Martha Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ KKLLDDMMNNAA OOPQRNSSTTUUDDVVWWLL DDOOXXYYZZA2A2B2B2C2 C2 D2D2E2E2F2F2G2G2H2H2 FFC2C2I2J2K2L2E2E2M2 M2M2M2M2M2M2M2ZZLLM2 M2M2M2JJN2N2M2M2 M2M2DDWWM2M2K2K2M2M2 RRO2O2 MMP2P2M2M2M2M2DDQ2Q2 UUR2R2R2M2M2S2S2ZZM2 M2M2M2M2M2M2Q2Q2M2M2 M2M2M2M2N2N2Q2Q2M2M2 RRM2M2WWT2T2U2U2M2M2 M2M2JJR2R2R2MMQ2Q2JJ JJV2V2D2D2W2R2M2M2M2 M2 X2X2ZZM2M2M2M2JJY2 Y2

A woman sat with roses redA
Upon her lap before her spreadA
On that high bridge whose parapetB
Wide over turbulent Thames is setB
Between the dome's far glittering crestC
And those famed towers that throng the westC
Neglectful of the summer airD
That on her pale brow stirred the hairD
She sat with fond and troubled lookE
And in her hand the roses shookE
Shy to her lips a bloom she laidF
Then shrank as suddenly afraidF
For from the breathing crimson leafG
The sweetness came to her like griefG
Dropping her hands her eyes she raisedH
And on the hurrying passers gazedH
Two children loitering alongI
Amid that swift and busy throngI
Their arms about each other's shoulderJ
The younger clinging to the olderJ
Stopped with their faces backward turnedK
To her her heart within her yearnedK
They were so young She looked awayL
Oh the whole earth was young to dayL
The whole wide earth was laughing fairD
The flashing river the soft airD
The horses proud the voices clearM
Of young men frequent cry and cheerM
All these were beautiful and freeN
Each with its joy Alas but sheN
She started up and bowed her headA
And gathering her roses fledA
-
Through dim uncounted silent daysO
She had trod deep secluded waysO
'Mid the fierce throng of jostling livesP
Whom unrelenting hunger drivesQ
Close to the wall had stolen byR
Yet could not shun calamityN
Her painful thrift her patient faceS
Could not the world old debt eraseS
Nor gentle lips nor feet that glideT
Persuade the sudden blow asideT
This morn when she arose her storeU
Trusted to others was no moreU
No more avail her years of careD
She must her bosom frail prepareD
Exposed in her defenceless ageV
Against the world and fortune's rageV
For bread for bread what must be doneW
She stole forth in the morning sunW
I will sell flowers she thought this wayL
Seemed gentler to her first dismayL
Soon to the great flower market fairD
With watered leaves and scented airD
She came her seeking timorous gazeO
Wandered about her in amazeO
The arches hummed with cheerful soundX
Buyers and sellers thronged aroundX
Lilies in virgin slumber stirredY
Hardly the gold dust brightly blurredY
Upon their rich illumined snowZ
As the soft breezes come and goZ
From her smooth sheath with ardent wingsA2
Purple and gold the iris springsA2
Deep umbered wall flowers dusk betweenB2
The radiance and the odour keenB2
Of jonquils this sad woman's eyesC2
And her o'erclouded soul surpriseC2
-
But most the wine red roses deepD2
In sunshine lying warm asleepD2
Breathing perfume drinking lightE2
Into their inmost bosoms brightE2
Seemed fathomlessly to unfoldF2
A treasure of more price than goldF2
Martha o'ercome by wonder newG2
Into her heart the crimson drewG2
The colour burning on her cheekH2
She stood in strange emotion weakH2
But she must buy Her choice was madeF
Red rose upon red rose she laidF
Lingering then hastened out with eyesC2
Bright and her hands about the prizeC2
And quickened thought that nowhere aimsI2
Soon pausing above glittering ThamesJ2
She spreads the flowers upon her kneesK2
Vast many windowed palacesL2
Before her raised their scornful heightE2
And haughtily struck back the lightE2
She scarcely marked them only bentM2
Her fond gaze on the flowers intentM2
To bind them in gay bunches drestM2
So to allure the spoiler bestM2
But now as her caressing handM2
Each odorous fresh nosegay plannedM2
A new grief smote her to the heartM2
Must she from her sweet treasure partM2
They seemed of her own blood O noZ
I cannot shame my roses soZ
I will get bread some other wayL
So she shut out all thought The dayL
Was radiant and her soul surprisedM2
To beauty and the unsurmisedM2
Sweetness of life itself reprovedM2
That had so little felt and lovedM2
