The Secret Of The Stars Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCC DEFFGGHHIIJJKKLLC MMNNOOPPQQRRSSTTUUVV WWXXCCYYTTZZA2A2B2B2 C2MQQZZD2D2E2E2JJZZH HF2F2 B2B2G2G2ZZH2I2J2J2CC K2K2L2L2RRTTM2M2N2N2 O2

Is man's the only throbbing heart that hidesA
The silent spring that feeds its whispering tidesA
Speak from thy caverns mystery breeding EarthB
Tell the half hinted story of thy birthB
And calm the noisy champions who have thrownC
The book of types against the book of stoneC
-
Have ye not secrets ye refulgent spheresD
No sleepless listener of the starlight hearsE
In vain the sweeping equatorial priesF
Through every world sown corner of the skiesF
To the far orb that so remotely straysG
Our midnight darkness is its noonday blazeG
In vain the climbing soul of creeping manH
Metes out the heavenly concave with a spanH
Tracks into space the long lost meteor's trailI
And weighs an unseen planet in the scaleI
Still o'er their doubts the wan eyed watchers sighJ
And Science lifts her still unanswered cryJ
'Are all these worlds that speed their circling flightK
Dumb vacant soulless baubles of the nightK
Warmed with God's smile and wafted by his breathL
To weave in ceaseless round the dance of DeathL
Or rolls a sphere in each expanding zoneC
Crowned with a life as varied as our own '-
-
Maker of earth and stars If thou hast taughtM
By what thy voice hath spoke thy hand hath wroughtM
By all that Science proves or guesses trueN
More than thy poet dreamed thy prophet knewN
The heavens still bow in darkness at thy feetO
And shadows veil thy cloud pavilioned seatO
Not for ourselves we ask thee to revealP
One awful word beneath the future's sealP
What thou shalt tell us grant us strength to bearQ
What thou withholdest is thy single careQ
Not for ourselves the present clings too fastR
Moored to the mighty anchors of the pastR
But when with angry snap some cable partsS
The sound re echoing in our startled heartsS
When through the wall that clasps the harbor roundT
And shuts the raving ocean from its boundT
Shattered and rent by sacrilegious handsU
The first mad billow leaps upon the sandsU
Then to the Future's awful page we turnV
And what we question hardly dare to learnV
Still let us hope for while we seem to treadW
The time worn pathway of the nations deadW
Though Sparta laughs at all our warlike deedsX
And buried Athens claims our stolen creedsX
Though Rome a spectre on her broken throneC
Beholds our eagle and recalls her ownC
Though England fling her pennons on the breezeY
And reign before us Mistress of the seasY
While calm eyed History tracks us circling roundT
Fate's iron pillar where they all were boundT
Still in our path a larger curve she findsZ
The spiral widening as the chain unwindsZ
Still sees new beacons crowned with brighter flameA2
Than the old watch fires like but not the sameA2
No shameless haste shall spot with bandit crimeB2
Our destined empire snatched before its timeB2
Wait wait undoubting for the winds have caughtC2
From our bold speech the heritage of thoughtM
No marble form that sculptured truth can wearQ
Vies with the image shaped in viewless airQ
And thought unfettered grows through speech to deedsZ
As the broad forest marches in its seedsZ
What though we perish ere the day is wonD2
Enough to see its glorious work begunD2
The thistle falls before a trampling clownE2
But who can chain the flying thistle downE2
Wait while the fiery seeds of freedom flyJ
The prairie blazes when the grass is dryJ
What arms might ravish leave to peaceful artsZ
Wisdom and love shall win the roughest heartsZ
So shall the angel who has closed for manH
The blissful garden since his woes beganH
Swing wide the golden portals of the WestF2
And Eden's secret stand at length confessedF2
-
-
-
The reader paused in truth he thought it timeB2
Some threatening signs accused the drowsy rhymeB2
The Mistress nodded the Professor dozedG2
The two Annexes sat with eyelids closedG2
Not sleeping no But when one shuts one's eyesZ
That one hears better no one sure deniesZ
The Doctor whispered in Delilah's earH2
Or seemed to whisper for their heads drew nearI2
Not all the owner's efforts could restrainJ2
The wild vagaries of the squinting brainJ2
Last of the listeners Number Five aloneC
The patient reader still could call his ownC
-
'Teacups arouse ' 'T was thus the spell I brokeK2
The drowsy started and the slumberers wokeK2
'The sleep I promised you have now enjoyedL2
Due to your hour of labor well employedL2
Swiftly the busy moments have been passedR
This our first 'Teacups ' must not be our lastR
Here on this spot now consecrated groundT
The Order of 'The Teacups' let us foundT
By winter's fireside and in summer's bowerM2
Still shall it claim its ever welcome hourM2
In distant regions where our feet may roamN2
The magic teapot find or make a homeN2
Long may its floods their bright infusion pourO2
Till time and teacups both shall be no more '-

Oliver Wendell Holmes



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Secret Of The Stars poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 8 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets