Athanasia Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCC DEDEFF GHGHIE EJEJKK HLHLEE HKHKMM ENENOO KEKEHH PQPQKK RGRGKK

To that gaunt House of Art which lacks for naughtA
Of all the great things men have saved from TimeB
The withered body of a girl was broughtA
Dead ere the world's glad youth had touched its primeB
And seen by lonely Arabs lying hidC
In the dim womb of some black pyramidC
-
But when they had unloosed the linen bandD
Which swathed the Egyptian's body lo was foundE
Closed in the wasted hollow of her handD
A little seed which sown in English groundE
Did wondrous snow of starry blossoms bearF
And spread rich odours through our spring tide airF
-
With such strange arts this flower did allureG
That all forgotten was the asphodelH
And the brown bee the lily's paramourG
Forsook the cup where he was wont to dwellH
For not a thing of earth it seemed to beI
But stolen from some heavenly ArcadyE
-
In vain the sad narcissus wan and whiteE
At its own beauty hung across the streamJ
The purple dragon fly had no delightE
With its gold dust to make his wings a gleamJ
Ah no delight the jasmine bloom to kissK
Or brush the rain pearls from the eucharisK
-
For love of it the passionate nightingaleH
Forgot the hills of Thrace the cruel kingL
And the pale dove no longer cared to sailH
Through the wet woods at time of blossomingL
But round this flower of Egypt sought to floatE
With silvered wing and amethystine throatE
-
While the hot sun blazed in his tower of blueH
A cooling wind crept from the land of snowsK
And the warm south with tender tears of dewH
Drenched its white leaves when Hesperos up roseK
Amid those sea green meadows of the skyM
On which the scarlet bars of sunset lieM
-
But when o'er wastes of lily haunted fieldE
The tired birds had stayed their amorous tuneN
And broad and glittering like an argent shieldE
High in the sapphire heavens hung the moonN
Did no strange dream or evil memory makeO
Each tremulous petal of its blossoms shakeO
-
Ah no to this bright flower a thousand yearsK
Seemed but the lingering of a summer's dayE
It never knew the tide of cankering fearsK
Which turn a boy's gold hair to withered greyE
The dread desire of death it never knewH
Or how all folk that they were born must rueH
-
For we to death with pipe and dancing goP
Nor would we pass the ivory gate againQ
As some sad river wearied of its flowP
Through the dull plains the haunts of common menQ
Leaps lover like into the terrible seaK
And counts it gain to die so gloriouslyK
-
We mar our lordly strength in barren strifeR
With the world's legions led by clamorous careG
It never feels decay but gathers lifeR
From the pure sunlight and the supreme airG
We live beneath Time's wasting sovereigntyK
It is the child of all eternityK

Oscar Wilde



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