O now to love if even a flowerJ
To taste the sweet sun for an hourJ
Was better than the struggle vainN2
The dull unprofitable painN2
To find her useless body breadM2
Stricken with grievous joy she fledM2
-
She fled but soon her pace grew faintM2
She paused awhile and easier wentM2
Often in spirits wrought despairD
Not less than joy the end of careD
A lightness feigns for all is doneW
And certainty at last begunW
Martha with impulse fresh recoiledM2
From empty years forlorn and soiledM2
Trembled to feel the radiant breezeK2
Blowing from unknown living seasK2
And rising eager from long fastM2
Drank in the wine of life at lastM2
Now as some lovely face went byR
She noted it with yearning eyeR
She joyed in the exultant courseO2
Of horses and their rushing forceO2
-
At last long wandering she drew nearM
Her home then fell on her a fearM
A shadow from the coming HoursP2
By chance a hawker crying flowersP2
His barrow pushed along the streetM2
And the dull air with scent was sweetM2
As on her threshold Martha stoodM2
A sudden thought surprised her bloodM2
Quickly she entered and the stairD
Ascended first with gentle careD
Cooled her tired roses then a boxQ2
Of little hoardings she unlocksQ2
And brings her silver to the doorU
And buys till she can buy no moreU
Laden she enters the drear roomR2
Glows strangely the transfigured gloomR2
Flows over prodigal in bloomR2
Her lonely supper now she spreadM2
But with her eyes she banquetedM2
Over the roofs in solemn flameS2
The strong beam of the sunset cameS2
And from the floor striking a glowZ
Burned back upon the wall and loZ
How deep in double splendour dyedM2
Blushed the red roses glorifiedM2
When darkness dimmed them Martha sighedM2
Yet still about the room she wentM2
Touching them and the subtle scentM2
Wandered into her soul and broughtM2
All memories yet stifled thoughtM2
As in her bed she lay the flowersQ2
Haunted her through the midnight hoursQ2
'Twixt her shut lids the colours creptM2
But wearied out at last she sleptM2
-
Next morning she awoke in dreadM2
O mad O sinful me she saidM2
What have I done how shall this endM2
For me Alas I have no friendM2
She strove to rise but in her brainN2
A drowsy magic worked like painN2
She sank back in a weak amazeQ2
Upon the pillow then her gazeQ2
Fell on the roses she looked roundM2
And in the spell again was boundM2
The deep hued blossoms standing byR
With serious beauty awed her eyeR
Upward inscrutable they flamedM2
Of that mean fear she was ashamedM2
All day their fragrance in the sunW
Possessed her spirit one by oneW
She pondered o'er them dozing stillT2
And waking half against her willT2
Her body hungered but her soulU2
Was feasting Gradually stoleU2
The evening shadow on her bedM2
She could no longer lift her headM2
Deep on her brain the flowers had wroughtM2
Now in the dim twilight her thoughtM2
Put trembling on a strange attireJ
And blossomed in fantastic fireJ
She stretched her hand out in the gloomR2
It touched upon a living bloomR2
Thither she turned the deep perfumeR2
O'ercame her nearer and more nearM
And now her joy is in her fearM
The lily hangs the rose inclinesQ2
With incense that her soul entwinesQ2
Her inmost soul that dares not stirJ
The gentle flowers have need of herJ
Unpitying is their rich desireJ
Her breath her being they requireJ
O she must yield She sinks far downV2
Conquered listless happy downV2
Under wells of darkness deepD2
Into labyrinths of sleepD2
Perishing in sweetness dumbW2
By the close enfolding bloomR2
To a sighing phantom kissedM2
Like a water into mistM2
Melting and extinguished quiteM2
In unfathomed odorous nightM2
-
At last the brief stars paling dawnX2
Breathed from distant stream and lawnX2
The earliest bird with chirrup lowZ
Called his mates softly and slowZ
The flowers their languid petals partM2
And open to the fragrant heartM2
And now the first fresh beam returnedM2
Bright through the lily's edge it burnedM2
And filled the purple rose with fireJ
And brightened all their green attireJ
And woke a shadow on the wallY2
-
But Martha slept nor stirred at allY2

Robert Laurence Binyon



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