Christmas In War-time Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCBBDEECBFBGHIHIJF KLILIKJMNMOMMPQ MMMMMMMMMMMMMRSMGTTM MMM UVWVWXMMMIIMEEMIJM Y| A | |
| - | |
| This is the year that has no Christmas Day | B |
| Even the little children must be told | C |
| That something sad is happening far away | B |
| Or if you needs must play | B |
| As children must | D |
| Play softly children underneath your breath | E |
| For over our hearts hangs low the shadow of death | E |
| Those hearts to you mysteriously old | C |
| Grim grown up hearts that ponder night and day | B |
| On the straight lists of broken hearted dead | F |
| Black narrow lists no tears can wash away | B |
| Reading in which one cries out here and here | G |
| And falls into a dream upon a name | H |
| Be happy softly children for a woe | I |
| Is on us a great woe for little fame | H |
| Ah in the old woods leave the mistletoe | I |
| And leave the holly for another year | J |
| Its berries are too red | F |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| And lovers like to children will not you | K |
| Cease for a little from your kissing mirth | L |
| Thinking of other lovers that must go | I |
| Kissed back with fire into the bosom of earth | L |
| Ah in the old woods leave the mistletoe | I |
| Be happy softly lovers for you too | K |
| Shall be as sad as they another year | J |
| And then for you the holly be berries of blood | M |
| And mistletoe strange berries of bitter tears | N |
| Ah lovers leave you your beatitude | M |
| Give your sad eyes and ears | O |
| To the far griefs of neighbour and of friend | M |
| To the great loves that find a little end | M |
| Long loves that in a sudden puff of fire | P |
| With a wild thought expire | Q |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| And you ye merchants you that eat and cheat | M |
| Gold seeking hucksters in a noble land | M |
| Think when you lift the wine up in your hand | M |
| Of a fierce vintage tragically red | M |
| Red wine of the hearts of English soldiers dead | M |
| Who ran to a wild death with laughing feet | M |
| That we may sleep and drink and eat and cheat | M |
| Ah you brave few that fight for all the rest | M |
| And die with smiling faces strangely blest | M |
| Because you die for England O to do | M |
| Something again for you | M |
| In this great deed to have some little part | M |
| To send so great a message from the heart | M |
| Of England that one man shall be as ten | R |
| Hearing how England loves her Englishmen | S |
| Ah think you that a single gun is fired | M |
| We do not hear in England Ah we hear | G |
| And mothers go with proud unhappy eyes | T |
| That say It is for England that he dies | T |
| England that does the cruel work of God | M |
| And gives her well beloved to save the world | M |
| For this is death like to a woman desired | M |
| For this the wine press trod | M |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| And you in churches praying this Christmas morn | U |
| Pray as you never prayed that this may be | V |
| The little war that brought the great world peace | W |
| Undazzled with its glorious infamy | V |
| O pray with all your hearts that war may cease | W |
| And who knows but that God may hear the prayer | X |
| So it may come about next Christmas Day | M |
| That we shall hear the happy children play | M |
| Gladly aloud unmindful of the dead | M |
| And watch the lovers go | I |
| To the old woods to find the mistletoe | I |
| But this year children if you needs must play | M |
| Play very softly underneath your breath | E |
| Be happy softly lovers for great Death | E |
| Makes England holy with sorrow this Christmas Day | M |
| Yes in the old woods leave the mistletoe | I |
| And leave the holly for another year | J |
| Its berries are too red | M |
| - | |
| Christmas Written during the Boer War | Y |
Richard Le Gallienne
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Christmas In War-time poem by Richard Le Gallienne
Best Poems of Richard Le Gallienne