The Candle Seller Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFF GGCCHHAAIIFF CCJJKKFFLLMM FFNNOOPPCCCC CCQQRRSSCCTT UUVWCCUUCCXX YYZZA2A2CCB2B2

In Hester Street hard by a telegraph postA
There sits a poor woman as wan as a ghostA
Her pale face is shrunk like the face of the deadB
And yet you can tell that her cheeks once were redB
But love ease and friendship and glory I weenC
May hardly the cause of their fading have beenC
Poor soul she has wept so she scarcely can seeD
A skeleton infant she holds on her kneeD
It tugs at her breast and it whimpers and sleepsE
But soon at her cry it awakens and weepsE
Two cents my good woman three candles will buyF
As bright as their flame be my star in the skyF
-
Tho' few are her wares and her basket is smallG
She earns her own living by these when at allG
She's there with her baby in wind and in rainC
In frost and in snow fall in weakness and painC
She trades and she trades through the good times and slackH
No home and no food and no cloak to her backH
She's kithless and kinless one friend at the mostA
And that one is silent the telegraph postA
She asks for no alms the poor Jewess but stillI
Altho' she is wretched forsaken and illI
She cries Sabbath candles to those that come nighF
And all that she pleads is that people will buyF
-
To honor the sweet holy Sabbath each oneC
With joy in his heart to the market has goneC
To shops and to pushcarts they hurriedly fareJ
But who for the poor wretched woman will careJ
A few of her candles you think they will takeK
They seek the meat patties the fish and the cakeK
She holds forth a hand with the pitiful cryF
Two cents my good women three candles will buyF
But no one has listened and no one has heardL
Her voice is so weak that it fails at each wordL
Perchance the poor mite in her lap understoodM
She hears mother's crying but where is the goodM
-
I pray you how long will she sit there and cryF
Her candles so feebly to all that pass byF
How long will it be do you think ere her breathN
Gives out in the horrible struggle with DeathN
How long will this frail one in mother love strongO
Give suck to the babe at her breast Oh how longO
The child mother's tears used to swallow beforeP
But mother's eyes nowadays shed them no moreP
Oh dry are the eyes now and empty the brainC
The heart well nigh broken the breath drawn with painC
Yet ever tho' faintly she calls out anewC
Oh buy but two candles good women but twoC
-
In Hester Street stands on the pavement of stoneC
A small orphaned basket forsaken aloneC
Beside it is sitting a corpse cold and starkQ
The seller of candles will nobody markQ
No none of the passers have noticed her yetR
The rich ones on feasting are busily setR
And such as are pious you well may believeS
Have no time to spare on the gay Sabbath eveS
So no one has noticed and no one has seenC
And now comes the nightfall and with it sereneC
The Princess the Sabbath from Heaven descendsT
And all the gay throng to the synagogue wendsT
-
Within where they pray all is cleanly and brightU
The cantor sings sweetly they list with delightU
But why in a dream stands the tall chandelierV
As dim as the candles that gleam round a bierW
The candles belonged to the woman you knowC
Who died in the street but a short time agoC
The rich and the pious have brought them tonightU
For mother and child they have set them alightU
The rich and the pious their duty have doneC
Her tapers are lighted who died all aloneC
The rich and the pious are nobly behavedX
A body what matters But souls must be savedX
-
O synagogue lights be ye witnesses boldY
That mother and child died of hunger and coldY
Where millions are squandered in idle displayZ
That men all unheeded must starve by the wayZ
Then hold back your flame blessed lights hold it fastA2
The great day of judgment will come at the lastA2
Before the white throne where imposture is vainC
Ye lights for the soul ye'll be lighted againC
And upward your flame there shall mount as on wingsB2
And damn the existing false order of thingsB2

Morris Rosenfeld



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