The Flower Of Flame Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDBEC FGFFFFH IJIKIKJ LMNLLLML AIOIO PQRQ STUT AVWVW XYXY ZA2ZA2 B2C2B2C2 D2E2D2E2 F2G2F2G2 H2F2H2F2F2 ZI2ZI2I2 J2ZJ2ZZ K2 K2 L2 ZZZZ ZZZZ M2ZM2Z N2ZN2Z ZZZZ A2D2BD2BD2 Y Y Y ZBVA2 O2 O2 VP2 P2 E E Z Z ZIE2IE2 VB2VB2 IFIF Q2IQ2I R2VS2V T2ZT2 IB2IB2 ZZJ2ZJ2P2ZZZZP2 EU2EU2P2VV2VV2P2 W2J2W2J2P2X2G2X2Y2G2 P2

IA
AS round the cliff I came aloneB
The whole bay bared its blaze to meC
Loud sang the wind the wild sun shoneB
The tumbled clouds fled scattering onD
Light shattered on wave and winking stoneB
And in the glassy midst stood oneE
Brighter than sun or cloud or seaC
-
She with flame vehement hair untiedF
Virginal in her fluttering dressG
Watched deafened and all dazzle eyedF
Each opulent breaker's crash and glideF
And now flung arms up high and wideF
As if possessing all she criedF
Her beauty youth and happinessH
-
Loud rang the waves and higher higherI
The surge in chains of light was flungJ
The wind as in a wild desireI
Licked round her form she seemed a spireK
Of sunny drift a fount of fireI
The hymn of some triumphant lyreK
Which sounded when the world was youngJ
-
Purified by the scalding glareL
Swept clear by the salty sea wind's flowM
My eyes knew you for what you areN
The daemon thing for which we dareL
Which breaks us which we bid not spareL
The life the light the heavenly snareL
The turretted city's overthrowM
Helen I knew you standing thereL
-
-
IIA
The long low wavelets of summerI
Glide in and glitter along the sandO
The fitful breezes of summerI
Blow fragrantly from the landO
-
Side by side we lie silentP
Between sunned cliffs and blown seasQ
Our eyes more bright than sea ripplesR
Our breaths more light than the breezeQ
-
When a gust meets a wave that advancesS
The wave leaps flames falls with a hissT
So lightly so brightly each heart leapsU
When our dumb lips touch in a kissT
-
-
IIIA
Foamless the gradual waters wellV
From the sheer deep where darkness liesW
Till to the shoulder rock they swellV
With a slow cumulance of sighsW
-
O waters gather up your strengthX
From the blind caves of your unrestY
Loose your load utterly at lengthX
Over the moonlight marbled breastY
-
There sleep diffused the long dim hoursZ
Nor let your love locks be withdrawnA2
Till round the world horizon glowersZ
The wrath and chaos of the dawnA2
-
-
IV-
She picked a whorled shell from the beachB2
And laid it close beside her earC2
Then held it frightened at full reachB2
Toward my face that I might hearC2
-
And while she leaned and while I heardD2
Our dumb eyes dared not meet for shameE2
Our hearts within us sickly stirredD2
Our limbs ran wax before the flameE2
-
For in the despairing voice and meekF2
An echo to our hearts we foundG2
Who through love striving vainly seekF2
To coop the infinite in boundG2
-
-
V-
All is estranged to dayH2
Chastened and meekF2
Side by side taking our wayH2
With what anguish we seekF2
To dare each to face the other or even to speakF2
-
The sun like an opal driftsZ
Through a vapourous shineI2
Or overwhelms itself in dark riftsZ
On the sea's far lineI2
Sheer light falls in a single sword like a signI2
-
The sea striving in its bedJ2
Like a corpse that awakesZ
Slowly heaves up its lustreless headJ2
Crowned with weeds and snakesZ
To strike at the shore bareing fangs as it breaksZ
-
Something threatening earthK2
Aims at our love-
Gone is our ignorant mirthK2
Love like speech of the dove-
The Sword and the Snake have seen and proclaim nowL2
'Enough '-
-
-
VI-
The narrow pathway winds its courseZ
Through dwarfish oaks and junipersZ
Till suddenly beyond the gorseZ
We glimpse the copse of stunted firsZ
-
That tops the headland round whose baseZ
The cold tide flings a drowned man's bonesZ
All day against the cliff's sheer faceZ
All night prolongs his lasting groansZ
