The Flaming Heart Upon The Book And Picture Of Saint Teresa Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BBCADEFFGGHH IIHHJJKKLAHHMMNNOOLL PPQQ RRSSQQ AAEE JJTTUVWWSSHH XYZZHHPPQQ AAA2A2QQTTHHOOB2B2JJ QQOOC2C2JJB2B2VVOOAA B2B2HHJJD2D2

As she is usually expressed with a Seraphim beside herA
-
-
Well meaning readers you that come as friendsB
And catch the precious name this piece pretendsB
Make not too much haste to admireC
That fair cheeked fallacy of fireA
That is a Seraphim they sayD
And this the great TeresiaE
Readers be rul'd by me and makeF
Here a well plac'd and wise mistakeF
You must transpose the picture quiteG
And spell it wrong to read it rightG
Read him for her and her for himH
And call the saint the SeraphimH
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Painter what did'st thou understandI
To put her dart into his handI
See even the years and size of himH
Shows this the mother SeraphimH
This is the mistress flame and duteous heJ
Her happy fireworks here comes down to seeJ
O most poor spirited of menK
Had thy cold pencil kist her penK
Thou couldst not so unkindly errL
To show us this faint shade for herA
Why man this speaks pure mortal frameH
And mocks with female frost love's manly flameH
One would suspect thou meant'st to paintM
Some weak inferior woman saintM
But had thy pale fac'd purple tookN
Fire from the burning cheeks of that bright bookN
Thou wouldst on her have leapt up allO
That could be found seraphicalO
Whate'er this youth of fire wears fairL
Rosy fingers radiant hairL
Glowing cheek and glistering wingsP
All those fair and flagrant thingsP
But before all that fiery dartQ
Had fill'd the hand of this great heartQ
-
Do then as equal right requiresR
Since his the blushes be and hers the firesR
Resume and rectify thy rude designS
Undress thy Seraphim into mineS
Redeem this injury of thy artQ
Give him the veil give her the dartQ
-
Give him the veil that he may coverA
The red cheeks of a rivall'd loverA
Asham'd that our world now can showE
Nests of new Seraphims here belowE
-
Give her the dart for it is sheJ
Fair youth shoots both thy shaft and theeJ
Say all ye wise and well pierc'd heartsT
That live and die amidst her dartsT
What is't your tasteful spirits do proveU
In that rare life of her and loveV
Say and bear witness Sends she notW
A Seraphim at every shotW
What magazines of immortal arms there shineS
Heav'n's great artillery in each love spun lineS
Give then the dart to her who gives the flameH
Give him the veil who kindly takes the shameH
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But if it be the frequent fateX
Of worst faults to be fortunateY
If all's prescription and proud wrongZ
Hearkens not to an humble songZ
For all the gallantry of himH
Give me the suff'ring SeraphimH
His be the bravery of all those bright thingsP
The glowing cheeks the glistering wingsP
The rosy hand the radiant dartQ
Leave her alone the Flaming HeartQ
-
Leave her that and thou shalt leave herA
Not one loose shaft but love's whole quiverA
For in love's field was never foundA2
A nobler weapon than a woundA2
Love's passives are his activ'st partQ
The wounded is the wounding heartQ
O heart the equal poise of love's both partsT
Big alike with wound and dartsT
Live in these conquering leaves live all the sameH
And walk through all tongues one triumphant flameH
Live here great heart and love and die and killO
And bleed and wound and yield and conquer stillO
Let this immortal life where'er it comesB2
Walk in a crowd of loves and martyrdomsB2
Let mystic deaths wait on't and wise souls beJ
The love slain witnesses of this life of theeJ
O sweet incendiary show here thy artQ
Upon this carcass of a hard cold heartQ
Let all thy scatter'd shafts of light that playO
Among the leaves of thy large books of dayO
Combined against this breast at once break inC2
And take away from me my self and sinC2
This gracious robbery shall thy bounty beJ
And my best fortunes such fair spoils of meJ
O thou undaunted daughter of desiresB2
By all thy dow'r of lights and firesB2
By all the eagle in thee all the doveV
By all thy lives and deaths of loveV
By thy large draughts of intellectual dayO
And by thy thirsts of love more large than theyO
By all thy brim fill'd bowls of fierce desireA
By the last morning's draught of liquid fireA
By the full kingdom of that final kissB2
That seiz'd thy parting soul and seal'd thee hisB2
By all the heav'ns thou hast in himH
Fair sister of the SeraphimH
By all of him we have in theeJ
Leave nothing of my self in meJ
Let me so read thy life that ID2
Unto all life of mine may dieD2

Richard Crashaw



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