Santa Christina Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFGHHIIJJKK LLLLL MLLLN LLOOLLPPQQLLLLRRSSLL LLL LTTLLLLMMLLU VVJJW FFLL LCCXXLLYYLLZZA2A2LL NNEELLB2 L C2 LLLLLLMMIILLD2D2LLCC E2AF2F2LLNNLLG2G2TTH 2I2J2K2LLF2F2LLL2 LLLLLLLAAZZB LLLLLLLLM2M2N2N2LLQQ LLNNSO2LLSSSP2P2Q2B2 CCR2R2LLJ2K2LLLLS2S2 T2T2RRLLLLA2A2RRU2U2 RM2LLLLL MT2T2T2L LLT2T2V2 M2W2CCLLLX2X2JJLLY2Y 2 T2T2M2M2TTX2X2NNLLBB LLTTZ2Z2Z2At Tiro in her father's tower | A |
The young Cristina had her bower | A |
Over blue Bolsena's lake | B |
Where small frolic ripples break | B |
Under a grove of sycamore | C |
On the sandy eastern shore | C |
There one clear May eve she sat | D |
Leaning over the rich mat | D |
Hung across the window sill | E |
While her doves with eager bill | E |
Fluttered round her for the grain | F |
In her spread hands up again | G |
Now they soared through golden light | H |
Radiant in a swerve of white | H |
Round the trees now scattering | I |
With a shiver of many a wing | I |
Soft as snowy drops of foam | J |
Singly they alighted home | J |
And swaying each a sheeny throat | K |
Crooned their comfortable note | K |
- | |
On a sudden another sound | L |
Smote Cristina from the ground | L |
Bending over she espied | L |
Wretched ragged folk who cried | L |
Hoarsely See the doves are fed | L |
We men and women have not bread '' | - |
While Cristina with a shy | M |
Courteous simplicity | L |
Looked upon them her young heart | L |
New to sorrow felt the dart | L |
Of pity pierce her body through | N |
And she spoke What must I do '' | - |
Then with a thought her bosom beat | L |
And swift away on frightened feet | L |
To her father's chapel rich | O |
With images in carven niche | O |
Breathless and bright eyed she sped | L |
Most in dread of her own dread | L |
Traitor to her purpose took | P |
The idols in her hands that shook | P |
And brought them gathered in her gown | Q |
And from the window cast them down | Q |
The ragged people cried and snatched | L |
This broken treasure then were matched | L |
Strange companions here the bust | L |
Of gazing Jupiter august | L |
Weighed on a sore blotched cripple there | R |
Against a scullion's clouted hair | R |
Apollo's silver shoulder shone | S |
While near by a withered crone | S |
Hugged into her bosom old | L |
Venus' arm and breast of gold | L |
Mumbling o'er their spoils they went | L |
A troop to stir the merriment | L |
Of gods but sad Cristina sobbed | L |
- | |
When the stately father robbed | L |
Entering found his pagan shrine | T |
Emptied of its works divine | T |
Each by a famous craftsman wrought | L |
Chosen well and dearly bought | L |
And suffered only to be scanned | L |
With fond touches of the hand | L |
By the nice appraising eye | M |
Duke Urban cried a grievous cry | M |
But when at last he understood | L |
The crime of his own flesh and blood | L |
Grief was swallowed up in rage | U |
Pest on this corrupted age '' | - |
He cried This is this new god's work | V |
And now I find the venom lurk | V |
In my own child in my own home | J |
I am a citizen of Rome | J |
She shall have justice take her hence | W |
And let my dungeon teach her sense '' | - |
Cristina weeping pleads the pain | F |
Of the famished folk in vain | F |
Straightway she is cast and bound | L |
In a dungeon underground | L |
Three days went Now bring her out '' | - |
Said Urban Servants much in doubt | L |
Led her from the dungeon door | C |
Much in doubt yet wondering more | C |
For the damp and starving gloom | X |
Had but glorified her bloom | X |
And her brow was brave as she | L |
Stepped before her father he | L |
With a sullen doubtful glance | Y |
Some moments looked on her askance | Y |
