The Prophecy Of St. Oran: Part Iv Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCDD AEAEAFG AHIJIKK ALMNMJJ AOPOPGG AQMQMRS ATPTPUU APPPPVO QQPQPEE QPWPXAA QYZYZAA QPQPQQQ QA2JA2B2C2C2 AMAMQD2E2 AZPZPF2F2 APPPPPP AQPQPQQ AG2PG2PPP QAMAMA Q H2PC2J QEI2EI2P QQXQXPP QPEPEJ

IA
It is the night across the starless wasteB
Of silent heaven the solitary moonC
Flits like a frightened maid who flies in hasteB
And wild with terror seems to reel and swoonC
As in her rear the multitudinous cloudsD
Follow like spectral huntsmen in their shroudsD
-
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IIA
And sometimes the wild rout o'ertakes its preyE
And holds her captive in the lowering skyA
But ever and anon she bursts awayE
And her white orb floats lustrously on highA
And with its lambent flame transmutes the hazeF
Into a living halo for her faceG
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IIIA
And far o'er black morass and barren moorH
The fitful splendour of the moonlight fallsI
Its broken eddies sweep across the floorJ
And dance in chequered silver on the wallsI
And flood the chapel's grave encircled siteK
With sudden flashes of unearthly lightK
-
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IVA
And as the unquiet moonlight comes and fliesL
Athwart the little roofless house of prayerM
Like some lost spirit strayed from ParadiseN
Or d mon angel of the realms of airM
A pallid shape flits through the open doorJ
And flings itself low wailing on the floorJ
-
-
VA
And wailing wailing lay there in its painO
When suddenly it snatched from the out the sodP
Some late forgotten spade while tears like rainO
Poured from its eyes enough to melt the clodP
And digging hard the small breach grew apaceG
Till the soil lay like molehills round the placeG
-
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VIA
But through the silence suddenly there swellsQ
Along the gusty breaths of midnight airM
The mellow tinkling sound of magic bellsQ
Such as the pious brethren love to wearM
To keep the fiends and goblins off that prowlR
For ever near to catch a tripping soulS
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VIIA
And as the monks chanting a solemn hymnT
Draw nigh the chapel to perform their riteP
That wailing shape flies far into the dimT
Recess behind the altar full of nightP
While they with burning torches move in fileU
To consecrate afresh their sacred pileU
-
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VIIIA
Three days three nights have fled since in that spotP
Where fiends and d mons revelled unforbidP
They buried that false monk who was a blotP
Upon their rule but since the earth has hidP
His bones accursed God's sun has shone againV
Nor has fresh ill assailed their prospering faneO
-
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IXQ
Which now they enter singing hymns of praiseQ
Columba at their head when lo beholdP
The grave yawns open and a bloodless faceQ
The face of him they knew rose from the mouldP
Slowly he rose from the incumbent clayE
Lifting the white shroud in the moonlight greyE
-
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XQ
Slowly his arm beneath the winding sheetP
He waved three times as though to bid them hearW
Then in the moonlight rose he to his feetP
Showing his shrunken body and his sereX
Discoloured hair and smouldering eyes that lieA
Sunk in their sockets glaring hot and dryA
-
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XIQ
Slowly he raised his voice once rich in toneY
Like sweetest music now a mournful knellZ
With dull sepulchral sounds as of a stoneY
Cast down into a black unfathomed wellZ
And murmured 'Lo I come back from the graveA
Behold there is no God to smite or saveA
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XIIQ
'Poor fools wild dreamers No there is no GodP
Yon heaven is deaf and dumb to prayer and praiseQ
Lo no almighty tyrant wields the rodP
For evermore above our hapless raceQ
Nor fashioned us frail creatures that we beQ
To bear the burden of eternityQ
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XIIIQ
'Hear it self torturing monks and cease to wageA2
Your mad delirious suicidal warJ
There is no devil who from age to ageA2
Waylays and tempts all souls of men that areB2
For ever seeking whom he may devourC2
And damn with wine and woman gold and powerC2
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XIVA
'Deluded priests ye think the world a snareM
Denouncing every tender human tieA
Behold your heaven is unsubstantial airM
Your future bliss a sick brain's phantasyQ
There is no room amid the stars which gemD2
The firmament for your JerusalemE2
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XVA
'Rejoice poor sinners for I come to tellZ
To you who hardly dare to live for frightP
There is no burning everlasting hellZ
Where souls shall be tormented day and nightP
The fever ye call life ends with your breathF2
All weary souls set in the night of deathF2
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XVIA
'Then let your life on earth be life indeedP
Nor drop the substance snatching at a shadeP
Ye can have Eden here ye bear the seedP
Of all the hells and heavens and gods ye madeP
Within that mighty world transforming thoughtP
Which permeates the universe it wroughtP
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XVIIA
'Wrought out of stones and plants and birds and beastsQ
To flower in man and know itself at lastP
Around about you see what endless feastsQ
The spring and summer bountifully castP
'A vale of tears ' ye cry 'if ye were wiseQ
The earth itself would change to ParadiseQ
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XVIIIA
'The earth itself the old despis d earthG2
Would render back your love a thousandfoldP
Nor yet afflict the sons of men with dearthG2
Disease and misery and drought and coldP
If you would seek a blessing in her sodP
Instead of crying vainly on your GodP
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XIXQ
'Cast down the crucifix take up the ploughA
Nor waste your breath which is the life in prayerM
Dare to be men and break you impious vowA
Nor fly from woman as the devil's snareM
For if within around beneath aboveA
There is a living God that God is Love '-
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XXQ
'The fool says in his heart There is no God '-
Cried St Columba white with Christian ireH2
'Seize Oran re inter him in the sodP
And may his soul awake in endless fireC2
Earth on his mouth the earth he would adoreJ
That his blaspheming tongue may blab no more '-
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XXIQ
Then like swart ravens swooping on their preyE
These monks rushed upon Oran when there cameI2
One gliding towards them in wild disarrayE
With hair that streamed behind her like a flameI2
And face dazed with the moon who shrilly criedP
'Let not death part the bridegroom from his bride '-
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XXIIQ
But deeming her some fiend in female guiseQ
They drive her forth with threats till crazed with fearX
Across the stones and mounded graves she fliesQ
Towards that lapping moon illumined mereX
And like a child seeking its mother's breastP
She casts her life thereon and is at restP
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XXIIIQ
And while the waves close gurgling o'er her headP
A grave is dug whence he may never strayE
Or come back prophesying from the deadP
All shouting as they stifle him with clayE
'Earth on his mouth the earth he would adoreJ
That his blaspheming tongue may blab no more '-

Mathilde Blind



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