-
The Drowned who in the copse once stoodM2
Waiting the Dead to end both vowsZ
Heard as we hear the split of woodM2
And shrieking of the writhen boughsZ
-
Grow shrill and shriller Pass the spotN2
The strained boughs arch toward collapseZ
A whistle and CRACK there's the shotN2
Or is it but a bough which snapsZ
-
Ever when we have left the gorseZ
And through the copse each hastening hiesZ
We lovers on the self same courseZ
Dare not look in each other's eyesZ
-
-
VII-
Before I woke I knew her goneA2
Though nothing nigh had stirredD2
Now by the curtain inward blownB
She stood not seen but heardD2
Where the faint moonlight dimmed or shoneB
And neither spoke a wordD2
-
One hand against her mouth she pressedY
But could not staunch its cry-
The other knocked upon her breastY
Impotently while I-
Glared rigid labouring possessedY
And dared not ask her why-
-
-
VIII-
Noon and now rocks the summer seaZ
All idleness one gust aloneB
Skates afar off and soundlesslyV
Is gone from me as you are goneA2
-
No hull creeps on th' horizon's rimO2
No pond of smoke wreathes the far sky-
Only the dazzling sinuous swimO2
Of the fierce tide maze scalds the eye-
-
Alone aloft unendinglyV
A peering gull on moveless wingP2
Floats silent by and again by-
In search for some indefinite thingP2
-
Each wave line glittering through its runE
Gives in its plash where still pools lie-
Upstaring at the downstaring sunE
A single harsh and sudden sigh-
-
And Oh more lonely blows the breezeZ
More empty shines the perfect sky-
More solitary sound the seasZ
Where two watched where now watch but I-
-
-
IXZ
I love a flower which has no loverI
The yellow sea poppy is its nameE2
Spined leaves its glaucous green stem coverI
Its flower is a yellow fitful flameE2
-
Stung by the spray which leaps the shingleV
Torn by the winds that scour the beachB2
Its roots with the salt sea wrack mingleV
Its leaves upon the bleached stones bleachB2
-
Its desperate growth but few rememberI
None misses it when it has diedF
Scorched by the sun to a scant emberI
Or wholly ravaged by the tideF
-
Yet I elect this weed to cherishQ2
Nor any other would desireI
Than this which must so shortly perishQ2
Tortured by sea foam or sky fireI
-
Above this flower we too once bendedR2
Drawn to it by a subtle spellV
On whom the fire of heaven descendedS2
Over whom the wave arose from hellV
-
Frantic she snatched the ragged blossomT2
Kissed it then with a wild fierce kissZ
Pressed spine and flame into her bosomT2
Crying 'The flower our love is this '-
-
The grey waves crash The wind whirls overI
The flower is withered from the beachB2
Whose waves divide the loved and loverI
Whose wind blows louder than their speechB2
-
-
XZ
The moon behind high tranquil leavesZ
Hides her sad headJ2
The dwindled water tinkles and grievesZ
In the stream's black bedJ2
And where now where are you sleepingP2
The shadowy nightjar hawking gnatsZ
Flickers or floatsZ
High in still air the flurrying batsZ
Repeat their wee notesZ
And where now where are you sleepingP2
-
Silent lightning flutters in heavenE
Where quiet crowdU2
By the toil of an upper whirlwind drivenE
Dark legions of cloudU2
In whose arms now are you sleepingP2
The cloud makes lidding the sky's wan holeV
The world a tombV2
Far out at sea long thunders rollV
From gloom to dim gloomV2
In whose arms now are you sleepingP2
-
Rent clouds like boughs in darkness hangW2
Close overheadJ2
The foreland's bell buoy begins to clangW2
As if for the deadJ2
Awake they where you are sleepingP2
The chasms crack the heavens revoltX2
With tearing soundG2
Bright bolt volleys on flaring boltX2
Wave and cloud clash through deep through vaultY2
Huge thunders reboundG2
But they wake not where you are sleepingP2

Robert Nichols



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