Voluntaries Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCDEDEFGHG IIJKJKLMLKNONOBPBPQR Q A STSTUVWWDGDGWXXWYBZB A2QA2Q A B2C2B2C2D2RD2RE2F2E2 G2H2I2H2I2 A2 J2H2CH2H2H2IH2H2K2L2 H2L2H2H2H2L2L2 L2M2L2M2H2BH2BA2L2A2 N2L2O2H2O2H2 C L2L2L2L2L2H2P2H2P2Q2 H2Q2H2L2Q2L2H2

IA
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Low and mournful be the strainB
Haughty thought be far from meC
Tones of penitence and painB
Moanings of the tropic seaC
Low and tender in the cellD
Where a captive sits in chainsE
Crooning ditties treasured wellD
From his Afric's torrid plainsE
Sole estate his sire bequeathedF
Hapless sire to hapless sonG
Was the wailing song he breathedH
And his chain when life was doneG
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What his fault or what his crimeI
Or what ill planet crossed his primeI
Heart too soft and will too weakJ
To front the fate that crouches nearK
Dove beneath the vulture's beakJ
Will song dissuade the thirsty spearK
Dragged from his mother's arms and breastL
Displaced disfurnished hereM
His wistful toil to do his bestL
Chilled by a ribald jeerK
Great men in the Senate sateN
Sage and hero side by sideO
Building for their sons the StateN
Which they shall rule with prideO
They forbore to break the chainB
Which bound the dusky tribeP
Checked by the owners' fierce disdainB
Lured by 'Union' as the bribeP
Destiny sat by and saidQ
'Pang for pang your seed shall payR
Hide in false peace your coward headQ
I bring round the harvest day '-
-
IIA
-
Freedom all winged expandsS
Nor perches in a narrow placeT
Her broad van seeks unplanted landsS
She loves a poor and virtuous raceT
Clinging to a colder zoneU
Whose dark sky sheds the snow flake downV
The snow flake is her banner's starW
Her stripes the boreal streamers areW
Long she loved the Northman wellD
Now the iron age is doneG
She will not refuse to dwellD
With the offspring of the SunG
Foundling of the desert farW
Where palms plume siroccos blazeX
He roves unhurt the burning waysX
In climates of the summer starW
He has avenues to GodY
Hid from men of Northern brainB
Far beholding without cloudZ
What these with slowest steps attainB
If once the generous chief arriveA2
To lead him willing to be ledQ
For freedom he will strike and striveA2
And drain his heart till he be deadQ
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IIIA
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In an age of fops and toysB2
Wanting wisdom void of rightC2
Who shall nerve heroic boysB2
To hazard all in Freedom's fightC2
Break sharply off their jolly gamesD2
Forsake their comrades gayR
And quit proud homes and youthful damesD2
For famine toil and frayR
Yet on the nimble air benignE2
Speed nimbler messagesF2
That waft the breath of grace divineE2
To hearts in sloth and easeG2
So nigh is grandeur to our dustH2
So near is God to manI2
When Duty whispers low Thou mustH2
The youth replies I canI2
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IVA2
-
O well for the fortunate soulJ2
Which Music's wings infoldH2
Stealing away the memoryC
Of sorrows new and oldH2
Yet happier he whose inward sightH2
Stayed on his subtile thoughtH2
Shuts his sense on toys of timeI
To vacant bosoms broughtH2
But best befriended of the GodH2
He who in evil timesK2
Warned by an inward voiceL2
Heeds not the darkness and the dreadH2
Biding by his rule and choiceL2
Feeling only the fiery threadH2
Leading over heroic groundH2
Walled with mortal terror roundH2
To the aim which him alluresL2
And the sweet heaven his deed securesL2
-
Stainless soldier on the wallsL2
Knowing this and knows no moreM2
Whoever fights whoever fallsL2
Justice conquers evermore Justice after as beforeM2
And he who battles on her sideH2
God though he were ten times slainB
Crowns him victor glorifiedH2
Victor over death and painB
Forever but his erring foeA2
Self assured that he prevailsL2
Looks from his victim lying lowA2
And sees aloft the red right armN2
Redress the eternal scalesL2
He the poor foe whom angels foilO2
Blind with pride and fooled by hateH2
Writhes within the dragon coilO2
Reserved to a speechless fateH2
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VC
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Blooms the laurel which belongsL2
To the valiant chief who fightsL2
I see the wreath I hear the songsL2
Lauding the Eternal RightsL2
Victors over daily wrongsL2
Awful victors they misguideH2
Whom they will destroyP2
And their coming triumph hideH2
In our downfall or our joyP2
They reach no term they never sleepQ2
In equal strength through space abideH2
Though feigning dwarfs they crouch and creepQ2
The strong they slay the swift outstrideH2
Fate's grass grows rank in valley clodsL2
And rankly on the castled steepQ2
Speak it firmly these are godsL2
All are ghosts besideH2

Ralph Waldo Emerson



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