The Soldier's Home Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDEEFFGHIIJKLLMM IINNOOPPQQIIRRSSTTUU VVWWBBXXKKYYZZMMA2A2 B2C2DCD2E2F2F2 HGG2G2VH2DCEETT G2G2I2I2H2H2 ZZDCJ2J2RC2K2K2L2L2M 2M2EEEN2N2O2O2P2P2Q2 Q2R2R2S2S2 T2T2U2V2BBP2P2PPC2C2 W2W2W2W2W2W2OOIIX2MW 2W2Y2Y2| My untried muse shall no high tone assume | A |
| Nor strut in arms farewell my cap and plume | A |
| Brief be my verse a task within my power | B |
| I tell my feelings in one happy hour | B |
| But what an hour was that when from the main | C |
| I reach'd this lovely valley once again | D |
| A glorious harvest fill'd my eager sight | E |
| Half shock'd half waving in a flood of light | E |
| On that poor cottage roof where I was born | F |
| The sun look'd down as in life's early morn | F |
| I gazed around but not a soul appear'd | G |
| I listen'd on the threshold nothing heard | H |
| I call'd my father thrice but no one came | I |
| It was not fear or grief that shook my frame | I |
| But an o'erpowering sense of peace and home | J |
| Of toils gone by perhaps of joys to come | K |
| The door invitingly stood open wide | L |
| I shook my dust and set my staff aside | L |
| How sweet it was to breathe that cooler air | M |
| And take possession of my father's chair | M |
| Beneath my elbow on the solid frame | I |
| Appear'd the rough initials of my name | I |
| Cut forty years before the same old clock | N |
| Struck the same bell and gave my heart a shock | N |
| I never can forget A short breeze sprung | O |
| And while a sigh was trembling on my tongue | O |
| Caught the old dangling almanacks behind | P |
| And up they flew like banners in the wind | P |
| Then gently singly down down down they went | Q |
| And told of twenty years that I had spent | Q |
| Far from my native land that instant came | I |
| A robin on the threshold though so tame | I |
| At first he look'd distrustful almost shy | R |
| And cast on me his coal black stedfast eye | R |
| And seem'd to say past friendship to renew | S |
| Ah ha old worn out soldier is it you | S |
| Through the room ranged the imprison'd humble bee | T |
| And bomb'd and bounced and straggled to be free | T |
| Dashing against the panes with sullen roar | U |
| That threw their diamond sunlight on the floor | U |
| That floor clean sanded where my fancy stray'd | V |
| O'er undulating waves the broom had made | V |
| Reminding me of those of hideous forms | W |
| That met us as we pass'd the Cape of Storms | W |
| Where high and loud they break and peace comes never | B |
| They roll and foam and roll and foam for ever | B |
| But here was peace that peace which home can yield | X |
| The grasshopper the partridge in the field | X |
| And ticking clock were all at once become | K |
| The substitutes for clarion fife and drum | K |
| While thus I mused still gazing gazing still | Y |
| On beds of moss that spread the window sill | Y |
| I deem'd no moss my eyes had ever seen | Z |
| Had been so lovely brilliant fresh and green | Z |
| And guess'd some infant hand had placed it there | M |
| And prized its hue so exquisite so rare | M |
| Feelings on feelings mingling doubling rose | A2 |
| My heart felt every thing but calm repose | A2 |
| I could not reckon minutes hours nor years | B2 |
| But rose at once and bursted into tears | C2 |
| Then like a fool confused sat down again | D |
| And thought upon the past with shame and pain | C |
| I raved at war and all its horrid cost | D2 |
| And glory's quagmire where the brave are lost | E2 |
| On carnage fire and plunder long I mused | F2 |
| And cursed the murdering weapons I had used | F2 |
| - | |
| Two shadows then I saw two voices heard | H |
| One bespoke age and one a child's appear'd | G |
| In stepp'd my father with convulsive start | G2 |
| And in an instant clasp'd me to his heart | G2 |
| Close by him stood a little blue eyed maid | V |