Art thou taught '' at last he said | L |
Proud she lifted up her head | L |
Father if I wronged thee thou | Z |
Didst mar the face of mercy Now | Z |
By God's grace thy cruel wrong | A2 |
Hath but made my soul more strong | A2 |
I have suffered for thy pride | L |
Let thy poor be satisfied | L |
See God stands upon my side '' | - |
Duke Urban flushed an angry hue | N |
Wilt thou brave me to thy rue | N |
Child '' he cried Since in thee still | E |
Some imp of evil works his will | E |
Pricking thee outrageously | L |
I will burn him out of thee | L |
Go build a furnace bind her in | B2 |
And let the flame purge out her sin '' | - |
All her women wept implored | L |
Ah be merciful dear lord '' | - |
But the more imperious came | C2 |
His answer Cast her to the flame '' | - |
- | |
When that evening fell a light | L |
Rose and shuddered up the night | L |
On the reddened shore around | L |
Soldiers kept the fiery ground | L |
Where amid the furnace stood | L |
Cristina spite of hardihood | L |
None but turned away his eye | M |
To see so sweet a creature die | M |
Swifter roared the bright fire dancing | I |
Madder on their armour glancing | I |
While the people kneeling wailed | L |
Suddenly all faces paled | L |
In their ears a clear voice sang | D2 |
From amidst the fire it sprang | D2 |
Joyous and the soldiers raised | L |
Their heads and all the people gazed | L |
There in the moving crimson core | C |
Of the flames that sound and soar | C |
Coil and quiver twist and spire | E2 |
'Mid the insufferable fire | A |
Like a breathing beauteous rose | F2 |
Nay like a precious vase that glows | F2 |
Outlined intense and clear and white | L |
Absorbing all the burning light | L |
Into its tissue through and through | N |
To purify the shell like hue | N |
They behold Cristina stand | L |
Lifting either little hand | L |
And with parted lips and eyes | G2 |
That the fierce flame glorifies | G2 |
See her form transfigured shine | T |
Singing in that fiery shrine | T |
An embodied rapture Awe | H2 |
Fell upon all them that saw | I2 |
The young voice melted in their ears | J2 |
And beauty hushed them into tears | K2 |
Heaven seemed opening on their sight | L |
To its inmost soul of light | L |
And the daily world of woes | F2 |
Fell from off them and they rose | F2 |
In a rapture faces turned | L |
Each unto his neighbour burned | L |
While they cried with voices full | L2 |
A miracle a miracle '' | - |
- | |
Urban in his dark tower heard | L |
Trembling that exultant word | L |
Rage by stabbing terror spurred | L |
Swelled his heart to madness Straight | L |
With a torch from the open gate | L |
Striding he commanded Curst | L |
Be this snake that I have nursed | L |
She has witched to her desire | A |
A demon lover a fiend of fire | A |
Yet she shall not 'scape me now | Z |
Ere another night I vow | Z |
She shall die With morning take | B |
And throw her deep into the lake '' | - |
- | |
Though men groaned and women shrieked | L |
At such cruel vengeance wreaked | L |
None this old man's rage gainsaid | L |
For within their hearts they prayed | L |
Some new marvel should confound | L |
All his fury Morning found | L |
On the glimmering shore assembled | L |
A great multitude that trembled | L |
Half with hope and half with fear | M2 |
Hemmed behind the levelled spear | M2 |
Of armed ranks and over all | N2 |
Ringed by silent lances tall | N2 |
In a high seat Urban sat | L |
By threatening fingers pointed at | L |
Motionless with eager frown | Q |
And on the wide lake gazing down | Q |
Soon the sun's uprising glowed | L |
Over the eastern hill and showed | L |
'Mid the waters that anew | N |
Shivered silvering into blue | N |
A single boat it brightly shone | S |
