Christ At Carnival Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCCDDEECCFG HIJKLMNKFFK OPOQRSPOS TUVUTTBBUKNKK VWVWXXWXWYYZXZXA2A2A 2B2B2 IRKINC2D2E2F2E2F2A XXAG2H2I2I2J2J2H2H2K 2L2M2WM2WN2O2P2XQ2X RXRR2S2NKS2QS2QE2 T2N2E2QU2N2E2S2QE2QS 2S2S2S2S2V2S2QW2QX2W 2X2 E2Y2Y2E2QS2QZ2S2A2S2 A3S2A3S2S2E2S2E2 S2S2KB3CQCQL2L2 WS2WC3S2S2C3S2S2E2S2 S2S2S2S2S2S2S2S2 J2J2D3D3AAS2QX2B3

THE hand of carnival was at my doorA
I listened to its knocking and sped downB
Faith was forgotten Duty led no moreA
I heard a wonton revelry in the townB
The Carnival ran in my veins like fireC
And some unfrustrable desireC
Goaded me on to catch the roses thrownD
From breast to breast and with my ownD
Fugitive kiss to snatch the fugitive kissE
I broke all faith for thisE
One wild and worthless hourC
To dance to run to beckon as a flowerC
Maddens the bee with half surrenderingF
Then flies back in the air with petals shutG
-
Fainting with laughter and pursuitH
I heard shrill winds leap out and sink againI
Tracking the green bed where the Spring hath lainJ
And vanished from whose feet made audibleK
Music among the tall trees on the hillL
Above me leaned a nightingaleM
Burdened and big with song whose throat let fallN
Long notes so poignant and so musicalK
I deemed his young mate listeningF
Heard him less passionately singF
Than I a foot at CarnivalK
-
Above the town swart Night came rolling inO
Upon her couch of heliotropeP
A new Moon young and thinO
Lay like a ColumbineQ
Teasing the spent hill her old HarlequinR
She who of late waned on the bitter skyS
Furtive and old a woman without hopeP
Begging in long familiar streets where SinO
Once seeking her now shuddered and went byS
-
Caught in the meshes of a merry throngT
I stumbled through the lighted Market PlaceU
The lanterns swung an undetermined roseV
In Night's convulsive faceU
As we were swept alongT
In crazy dance and songT
On through the mirth mad alleys of the townB
With shrill loud laughter tumbled roughly downB
Whirled up in swift embraceU
All all went swinging swaying in the revelK
Laughing and reeling kissing each and allN
A crowd that wildest jesting did dishevelK
O mad night of CarnivalK
-
Racing along the last mean street that goesV
From house to house to find the mountain trackW
I loosed their hands to catch a roseV
Flung from some casement swiftly they turned backW
With gusty laughter their wild mates to greetX
Swift as the footless wind along the wheatX
Fainter and fainter grew their revellingW
Deserted of a sudden lay the streetX
Silence fell on me like a famished thingW
Making my soul aware of one who stoodY
Beside me one who wore a monkish hoodY
I stared as one who seesZ
Beneath the thin and settled sheetX
Over still mysteriesZ
Faint outline of belov d hands and feetX
Too little loved and now too dead to careA2
And suddenly becomes awareA2
That more than Death lies thereA2
That from this piteous and submissive changeB2
Something has risen terrible and strangeB2
-
Why fell my roses What fear drove me thenI
To question him Who art thou citizenR
Fainter and fainter grows the CarnivalK
Wilt thou lock hands and turn with me againI
He answered not but let the hood half fallN
Showing a thorn plait on a forehead marredC2
Trembling I cried Who art thou LordD2
As thou sayest I am HeE2
How long upn my cross am I to bleedF2
For thee still to deny me utterlyE2
Is not the hour yet come that I be freedF2
How long am I to listen at thy doorA
-
Stricken in soul I fell against his feetX
In rose disorderd streetX
Weeping I have not heard Thy foot beforeA
He answered He who hearsG2
Loud noise of Carnival about his earsH2
How shall he heed the foot with silence shodI2
Or listen for the small still voice of GodI2
What is thy lifeJ2
Is thy sword stained in any splended strifeJ2
Hast thou in all thy safe unshaken yearsH2
Once thrown thyself upon Night's ambushed spearsH2
Or broken with thy tearsK2
Thy heart against the Dawn's feet any dayL2
Hast thou spurnedM2
Any earthly perishable sweet thingW
To bear another's burden Hast thou learnedM2
