The Sphinx Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDE DFGH IJKL MNIO KFFP QRAS MDTC JUVW XYTW KWZW ZA2AD B2C2DX D2RIW E2F2G2H2 I2WDW J2K2ML2 M2N2KW MLO2P2 C2Q2KR2 RZKW RWJ2S2 WRT2W U2V2W2U2 ZWX2Y2 Z2A3O2T2 W2B3C3E H2D3WW ZX2TE3 KF3WG3 H3WVW WRH2T KI3J3W K3L3M3W TIKX2 WI3O2Y2 MN3X2T ZX2O2S2 X2O3O2P3 Q3R3X2R S3U2T3U3 B3X2Q2B3 KWZW TS2V3X2 W3X2X3W3 J2Y3KX2 IX2TW MZTR WX2WZ3 IWMY2 MWMM TMKW X2WWM Y2WRW WMMX2 RX2MA4 WWKW MWWS2 F2MX2T X2MKX2 WWWX2 MMMT O3RWX2 MMWW X2WSW X2MKT KMWM X2WX2X2 RMX2X2 B4WMX2 MTIW TX2MT TMTW TRC4M X2WWW T2WMW MD4SE4 TRWW TF4RW RMMW MX2WM O2X2MG4 MMMX2 O2T2TM WWX2X2 RH4TI4 WTJ4W WWWX2

To Marcel Schwob in friendship and in admirationA
-
In a dim corner of my room for longer thanB
my fancy thinksC
A beautiful and silent Sphinx has watched meD
through the shifting gloomE
-
Inviolate and immobile she does not rise sheD
does not stirF
For silver moons are naught to her and naughtG
to her the suns that reelH
-
Red follows grey across the air the waves ofI
moonlight ebb and flowJ
But with the Dawn she does not go and in theK
night time she is thereL
-
Dawn follows Dawn and Nights grow old andM
all the while this curious catN
Lies couching on the Chinese mat with eyes ofI
satin rimmed with goldO
-
Upon the mat she lies and leers and on theK
tawny throat of herF
Flutters the soft and silky fur or ripples to herF
pointed earsP
-
Come forth my lovely seneschal so somnolentQ
so statuesqueR
Come forth you exquisite grotesque half womanA
and half animalS
-
Come forth my lovely languorous Sphinx andM
put your head upon my kneeD
And let me stroke your throat and see yourT
body spotted like the LynxC
-
And let me touch those curving claws of yellowJ
ivory and graspU
The tail that like a monstrous Asp coils roundV
your heavy velvet pawsW
-
A thousand weary centuries are thineX
while I have hardly seenY
Some twenty summers cast their green forT
Autumn's gaudy liveriesW
-
But you can read the Hieroglyphs on theK
great sandstone obelisksW
And you have talked with Basilisks and youZ
have looked on HippogriffsW
-
O tell me were you standing by when Isis toZ
Osiris kneltA2
And did you watch the Egyptian melt her unionA
for AntonyD
-
And drink the jewel drunken wine and bendB2
her head in mimic aweC2
To see the huge proconsul draw the salted tunnyD
from the brineX
-
And did you mark the Cyprian kiss white AdonD2
on his catafalqueR
And did you follow Amenalk the God ofI
HeliopolisW
-
And did you talk with Thoth and did you hearE2
the moon horned Io weepF2
And know the painted kings who sleep beneathG2
the wedge shaped PyramidH2
-
Lift up your large black satin eyes which areI2
like cushions where one sinksW
Fawn at my feet fantastic Sphinx and sing meD
all your memoriesW
-
Sing to me of the Jewish maid who wanderedJ2
with the Holy ChildK2
And how you led them through the wild andM
how they slept beneath your shadeL2
-
Sing to me of that odorous green eve whenM2
crouching by the margeN2
You heard from Adrian's gilded barge theK
laughter of AntinousW
-
And lapped the stream and fed your drouth andM
watched with hot and hungry stareL
The ivory body of that rare young slave withO2
his pomegranate mouthP2
-
Sing to me of the Labyrinth in which the twiC2
formed bull was stalledQ2
Sing to me of the night you crawled across theK
temple's granite plinthR2
-
When through the purple corridors the screamingR
scarlet Ibis flewZ
In terror and a horrid dew dripped from theK
moaning MandragoresW
-
And the great torpid crocodile within the tankR
shed slimy tearsW
And tare the jewels from his ears and staggeredJ2
back into the NileS2
-
And the priests cursed you with shrill psalms asW
in your claws you seized their snakeR
And crept away with it to slake your passion byT2
the shuddering palmsW
-
Who were your lovers who were theyU2
who wrestled for you in the dustV2
Which was the vessel of your Lust WhatW2
Leman had you every dayU2
-
Did giant Lizards come and crouch before youZ
on the reedy banksW
Did Gryphons with great metal flanks leap onX2
you in your trampled couchY2
-
Did monstrous hippopotami come sidling towardZ2
you in the mistA3
Did gilt scaled dragons writhe and twist withO2
passion as you passed them byT2
-
And from the brick built Lycian tomb whatW2
horrible Chimera cameB3
With fearful heads and fearful flame to breedC3
new wonders from your wombE
-
