for the banyan frangipani or | X |
| jack fruit trees or for exotic serpent | S |
| life Ring lizard and snake skin for the foot if you see fit | S |
| but here they've cats not cobras to | Z |
| keep down the rats The diffident | Z |
| little newt | Z |
| - | |
| with white pin dots on black horizontal spaced | Z |
| out bands lives here yet there is nothing that | Z |
| ambition can buy or take away The college student | Z |
| named Ambrose sits on the hillside | Z |
| with his not native books and hat | Z |
| and sees boats | A2 |
| - | |
| at sea progress white and rigid as if in | B2 |
| a groove Liking an elegance of which | C2 |
| the sourch is not bravado he knows by heart the antique | D2 |
| sugar bowl shaped summer house of | E2 |
| interlacing slats and the pitch | C2 |
| of the church | F2 |
| - | |
| spire not true from which a man in scarlet lets | G2 |
| down a rope as a spider spins a thread | Z |
| he might be part of a novel but on the sidewalk a | O |
| sign says C J Poole Steeple Jack | H2 |
| in black and white and one in red | Z |
| and white says | I2 |
| - | |
| Danger The church portico has four fluted | Z |
| columns each a single piece of stone made | Z |
| modester by white wash Theis would be a fit haven for | X |
| waifs children animals prisoners | J2 |
| and presidents who have repaid | Z |
| sin driven | K2 |
| - | |
| senators by not thinking about them The | O |
| place has a school house a post office in a | O |
| store fish houses hen houses a three masted schooner on | L2 |
| the stocks The hero the student | Z |
| the steeple jack each in his way | M2 |
| is at home | N2 |
| - | |
| It could not be dangerous to be living | A |
| in a town like this of simple people | O2 |
| who have a steeple jack placing danger signs by the church | F2 |
| while he is gilding the solid | Z |
| pointed star which on a steeple | O2 |
| stands for hope | P2 |
Marianne Moore
(1)
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About The Steeple-jack
The Steeple-jack is a poem by Marianne Moore. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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