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| I | A |
| It is the night across the starless waste | B |
| Of silent heaven the solitary moon | C |
| Flits like a frightened maid who flies in haste | B |
| And wild with terror seems to reel and swoon | C |
| As in her rear the multitudinous clouds | D |
| Follow like spectral huntsmen in their shrouds | D |
| - | |
| - | |
| II | A |
| And sometimes the wild rout o'ertakes its prey | E |
| And holds her captive in the lowering sky | A |
| But ever and anon she bursts away | E |
| And her white orb floats lustrously on high | A |
| And with its lambent flame transmutes the haze | F |
| Into a living halo for her face | G |
| - | |
| - | |
| III | A |
| And far o'er black morass and barren moor | H |
| The fitful splendour of the moonlight falls | I |
| Its broken eddies sweep across the floor | J |
| And dance in chequered silver on the walls | I |
| And flood the chapel's grave encircled site | K |
| With sudden flashes of unearthly light | K |
| - | |
| - | |
| IV | A |
| And as the unquiet moonlight comes and flies | L |
| Athwart the little roofless house of prayer | M |
| Like some lost spirit strayed from Paradise | N |
| Or d mon angel of the realms of air | M |
| A pallid shape flits through the open door | J |
| And flings itself low wailing on the floor | J |
| - | |
| - | |
| V | A |
| And wailing wailing lay there in its pain | O |
| When suddenly it snatched from the out the sod | P |
| Some late forgotten spade while tears like rain | O |
| Poured from its eyes enough to melt the clod | P |
| And digging hard the small breach grew apace | G |
| Till the soil lay like molehills round the place | G |
| - | |
| - | |
| VI | A |
| But through the silence suddenly there swells | Q |
| Along the gusty breaths of midnight air | M |
| The mellow tinkling sound of magic bells | Q |
| Such as the pious brethren love to wear | M |
| To keep the fiends and goblins off that prowl | R |
| For ever near to catch a tripping soul | S |
| - | |
| - | |
| VII | A |
| And as the monks chanting a solemn hymn | T |
| Draw nigh the chapel to perform their rite | P |
| That wailing shape flies far into the dim | T |
| Recess behind the altar full of night | P |
| While they with burning torches move in file | U |
| To consecrate afresh their sacred pile | U |
| - | |
| - | |
| VIII | A |
| Three days three nights have fled since in that spot | P |
| Where fiends and d mons revelled unforbid | P |
| They buried that false monk who was a blot | P |
| Upon their rule but since the earth has hid | P |
| His bones accursed God's sun has shone again | V |
| Nor has fresh ill assailed their prospering fane | O |
| - | |
| - | |
| IX | Q |
| Which now they enter singing hymns of praise | Q |
| Columba at their head when lo behold | P |
| The grave yawns open and a bloodless face | Q |
| The face of him they knew rose from the mould | P |
| Slowly he rose from the incumbent clay | E |
| Lifting the white shroud in the moonlight grey | E |
| - | |
| - | |
| X | Q |
| Slowly his arm beneath the winding sheet | P |
| He waved three times as though to bid them hear | W |
| Then in the moonlight rose he to his feet | P |
| Showing his shrunken body and his sere | X |
| Discoloured hair and smouldering eyes that lie | A |
| Sunk in their sockets glaring hot and dry | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| XI | Q |
| Slowly he raised his voice once rich in tone | Y |
| Like sweetest music now a mournful knell | Z |
| With dull sepulchral sounds as of a stone | Y |
| Cast down into a black unfathomed well | Z |
| And murmured 'Lo I come back from the grave | A |
| Behold there is no God to smite or save | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| XII | Q |
| 'Poor fools wild dreamers No there is no God | P |
| Yon heaven is deaf and dumb to prayer and praise | Q |
| Lo no almighty tyrant wields the rod | P |
| For evermore above our hapless race | Q |
| Nor fashioned us frail creatures that we be | Q |
| To bear the burden of eternity | Q |