Or had you shameful secret quests and didH2
you harry to your homeD3
Some Nereid coiled in amber foam with curiousW
rock crystal breastsW
-
Or did you treading through the froth call toZ
the brown SidonianX2
For tidings of Leviathan Leviathan orT
BehemothE3
-
Or did you when the sun was set climb up theK
cactus covered slopeF3
To meet your swarthy Ethiop whose body wasW
of polished jetG3
-
Or did you while the earthen skiffs droppedH3
down the grey Nilotic flatsW
At twilight and the flickering bats flew roundV
the temple's triple glyphsW
-
Steal to the border of the bar and swim acrossW
the silent lakeR
And slink into the vault and make the PyramidH2
your lupanarT
-
Till from each black sarcophagus rose up theK
painted swathed deadI3
Or did you lure unto your bed the ivory hornedJ3
TragelaphosW
-
Or did you love the god of flies who plaguedK3
the Hebrews and was splashedL3
With wine unto the waist or Pasht who hadM3
green beryls for her eyesW
-
Or that young god the Tyrian who was moreT
amorous than the doveI
Of Ashtaroth or did you love the god of theK
AssyrianX2
-
Whose wings like strange transparent talc roseW
high above his hawk faced headI3
Painted with silver and with red and ribbed withO2
rods of OreichalchY2
-
Or did huge Apis from his car leap down andM
lay before your feetN3
Big blossoms of the honey sweet and honeyX2
coloured nenupharT
-
How subtle secret is your smile Did youZ
love none then Nay I knowX2
Great Ammon was your bedfellow He lay withO2
you beside the NileS2
-
The river horses in the slime trumpeted whenX2
they saw him comeO3
Odorous with Syrian galbanum and smeared withO2
spikenard and with thymeP3
-
He came along the river bank like some tallQ3
galley argent sailedR3
He strode across the waters mailed in beautyX2
and the waters sankR
-
He strode across the desert sand he reachedS3
the valley where you layU2
He waited till the dawn of day then touchedT3
your black breasts with his handU3
-
You kissed his mouth with mouths of flameB3
you made the horned god your ownX2
You stood behind him on his throne you calledQ2
him by his secret nameB3
-
You whispered monstrous oracles into theK
caverns of his earsW
With blood of goats and blood of steers youZ
taught him monstrous miraclesW
-
White Ammon was your bedfellow YourT
chamber was the steaming NileS2
And with your curved archaic smile you watchedV3
his passion come and goX2
-
With Syrian oils his brows were brightW3
and wide spread as a tent at noonX2
His marble limbs made pale the moon and lentX3
the day a larger lightW3
-
His long hair was nine cubits' span and colouredJ2
like that yellow gemY3
Which hidden in their garment's hem theK
merchants bring from KurdistanX2
-
His face was as the must that lies upon a vat ofI
new made wineX2
The seas could not insapphirine the perfect azureT
of his eyesW
-
His thick soft throat was white as milk andM
threaded with thin veins of blueZ
And curious pearls like frozen dew wereT
broidered on his flowing silkR
-
On pearl and porphyry pedestalled he wasW
too bright to look uponX2
For on his ivory breast there shone the wondrousW
ocean emeraldZ3
-
That mystic moonlit jewel which some diver ofI
the Colchian cavesW
Had found beneath the blackening waves andM
carried to the Colchian witchY2
-
Before his gilded galiot ran naked vine wreathedM
corybantsW
And lines of swaying elephants knelt down toM
draw his chariotM
-
And lines of swarthy Nubians bare up his litterT
as he rodeM
Down the great granite paven road between theK
nodding peacock fansW
-
The merchants brought him steatite from SidonX2
in their painted shipsW
The meanest cup that touched his lips wasW
fashioned from a chrysoliteM
-
The merchants brought him cedar chests of richY2
apparel bound with cordsW
His train was borne by Memphian lords youngR
kings were glad to be his guestsW
-
Ten hundred shaven priests did bow to Ammon'sW
altar day and nightM
Ten hundred lamps did wave their light throughM
Ammon's carven house and nowX2
-
Foul snake and speckled adder with their youngR
ones crawl from stone to stoneX2
For ruined is the house and prone the greatM
rose marble monolithA4
-
Wild ass or trotting jackal comes and couchesW
in the mouldering gatesW
Wild satyrs call unto their mates across theK
fallen fluted drumsW
-
And on the summit of the pile the blue facedM
ape of Horus sitsW
