Gnothi Seauton Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCDEFEG A HIJJKLMNNOOPP A MNDQRS DT DUVUWXAYZ A2B2 C2D2E2A2OF2E2G2 A C2H2I2J2E2N A CCK2 L2M2N2O2O2O2 A K2P2Q2O2K2R2L2S2T2U2 O2V2V2OOO2O2 V2 O2 W2 O2 O2O2FOV2O2V2O2V2V2V2 V2 O2K2O2O2O2O2X2QQ O2 ADADD

IA
-
If thou canst bearB
Strong meat of simple truthC
If thou durst my words compareB
With what thou thinkest in my soul s free youthC
Then take this fact unto thy soulD
God dwells in theeE
It is no metaphor nor parableF
It is unknown to thousands and to theeE
Yet there is GodG
-
IIA
-
He is in thy worldH
But thy world knows him notI
He is the mighty HeartJ
From which life s varied pulses partJ
Clouded and shrouded there doth sitK
The InfiniteL
Embosomed in a manM
And thou art stranger to thy guestN
And know st not what thou doth investN
The clouds that veil his life withinO
Are thy thick woven webs of sinO
Which his glory struggling throughP
Darkens to thine evil hueP
-
IIIA
-
Then bear thyself O manM
Up to the scale and compass of thy guestN
Soul of thy soulD
Be great as doth beseemQ
The ambassador who bearsR
The royal presence where he goesS
-
IV-
-
Give up to thy soulD
Let it have its wayT
It is I tell thee God himself-
The selfsame One that rules the WholeD
Tho he speaks thro thee with a stifled voiceU
And looks through thee shorn of his beamsV
But if thou listen to his voiceU
If thou obey the royal thoughtW
It will grow clearer to thine earX
More glorious to thine eyeA
The clouds will burst that veil him nowY
And thou shalt see the LordZ
-
V-
-
Therefore be greatA2
Not proud too great to be proudB2
Let not thine eyes rove-
Peep not in corners let thine eyesC2
Look straight before thee as befitsD2
The simplicity of PowerE2
And in thy closet carry stateA2
Filled with light walk thereinO
And as a kingF2
Would do no treason to his own empireE2
So do not thou to thineG2
-
VIA
-
This is the reason why thou dost recognizeC2
Things now first revealedH2
Because in thee residesI2
The Spirit that lives in allJ2
And thou canst learn the laws of natureE2
Because its author is latent in thy breastN
-
VIIA
-
Therefore O happy youthC
Happy if thou dost know and love this truthC
Thou art unto thyself a lawK2
And since the soul of things is in thee-
Thou needest nothing out of thee-
The law the gospel and the ProvidenceL2
Heaven Hell the Judgement and the storesM2
Immeasurable of Truth and GoodN2
All these thou must findO2
Within thy single mindO2
Or never findO2
-
VIIIA
-
Thou art the lawK2
The gospel has no revelationP2
Of peace and hope until there is responseQ2
From the deep chambers of thy mind theretoO2
The rest is strawK2
It can reveal no truth unknown beforeR2
The ProvidenceL2
Thou art thyself that doth dispenseS2
Wealth to thy work want to thy slothT2
Glory to goodness to neglect the mothU2
Thou sow st the wind the whirlwind reapestO2
Thou payest the wagesV2
Of thy own work through all agesV2
The almighty energy withinO
Crowneth virtue curseth sinO
Virtue sees by its own lightO2
Stumbleth sin in self made nightO2
-
IXV2
-
Who approves thee doing rightO2
God in thee-
Who condemns thee doing wrongW2
God in thee-
Who punishes thine evil deedO2
God in thee-
What is thine evil meedO2
Thy worse mind with error blindO2
And more prone to evilF
That is the greater hiding of the God withinO
The loss of peaceV2
The terrible displeasure of this inmateO2
And next the consequenceV2
More faintly as more distant wro tO2
Upon our outward fortunesV2
Which decay with viceV2
With Virtue riseV2
-
XV2
-
The selfsame GodO2
By the same lawK2
Makes the souls of angels gladO2
And the souls of devils sadO2
SeeO2
There is nothing else but GodO2
Where e'er I lookX2
All things hasten back to himQ
Light is but his shadow dimQ
-
XIO2
-
Shall I ask wealth or power of God who gaveA
An image of himself to be my soulD
As well might swilling ocean ask a waveA
Or the starred firmament a dying coalD
For that which is in me lives in the wholeD

Ralph Waldo Emerson



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about Gnothi Seauton poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson


 
Best Poems of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 4 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