| - | |
| - | |
| XIII | Q |
| 'Hear it self torturing monks and cease to wage | A2 |
| Your mad delirious suicidal war | J |
| There is no devil who from age to age | A2 |
| Waylays and tempts all souls of men that are | B2 |
| For ever seeking whom he may devour | C2 |
| And damn with wine and woman gold and power | C2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| XIV | A |
| 'Deluded priests ye think the world a snare | M |
| Denouncing every tender human tie | A |
| Behold your heaven is unsubstantial air | M |
| Your future bliss a sick brain's phantasy | Q |
| There is no room amid the stars which gem | D2 |
| The firmament for your Jerusalem | E2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| XV | A |
| 'Rejoice poor sinners for I come to tell | Z |
| To you who hardly dare to live for fright | P |
| There is no burning everlasting hell | Z |
| Where souls shall be tormented day and night | P |
| The fever ye call life ends with your breath | F2 |
| All weary souls set in the night of death | F2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| XVI | A |
| 'Then let your life on earth be life indeed | P |
| Nor drop the substance snatching at a shade | P |
| Ye can have Eden here ye bear the seed | P |
| Of all the hells and heavens and gods ye made | P |
| Within that mighty world transforming thought | P |
| Which permeates the universe it wrought | P |
| - | |
| - | |
| XVII | A |
| 'Wrought out of stones and plants and birds and beasts | Q |
| To flower in man and know itself at last | P |
| Around about you see what endless feasts | Q |
| The spring and summer bountifully cast | P |
| 'A vale of tears ' ye cry 'if ye were wise | Q |
| The earth itself would change to Paradise | Q |
| - | |
| - | |
| XVIII | A |
| 'The earth itself the old despis d earth | G2 |
| Would render back your love a thousandfold | P |
| Nor yet afflict the sons of men with dearth | G2 |
| Disease and misery and drought and cold | P |
| If you would seek a blessing in her sod | P |
| Instead of crying vainly on your God | P |
| - | |
| - | |
| XIX | Q |
| 'Cast down the crucifix take up the plough | A |
| Nor waste your breath which is the life in prayer | M |
| Dare to be men and break you impious vow | A |
| Nor fly from woman as the devil's snare | M |
| For if within around beneath above | A |
| There is a living God that God is Love ' | - |
| - | |
| - | |
| XX | Q |
| 'The fool says in his heart There is no God ' | - |
| Cried St Columba white with Christian ire | H2 |
| 'Seize Oran re inter him in the sod | P |
| And may his soul awake in endless fire | C2 |
| Earth on his mouth the earth he would adore | J |
| That his blaspheming tongue may blab no more ' | - |
| - | |
| - | |
| XXI | Q |
| Then like swart ravens swooping on their prey | E |
| These monks rushed upon Oran when there came | I2 |
| One gliding towards them in wild disarray | E |
| With hair that streamed behind her like a flame | I2 |
| And face dazed with the moon who shrilly cried | P |
| 'Let not death part the bridegroom from his bride ' | - |
| - | |
| - | |
| XXII | Q |
| But deeming her some fiend in female guise | Q |
| They drive her forth with threats till crazed with fear | X |
| Across the stones and mounded graves she flies | Q |
| Towards that lapping moon illumined mere | X |
| And like a child seeking its mother's breast | P |
| She casts her life thereon and is at rest | P |
| - | |
| - | |
| XXIII | Q |
| And while the waves close gurgling o'er her head | P |
| A grave is dug whence he may never stray | E |
| Or come back prophesying from the dead | P |
| All shouting as they stifle him with clay | E |
| 'Earth on his mouth the earth he would adore | J |
| That his blaspheming tongue may blab no more ' | - |
Mathilde Blind
(1)
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About The Prophecy Of St. Oran: Part Iv
The Prophecy Of St. Oran: Part Iv is a poem by Mathilde Blind. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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