And gibbers while the fig tree splits the pillarsW
of the peristyleS2
-
The god is scattered here and there deepF2
hidden in the windy sandM
I saw his giant granite hand still clenched inX2
impotent despairT
-
And many a wandering caravan of statelyX2
negroes silken shawledM
Crossing the desert halts appalled before theK
neck that none can spanX2
-
And many a bearded Bedouin draws back hisW
yellow striped burnousW
To gaze upon the Titan thews of him who wasW
thy paladinX2
-
Go seek his fragments on the moor andM
wash them in the evening dewM
And from their pieces make anew thy mutilatedM
paramourT
-
Go seek them where they lie alone and fromO3
their broken pieces makeR
Thy bruised bedfellow And wake mad passionsW
in the senseless stoneX2
-
Charm his dull ear with Syrian hymns he lovedM
your body oh be kindM
Pour spikenard on his hair and wind soft rollsW
of linen round his limbsW
-
Wind round his head the figured coins stainX2
with red fruits those pallid lipsW
Weave purple for his shrunken hips and purpleS
for his barren loinsW
-
Away to Egypt Have no fear Only oneX2
God has ever diedM
Only one God has let His side be wounded by aK
soldier's spearT
-
But these thy lovers are not dead Still by theK
hundred cubit gateM
Dog faced Anubis sits in state with lotus liliesW
for thy headM
-
Still from his chair of porphyry gaunt MemnonX2
strains his lidless eyesW
Across the empty land and cries each yellowX2
morning unto theeX2
-
And Nilus with his broken horn lies in his blackR
and oozy bedM
And till thy coming will not spread his waters onX2
the withering cornX2
-
Your lovers are not dead I know They willB4
rise up and hear your voiceW
And clash their cymbals and rejoice and run toM
kiss your mouth And soX2
-
Set wings upon your argosies Set horses toM
your ebon carT
Back to your Nile Or if you are grown sick ofI
dead divinitiesW
-
Follow some roving lion's spoor across the copperT
coloured plainX2
Reach out and hale him by the mane and bidM
him be your paramourT
-
Couch by his side upon the grass and set yourT
white teeth in his throatM
And when you hear his dying note lash yourT
long flanks of polished brassW
-
And take a tiger for your mate whose amberT
sides are flecked with blackR
And ride upon his gilded back in triumphC4
through the Theban gateM
-
And toy with him in amorous jests and whenX2
he turns and snarls and gnawsW
O smite him with your jasper claws and bruiseW
him with your agate breastsW
-
Why are you tarrying Get hence IT2
weary of your sullen waysW
I weary of your steadfast gaze your somnolentM
magnificenceW
-
Your horrible and heavy breath makes the lightM
flicker in the lampD4
And on my brow I feel the damp and dreadfulS
dews of night and deathE4
-
Your eyes are like fantastic moons that shiverT
in some stagnant lakeR
Your tongue is like a scarlet snake that dancesW
to fantastic tunesW
-
Your pulse makes poisonous melodies and yourT
black throat is like the holeF4
Left by some torch or burning coal on SaracenicR
tapestriesW
-
Away The sulphur coloured stars are hurryingR
through the Western gateM
Away Or it may be too late to climb their silentM
silver carsW
-
See the dawn shivers round the grey gilt dialledM
towers and the rainX2
Streams down each diamonded pane and blursW
with tears the wannish dayM
-
What snake tressed fury fresh from Hell withO2
uncouth gestures and uncleanX2
Stole from the poppy drowsy queen and led youM
to a student's cellG4
-
What songless tongueless ghost of sin creptM
through the curtains of the nightM
And saw my taper burning bright and knockedM
and bade you enter inX2
-
Are there not others more accursed whiter withO2
leprosies than IT2
Are Abana and Pharphar dry that you come hereT
to slake your thirstM
-
Get hence you loathsome mystery HideousW
animal get henceW
You wake in me each bestial sense you make meX2
what I would not beX2
-
You make my creed a barren sham you wakeR
foul dreams of sensual lifeH4
And Atys with his blood stained knife wereT
better than the thing I amI4
-
False Sphinx False Sphinx By reedy StyxW
old Charon leaning on his oarT
Waits for my coin Go thou before and leaveJ4
me to my crucifixW
-
Whose pallid burden sick with pain watchesW
the world with wearied eyesW
And weeps for every soul that dies and weepsW
for every soul in vainX2

Oscar Wilde



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