Where Cristina knelt thereon | O2 |
And the hangman at her side | L |
Busy bending over tied | L |
Round her neck a great mill stone | S |
In the water she was thrown | S |
Passionate arose the groan | S |
From those watchers but as soon | P2 |
Changed into a paean's tune | P2 |
For she sank not but was seen | Q2 |
Where death's bubble should have been | B2 |
Standing on the stone that bore | C |
Her bare feet floating toward the shore | C |
With little tremblings at the knees | R2 |
As the buoyant urging breeze | R2 |
Rocked her onward With a shout | L |
Thronged the people stretching out | L |
Eager arms or under spears | J2 |
Thrust their heads with joyful tears | K2 |
Clapped their hands and cried to see | L |
So magical a wonder She | L |
Simple in her loveliness | L |
By one hand holding up her dress | L |
From the wave that washed its hem | S2 |
With white sparkle seemed to them | S2 |
Fresh as Venus on her shell | T2 |
Borne o'er the blue Ionian swell | T2 |
Round her head the soft blown hair | R |
Played in sunny streams of air | R |
Save one long tress on her breast | L |
That her clasping fingers pressed | L |
In a dream she heard the cries | L |
Saw the bright and crowding eyes | L |
Near and nearer when a strong | A2 |
Sudden tumult rose the throng | A2 |
Turned and lo on his high chair | R |
'Mid the spearmen struggling there | R |
Duke Urban with head fallen back | U2 |
And the full vein swollen black | U2 |
On his throat his fingers tear | R |
At the suffocating fear | M2 |
That holds him by the panting heart | L |
Breathless and his fixed eyes start | L |
While the heaving hubbub round | L |
Rocks about him in hoarse sound | L |
Of vengeance his death gasp is drowned | L |
- | |
But Cristina floating nigh | M |
When she saw this piteously | T2 |
Bowed her gentle forehead low | T2 |
In her hands and cried Ah woe | T2 |
On me and mine O Lord of Peace | L |
Now my wretchedness release '' | - |
Even as in despair she prayed | L |
One that on the shore delayed | L |
At the crowd's edge watching all | T2 |
And doubtful what might yet befall | T2 |
Scowled and said within his teeth | V2 |
This witch girl comes to be our death '' | - |
Strung his bow and spurred by fear | M2 |
Drew an arrow to his ear | W2 |
And while still this fierce uproar | C |
Held the wild throng on the shore | C |
Sharp upon the tender throat | L |
The iron barb Cristina smote | L |
Ere a man had turned to note | L |
She was falling ere a tongue | X2 |
Had one cry of warning rung | X2 |
She had fallen and the foam | J |
Tossing shoreward washed her home | J |
As a sudden silence rushed | L |
Over lips in terror hushed | L |
Rolled amid the shallow spray | Y2 |
At their feet her body lay | Y2 |
- | |
Dark is the world to the weak will | T2 |
As to feet stumbling on a hill | T2 |
Benighted when no stars appear | M2 |
But as a star that beacons clear | M2 |
O beauty of courage thou dost shine | T |
On souls that falter and that pine | T |
But most in bodies frail and young | X2 |
Is thy beauty seen and sung | X2 |
There like a fountain ever new | N |
Thou dost scatter sunny dew | N |
Troubling our self bewildered night | L |
With simplicity of light | L |
Therefore is Bolsena's lake | B |
Dear for fair Cristina's sake | B |
Yea the stone that bore her feet | L |
And still bears the footprint sweet | L |
Housed in alabaster shrine | T |
Of carved work as a thing divine | T |
And by dead lips' kisses worn | Z2 |
Shall be kissed in sorrow's scorn | Z2 |
By lips of thousands yet unborn | Z2 |
Robert Laurence Binyon
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Santa Christina poem by Robert Laurence Binyon
Best Poems of Robert Laurence Binyon