Alaric At Rome Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABC DEDFGG GHGHII J JKL LMNMO LODODPP Q RSS TUTUVV VDVDOO ODODOVV OEDVDWW OOOOO O O O OVV OVPVPOO VXAXAHH VYZA2ZOO VB2C2B2C2D2D2 VOVOVE2F2 VG2OXOPP O V VH2I2 OJ2OJ2OVV OK2OK2OVV OOL2OL2M2 VADADVV VN2 N2OO2O2 V QOQM2M2 VEVVVOO VVOVOP2P2 VQ2R2Q2R2YY OOM2OM2OO OQOQOV OS2OS2OVO OSQSQUU OT2OT2OVV VOOOOK2K2 VOU2OV2OO VW2OW2OVV VVVVOOO VOOOOF2E2

Admire exult despise laugh weep for hereA
There is such matter for all feelingB
Childe HaroldC
-
-
I-
Unwelcome shroud of the forgotten deadD
Oblivion's dreary fountain where art thouE
Why speed'st thou not thy deathlike wave to shedD
O'er humbled pride and self reproaching woeF
Or time's stern hand why blots it not awayG
The saddening tale that tells of sorrow and decayG
-
II-
There are whose glory passeth not awayG
Even in the grave their fragrance cannot fadeH
Others there are as deathless full as theyG
Who for themselves a monument have madeH
By their own cringes a lesson to all eyesI
Of wonder to the fool of warning to the wiseI
-
III-
Yes there are stories registered on high-
Yes there are stains time's fingers cannot blotJ
Deeds that shall live when they who did them die-
Things that may cease but never be forgotJ
Yet some there are their very lives would giveK
To be remembered thus and yet they cannot liveL
-
IVL
But thou imperial City that least stoodM
In greatness once in sackcloth now and tearsN
A mighty name for evil or for goodM
Even in the loneness of thy widowed yearsO
Thou that hast gazed as the world hurried by-
Upon its headlong course with sad prophetic eye-
-
VL
Is thine the laurel crown that greatness wreathesO
Round the wan temples of the hallowed deadD
Is it the blighting taint dishonour breathesO
In fires undying o'er the guilty headD
Or the brief splendour of that meteor lightP
Chat for a moment gleams and all again is nightP
-
VI-
Fain would we deem that thou hast risen so high-
Thy dazzling light an eagle's gaze should tireQ
No meteor brightness to be seen and die-
No passing pageant born but to expireR
But full and deathless as the deep dark hueS
Of ocean's sleeping face or heaven's unbroken blueS
-
VII-
Yet stains there are to blot thy brightest pageT
And wither half the laurels on thy tombU
A glorious manhood yet a dim old ageT
And years of crime and nothingness and gloomU
And then that mightiest crash that giant fallV
Ambition's boldest dream might sober and appalV
-
VIII-
Thou wondrous chaos where together dwellV
Present and past the living and the deadD
Thou shattered mass whose glorious ruins tellV
The vanisht might of that discrown d headD
Where all we see or do or hear or sayO
Seems strangely echoed back by tones of yesterdayO
-
IXO
Thou solemn grave where every step we treadD
Treads on the slumbering dust of other yearsO
The while there sleeps within thy precincts dreadD
What once had human passions hopes and fearsO
And memory's gushing tide swells deep and fullV
And makes thy very ruin fresh and beautifulV
-
XO
Alas no common sepulchre art thouE
No habitation for the nameless deadD
Green turf above and crumbling dust belowV
Perchance some mute memorial at their headD
But one vast fane where all unconscious sleepW
Earth's old heroic forms in peaceful slumbers deepW
-
XIO
Thy dead are kings thy dust are palacesO
Relics of nations thy memorial stonesO
And the dim glories of departed daysO
Fold like a shroud around thy withered bonesO
And o'er thy towers the wind's half uttered sigh-
Whispers in mournful tones thy silent elegyO
-
XIIO
Yes in such eloquent silence didst thou lie-
When the Goth stooped upon his stricken preyO
And the deep hues of an Italian sky-
Flasht on the rude barbarian's wild arrayO
