Boston - Sicut Patribus, Sit Deus Nobis Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCD EFGFHH IJI KK LDMCNN OPOQRR STSTUU VWVW XNXN DYDY WNU HH AZA AQAQ A2AA2AQQ B2C2B2D2E2F2 G2AG2ARR H2I2H2I2 RJ2RJ2K2K2 L2XL2X M2N2M2N2 NO2NO2P2P2 Q2R2S2R2T2T2 U2V2U2V2 W2X2W2X2The rocky nook with hilltops three | A |
Looked eastward from the farms | B |
And twice each day the flowing sea | A |
Took Boston in its arms | B |
The men of yore were stout and poor | C |
And sailed for bread to every shore | D |
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And where they went on trade intent | E |
They did what freemen can | F |
Their dauntless ways did all men praise | G |
The merchant was a man | F |
The world was made for honest trade | H |
To plant and eat be none afraid | H |
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The waves that rocked them on the deep | I |
To them their secret told | J |
Said the winds that sung the lads to sleep | I |
'Like us be free and bold ' | - |
The honest waves refused to slaves | K |
The empire of the ocean caves | K |
- | |
Old Europe groans with palaces | L |
Has lords enough and more | D |
We plant and build by foaming seas | M |
A city of the poor | C |
For day by day could Boston Bay | N |
Their honest labor overpay | N |
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We grant no dukedoms to the few | O |
We hold like rights and shall | P |
Equal on Sunday in the pew | O |
On Monday in the mall | Q |
For what avail the plough or sail | R |
Or land or life if freedom fail | R |
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The noble craftsman we promote | S |
Disown the knave and fool | T |
Each honest man shall have his vote | S |
Each child shall have his school | T |
A union then of honest men | U |
Or union never more again | U |
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The wild rose and the barberry thorn | V |
Hung out their summer pride | W |
Where now on heated pavements worn | V |
The feet of millions stride | W |
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Fair rose the planted hills behind | X |
The good town on the bay | N |
And where the western hills declined | X |
The prairie stretched away | N |
- | |
What care though rival cities soar | D |
Along the stormy coast | Y |
Penn's town New York and Baltimore | D |
If Boston knew the most | Y |
- | |
They laughed to know the world so wide | W |
The mountains said 'Good day | N |
We greet you well you Saxon men | U |
Up with your towns and stay ' | - |
The world was made for honest trade | H |
To plant and eat be none afraid | H |
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'For you ' they said 'no barriers be | A |
For you no sluggard rest | Z |
Each street leads downward to the sea | A |
Or landward to the west ' | - |
- | |
O happy town beside the sea | A |
Whose roads lead everywhere to all | Q |
Than thine no deeper moat can be | A |
No stouter fence no steeper wall | Q |
- | |
Bad news from George on the English throne | A2 |
'You are thriving well ' said he | A |
'Now by these presents be it known | A2 |
You shall pay us a tax on tea | A |
'Tis very small no load at all | Q |
Honor enough that we send the call | Q |
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'Not so ' said Boston 'good my lord | B2 |
We pay your governors here | C2 |
Abundant for their bed and board | B2 |
Six thousand pounds a year | D2 |
Your Highness knows our homely word | E2 |
Millions for self government | F2 |
But for tribute never a cent ' | - |
- | |
The cargo came and who could blame | G2 |
If Indians seized the tea | A |
And chest by chest let down the same | G2 |
Into the laughing sea | A |
For what avail the plough or sail | R |
Or land or life if freedom fail | R |
- | |
The townsmen braved the English king | H2 |
Found friendship in the French | I2 |
And honor joined the patriot ring | H2 |
Low on their wooden bench | I2 |
- | |
O bounteous seas that never fail | R |
O day remembered yet | J2 |
O happy port that spied the sail | R |
Which wafted Lafayette | J2 |
Pole star of light in Europe's night | K2 |
That never faltered from the right | K2 |
- | |
Kings shook with fear old empires crave | L2 |
The secret force to find | X |
Which fired the little State to save | L2 |
The rights of all mankind | X |
- | |
But right is might through all the world | M2 |
Province to province faithful clung | N2 |
Through good and ill the war bolt hurled | M2 |
Till Freedom cheered and joy bells rung | N2 |
- | |
The sea returning day by day | N |
Restores the world wide mart | O2 |
So let each dweller on the Bay | N |
Fold Boston in his heart | O2 |
Till these echoes be choked with snows | P2 |
Or over the town blue ocean flows | P2 |
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Let the blood of her hundred thousands | Q2 |
Throb in each manly vein | R2 |
And the wits of all her wisest | S2 |
Make sunshine in her brain | R2 |
For you can teach the lightning speech | T2 |
And round the globe your voices reach | T2 |
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And each shall care for other | U2 |
And each to each shall bend | V2 |
To the poor a noble brother | U2 |
To the good an equal friend | V2 |
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A blessing through the ages thus | W2 |
Shield all thy roofs and towers | X2 |
GOD WITH THE FATHERS SO WITH US | W2 |
Thou darling town of ours | X2 |
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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