| And stooping to the child the old man said | H2 |
| Come hither Nancy kiss me once again | D |
| This is your uncle Charles come home from Spain | C |
| The child approach'd and with her fingers light | E |
| Stroked my old eyes almost deprived of sight | E |
| But why thus spin my tale thus tedious be | T |
| Happy old Soldier what's the world to me | T |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| Change is essential to the youthful heart | G2 |
| It cannot bound it cannot act its part | G2 |
| To one monotonous delight a slave | I2 |
| E'en the proud poet's lines become its grave | I2 |
| By innate buoyancy by passion led | H2 |
| It acts instinctively it will be fed | H2 |
| - | |
| A troop of country lasses paced the green | Z |
| Tired of their seats and anxious to be seen | Z |
| They pass'd Sir Ambrose turn'd and pass'd again | D |
| Some lightly tripp'd to make their meaning plain | C |
| The old man knew it well the thoughts of youth | J2 |
| Came o'er his mind like consciousness of truth | J2 |
| Or like a sunbeam through a lowering sky | R |
| It gave him youth again and ecstacy | C2 |
| He joy'd to see them in this favourite spot | K2 |
| Who of fourscore or fifty score would not | K2 |
| He wink'd he nodded and then raised his hand | L2 |
| 'Twas seen and answer'd by the Oakly band | L2 |
| Forth leap'd the light of heart and light of heel | M2 |
| E'en stiff limb'd age the kindling joy could feel | M2 |
| They form'd while yet the music started light | E |
| The grass beneath their feet was short and bright | E |
| Where thirty couple danced with all their might | E |
| The Forester caught lasses one by one | N2 |
| And twirl'd his glossy green against the sun | N2 |
| The Shepherd threw his doublet on the ground | O2 |
| And clapp'd his hands and many a partner found | O2 |
| His hat loops bursted in the jocund fray | P2 |
| And floated o'er his head like blooming May | P2 |
| Behind his heels his dog was barking loud | Q2 |
| And threading all the mazes of the crowd | Q2 |
| And had he boasted one had wagg'd his tail | R2 |
| And plainly said What can my master ail | R2 |
| To which the Shepherd had he been more cool | S2 |
| Had only said 'Tis Oakly feast you fool | S2 |
| - | |
| But where was Philip he who danced so well | T2 |
| Had he retired had pleasure broke her spell | T2 |
| No he had yielded to a tend'rer bond | U2 |
| He sat beside his own sick Rosamond | V2 |
| Whose illness long deferr'd their wedding hour | B |
| She wept and seem'd a lily in a shower | B |
| She wept to see him 'midst a crowd so gay | P2 |
| For her sake lose the honours of the day | P2 |
| But could a gentle youth be so unkind | P |
| Would Philip dance and leave his girl behind | P |
| She in her bosom hid a written prize | C2 |
| Inestimably rich in Philip's eyes | C2 |
| The warm effusion of a heart that glow'd | W2 |
| With joy with love and hope by Heaven bestow'd | W2 |
| He woo'd he soothed and every art assay'd | W2 |
| To hush the scruples of the bashful maid | W2 |
| Drawing at length against her weak command | W2 |
| Reluctantly the treasure from her hand | W2 |
| And would have read but passion chain'd his tongue | O |
| He turn'd aside and down the ballad flung | O |
| And paused so long from feeling and from shame | I |
| That old Sir Ambrose halloo'd him by name | I |
| Bring it to me my lad and never fear | X2 |
| I never blamed true love or scorn'd a tear | M |
| They well become us e'en where branded most | W2 |
| He came and made a proxy of his host | W2 |
| Who as the dancers cooling join'd the throng | Y2 |
| Eyed the fair writer as he read her song | Y2 |
Robert Bloomfield
(1)
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About The Soldier's Home
The Soldier's Home is a poem by Robert Bloomfield. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.