While full and ceaseless as the ocean rollV
Horde after horde streamed up thy frowning CapitolV
-
XIIIO
Twice ere that day of shame the embattled foeV
Had gazed in wonder on that glorious sightP
Twice had the eternal city bowed her lowV
In sullen homage to the invader's mightP
Twice had the pageant of that vast arrayO
Swept from thy walls O Rome on its triumphant wayO
-
XIVV
Twice from without thy bulwarks hath the dinX
Of Gothic clarion smote thy startled earA
Anger and strife and sickness are withinX
Famine and sorrow are no strangers hereA
Twice hath the cloud hung o'er thee twice been stayedH
Even in the act to burst twice threatened twice delayedH
-
XVV
Yet once again stern Chief yet once againY
Pour forth the foaming vials of thy wrathZ
There lies thy goal to miss or to attainA2
Gird thee and on upon thy fateful pathZ
The world hath bowed to Rome oh cold were heO
Who would not burst his bonds and in his turn be freeO
-
XVIV
Therefore arise and arm thee lo the worldB2
Looks on in fear and when the seal is setC2
The doom pronounced the battle flag unfurledB2
Scourge of the nations wouldst thou linger yetC2
Arise and arm thee spread thy banners forthD2
Pour from a thousand hills thy warriors of the northD2
-
XVIIV
Hast thou not marked on a wild autumn dayO
When the wind slumbereth in a sudden lullV
What deathlike stillness o'er the landscape layO
How calmly sad how sadly beautifulV
How each bright tint of tree and flower and heathE2
Were mingling with the sere and withered hues of deathF2
-
XVIIIV
And thus beneath the clear calm vault of heavenG2
In mournful loveliness that city layO
And thus amid the glorious hues of evenX
That city told of languor and decayO
Till what at morning's hour lookt warm and brightP
Was cold and sad beneath that breathless voiceless nightP
-
XIXO
Soon was that stillness broken like the cry-
Of the hoarse onset of the surging waveV
Or louder rush of whirlwinds sweeping by-
Was the wild shout those Gothic myriads gaveV
As towered on high above their moonlit roadH2
Scenes where a Caesar triumpht or a Scipio trodI2
-
XXO
Think ye it strikes too slow the sword of fateJ2
Think ye the avenger loiters on his wayO
That your own hands must open wide the gateJ2
And your own voice s guide him to his preyO
Alas it needs not is it hard to knowV
Fate's threat'nings are not vain the spoiler comes not slowV
-
XXIO
And were there none to stand and weep aloneK2
And as the pageant swept before their eyesO
To hear a dins and long forgotten toneK2
Tell of old times and holiest memoriesO
Till fanciful regret and dreamy woeV
Peopled night's voiceless shades with forms of long AgoV
-
XXIIO
Oh yes if fancy feels beyond to dayO
Thoughts of the past and of the future timeL2
How should that mightiest city pass awayO
And not bethink her of her glorious primeL2
Whilst every chord that thrills at thoughts of homeM2
Jarr'd with the bursting shout 'they come the Goth they come '-
-
XVIIIV
The trumpet swells yet louder they are hereA
Yea on your fathers' bones the avengers treadD
Not this the time to weep upon the bierA
That holds the ashes of your hero deadD
If wreaths may twine for you or laurels waveV
They shall not deck your life but sanctify your graveV
-
XXIVV
Alas no wreaths are here Despair may teachN2
Cowards to conquer and the weak to die-
Nor tongue of man nor fear nor shame can preachN2
So stern a lesson as necessityO
Yet here it speaks not Yea though all aroundO2
Unhallowed feet are trampling on this haunted groundO2
-
XXVV
Though every holiest feeling every tie-
That binds the heart of man with mightiest powerQ
All natural love all human sympathyO
Be crusht and outraged in this bitter hourQ
Here is no echo to the sound of homeM2