At any knee but Folly's trafficingW
With every sweet delight that said thee 'yea'N2
Oft hast thy goaded men to kiss thy mouthO2
The flower of thy youthP2
Thou hast rendered up to any wind that's fleetX
But hast thou ever hastened to the CrossQ2
To kiss My saving feetX
-
Thou knowest Lord thou knowest I have not strivenR
I made life easy profitable sweetX
I have not loved much or been much forgivenR
Of all a woman's vows the holiestR2
To children that were posies at my breastS2
I have forsworn to night forsaking allN
The ways of God to dance at CarnivalK
What have I now to offer Thee Who deignestS2
To seek for grape on such unfruitful vineQ
Who with such sinful head Thy bosom stainestS2
He said The last allegiance will be MineQ
Leave all and follow MeE2
-
Nay but my little children sleep at homeT2
Beside their father I would say good byeN2
He answered Was there any time for MeE2
To make My farewells in GethsemaneQ
Or any lips to take last kisses fromU2
Knowest thou not that I can satisfyN2
All creatures I make Mine shall I not beE2
Thy priest blessing for thee the common breadS2
Till the white flesh divineQ
Quicken against thy lip and hallow dE2
The blood beat through the wineQ
I would have all thou hastS2
Be all thou artS2
I would claim all thy present future pastS2
For My dispis d heartS2
For Me thou shalt all other creatures hateS2
My seven wounds thou shalt assuageV2
With mouth inviolateS2
O pardoning love I wept O love divineQ
That such as thou shouldst ask of suchW2
I am Thine all ThineQ
Casting here at Thy feet despis d ThouX2
All other loves that used to mean so muchW2
All other hopes that mean so little nowX2
-
From a side alley dumb to revelryE2
Came the low sound of weeping then my nameY2
A beggar cameY2
Out of the heaving dark and spake to meE2
How knowest thou Christ I answered By the thornQ
Nay but the thorn tree grows in every woodS2
For any brow forswornQ
The other whispered Thou art tempted hereZ2
For my sake but the beggar's voice came fleetS2
As pain Three crosses did that hillside bearA2
Not Christ alone hath wounded hands and feetS2
Dost thou believeA3
That every pierced hand stretched to thee is ChristS2
Shall not some thief inpenitent deceiveA3
At some strange shrine wilt thou be sacrificedS2
The other whispered Shall thy faith be ledS2
So soon a traitor child For such as heE2
Trample me every day The beggar saidS2
Nay wast thou spit upon in GalileeE2
-
Wildly I cried Oh from this hallowed streetS2
Go thy way beggar take thine apostate feetS2
From this poor temple on whose pinnacleK
Christ in His Love doth not disdain to dwellB3
Who doth conferC
Glory on things inglorious nor doth shunQ
But bids an angel to Him ministerC
Albeit a fallen oneQ
And if thou canst not prayL2
Leave me my prayer at least and go thy wayL2
-
Swift were Christ's feet the mountain road alongW
A swift as they my soul beside them fledS2
Keeping fleet measure to the strongW
Unshatterable music of His wordsC3
That in my hard heart madeS2
Exquisite wounds that sang the while they bledS2
Like little tam d birdsC3
O Holy One I break here at Thy feetS2
The perfume of my soul like Magdalen's sweetS2
Spilled ointment knewest Thou who gather dE2
Those holy spices What dishevelled nightS2
What lust profaning every temple riteS2
To toss the gold of her sweet shameless headS2
Had eased from priestly hands the spikenardS2
That made her soiled garments smell of GodS2
Thou did accept that sweetness when she kneeledS2
That holy myrrh spilled from the soul and shardS2
Nor didst disdain by her to be unshodS2
Nay Thy world wounded feet her tresses healedS2
-
So here I gather sweets of all my lifeJ2
Treasure for which sin waged unworthy strifeJ2
Holding as one who guilty pleasure winsD3
Yea even all my sins my little sinsD3
My loves and penitences foes no moreA
At strife with Thee for me Oh bid me pourA
My spirit's perfume I have wept and kissedS2
Those feet grown weary following what menQ
Caught up so easily upon this browX2
Be shed the glB3

Muriel Stuart



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