No shame that suns should rise to light a conquer'd RomeM2
-
XXVIV
That troublous night is over on the browE
Of thy stern hill thou mighty CapitolV
One form stands gazing silently belowV
The morning mists from tower and temple rollV
And lo the eternal city as they riseO
Bursts in majestic beauty on her conqueror's eyesO
-
XXVIIV
Yes there he stood upon that silent hillV
And there beneath his feet his conquest layO
Unlike that ocean city gazing stillV
Smilingly forth upon her sunny bayO
But o'er her vanisht might and humbled prideP2
Mourning as widowed Venice o'er her Adrian tideP2
-
XXVIIIV
Breathe there not spirits on the peopled airQ2
Float there not voices on the murmuring windR2
Oh sound there not some strains of sadness thereQ2
To touch with sorrow even a victor's mindR2
And wrest one tear from joy Oh who shall penY
The thoughts that toucht thy breast thou lonely conqueror thenY
-
XXIXO
Perchance his wandering heart was far awayO
Lost in dim memories of his early homeM2
And his young dreams of conquest how to dayO
Beheld him master of Imperial RomeM2
Crowning his wildest hopes perchance his eyesO
As they looked sternly on beheld new victoriesO
-
XXXO
New dreams of wide dominion mightier higherQ
Come floating up from the abyss of yearsO
Perchance that solemn sight might quench the fireQ
Even of that ardent spirit hopes and fearsO
Might well be mingling at that murmured sighV
Whispering from all around 'All earthly things must die '-
-
XXXIO
Perchance that wondrous city was to himS2
But as one voiceless blank a place of gravesO
And recollections indistinct and dimS2
Whose sons were conquerors once and now were slavesO
It may be in that desolate sight his eyeV
Saw but another step to climb to victoryO
-
XXXIIO
Alas that fiery spirit little knewS
The change of life the nothingness of powerQ
How both were hastening as they flowered and grewS
Nearer and nearer to their closing hourQ
How every birth of time's miraculous wombU
Swept off the withered leaves that hide the naked tombU
-
XXXIIIO
One little year that restless soul shall restT2
That frame of vigour shall be crumbling clayO
And tranquilly above that troubled breastT2
The sunny waters hold their joyous wayO
And gently shall the murmuring ripples flowV
Nor wake the weary soul that slumbers on belowV
-
XXXIVV
Alas far other thoughts might well be oursO
And dash our holiest raptures while we gazeO
Energies wasted unimproved hoursO
The saddening visions of departed daysO
And while they rise here might we stand aloneK2
And mingle with thy ruins somewhat of our ownK2
-
XXXVV
Beautiful city If departed thingsO
Ever again put earthly likeness onU2
Here should a thousand forms on fancy's wingsO
Float up to tell of ages that are goneV2
Yea though hand touch thee not nor eye should seeO
Still should the spirit hold communion Rome with theeO
-
XXXVIV
O it is bitter that each fairest dreamW2
Should fleet before us but to melt awayO
That wildest visions still should loveliest seemW2
And soonest fade in the broad glare of dayO
That while we feel the world is dull and lowV
Gazing on thee we wake to find it is not soV
-
XXXVIIV
A little while alas a little whileV
And the same world has tongue and ear and eyeV
The careless glance the cold unmeaning smileV
The thoughtless word the lack of sympathyO
Who would not turn him from the barren seaO
And rest his weary eyes on the green land and theeO
-
XXXVIIIV
So pass we on But oh to harp arightO
The vanisht glories of thine early dayO
There needs a minstrel of diviner mightO
A holier incense than this feeble layO
To chant thy requiem with more passionate breathF2
And twine with bolder hand thy last memorial wreathE2

Matthew Arnold



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