Margrave Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKL MNOPQDRSPTBLUVWXYBZA 2XCB2 C2D2E2A2F2TG2B2H2 BI2B2J2B2K2L2E2B2SM2 B2N2SO2P2QTQ2CR2I2B2 S2B2T2B2B2B2U2TJV2B2 W2X2BSB2Y2Z2A3B3N2DS SL2B2QB2 Z2PBC3D3S2Z2B2DCQE3S O2B2F3BPK2B2G3H3B2 I3E3B2 J3B2K3L2L2E3L2BL3B2M 3L2I2N3SO2BO3 B2P3O2 E3PL2BF3Q3BN2SR3B2O2 B2R3

On the small marble paved platformA
On the turret on the head of the towerB
Watching the night deepenC
I feel the rock edge of the continentD
Reel eastward with me below the broad starsE
I lean on the broad worn stones of the parapet topF
And the stones and my hands that touch them reel eastwardG
The inland mountains go down and new lightsH
Glow over the sinking east rim of the earthI
The dark ocean comes upJ
And reddens the western stars with its fog breathK
And hides them with its mounded darknessL
-
The earth was the world and man was its measure but our mindsM
have lookedN
Through the little mock dome of heaven the telescope slottedO
observatory eyeball there space and multitude came inP
And the earth is a particle of dust by a sand grain sun lost in aQ
nameless cove of the shores of a continentD
Galaxy on galaxy innumerable swirls of innumerable stars enduredR
as it were forever and humanityS
Came into being its two or three million years are a moment inP
a moment it will certainly cease out from beingT
And galaxy on galaxy endure after that as it were foreverB
But man is consciousL
He brings the world to focus in a feeling brainU
In a net of nerves catches the splendor of thingsV
Breaks the somnambulism of nature His distinction perhapsW
Hardly his advantage To slaver for contemptible pleasuresX
And scream with pain are hardly an advantageY
Consciousness The learned astronomerB
Analyzing the light of most remote star swirlsZ
Has found them or a trick of distance deludes his prismA2
All at incredible speeds fleeing outward from oursX
I thought no doubt they are fleeing the contagionC
Of consciousness that infects this corner of spaceB2
-
For often I have heard the hard rocks I handledC2
Groan because lichen and time and water dissolve themD2
And they have to travel down the strange falling scaleE2
Of soil and plants and the flesh of beasts to becomeA2
The bodies of men they murmur at their fateF2
In the hollows of windless nights they'd rather be anythingT
Than human flesh played on by pain and joyG2
They pray for annihilation sooner but annihilation'sB2
Not in the book yetH2
-
So I thought the rumorB
Of human consciousness has gone abroad in the worldI2
The sane uninfected far outer universesB2
Flee it in a panic of escape as men flee the plagueJ2
Taking a city for look at the fruits of consciousnessB2
As in young Walter Margrave when he'd been sentenced forK2
murder he was thinking when they brought him backL2
To the cell in jailE2
'I've only a moment to arrange my thoughtsB2
I must think quickly I must think clearlyS
And settle the world in my mind before I kick off ' but to feelM2
the curious eyes of his fellow prisonersB2
And the wry mouthed guard's and so forth torment him throughN2
the steel bars put his mind in a stupor he could onlyS
Sit frowning ostentatiously unafraid 'But I can control myO2
mind their eyes can't touch my willP2
One against all What use is will at this end of everything AQ
kind of nausea is the chief feelingT
In my stomach and throat but in my head pride I foughtQ2
a good fight and they can't break me alone unbrokenC
Against a hundred and twenty three million people They areR2
going to kill the best brain perhaps in the worldI2
That might have made such discoveries in scienceB2
As would set the world centuries ahead for I had the mind andS2
the power Boo it's their loss Blind foolsB2
Killing their best ' When his mind forgot the eyes it made rapidT2
capricious pictures instead of wordsB2
But not of the medical school and the laboratories its late intenseB2
interest not at all of his crime glimpsesB2
Of the coast range at home the V of a westward canyon withU2
the vibratingT
Blue line of the ocean strung sharp across it that domed hill upJ
the valley two cows like specks on the summitV2
And a beautiful colored jungle of poison oak at the foot hisB2
sister half naked washing her hairW2
'My dirty sister ' whose example and her lovers had kept himX2
chaste by revulsion the reed grown mouth of the riverB
And the sand bar against the stinging splendor of the seaS
and anguish behind all the picturesB2
He began to consider his own mind again 'like a wall theyY2
hang on ' Hang The anguish came forward an actualZ2
Knife between two heartbeats the organ stopped and then racedA3
He experimented awhile with his heartB3
Making in his mind a picture of a man hanged pretending toN2
himself it was to happen next momentD
Trying to observe whether the beat suspended 'suspended ' heS
thought in systole or in diastoleS
The effect soon failed the anguish remained 'Ah my slackL2
lawyer damn him let slip chance after chanceB2
Scared traitor ' Then broken pictures of the scenes in court theQ
jury the judge the idlers and not one faceB2
But bleak with hatred 'But I met their eyes one against all '-
Suddenly his mind became incapableZ2
Of making pictures or words but still wildly active striking inP
all directions like a snake in a fireB
Finding nothing but the fiery element of its own anguish He gotC3
up and felt the guard's eyes and sat downD3
Turned side face resting his chin on his fist frowning andS2
trembling He saw clearly in his mind the littleZ2
Adrenal glands perched on the red brown kidneys as if all hisB2
doomed tissues became transparentD
Pouring in these passions their violent secretionC
Into his blood stream raising the tension unbearably And theQ
thyroids tension tension A long course of thatE3
Should work grave changes 'If they tortured a man like a laboratoryS
dog for discovery there'd be value gained but byO2
processB2
Of law for vengeance because his glands and his brain haveF3
made him act in another than common mannerB
You incredible breed of asses ' He smiled self consciously inP
open scorn of the people the guard at the doorK2
To observe that smile 'my God do I care about the turnkey'sB2
opinion 'suddenly his mind againG3
Was lashing like a burnt snake Then it was torpid for a whileH3
This continued for monthsB2
-
His father had come to visit him he saw the ruinous white haired headI3
Through two steel wickets under the bluish electric light thatE3
seemed to peel the skin from the faceB2
Walter said cheerfully too loudly 'Hullo You look like a skull '-
The shaven sunk jaws in answer chewedJ3
Inaudible words Walter with an edge of pleasure thought 'OnceB2
he was stronger than I I used to admireK3
This poor old man's strength when I was a child ' and said 'BuckL2
up old fellow it will soon be over Here's nothingL2
To cry for Do you think I'm afraid to die It's good people thatE3
fear death people with the soft streakL2
Of goodness in them fear death but I you know am a monsterB
don't you read the papers Caught at lastL3
I fought a hundred and twenty three million people How'sB2
Hazel How's the farm I could get out of this scrapeM3
By playing dementia but I refuse to there's not an alienist livingL2
Could catch me out I'm the king of Spain dying for the worldI2
I've been persecuted since I was bornN3
By a secret sect they stuck pins into meS
And fed me regular doses of poison for a certain reason WhyO2
do you pretend that you're my fatherB
God is Believe me I could get by with itO3
But I refuse '-
Old Margrave looked timidly at the two guardsB2
listening and drew his brown tremulous handP3
Across his eyes below the white hair 'I thought of going to tryO2
to see the governor Walter '-
'That's it ' 'Don't hope for anything Walter they tell me thatE3
there's no hope They say that I shan't evenP
Be allowed to see him ' 'By God ' the young man said tremblingL2
'you can if you want to Never believe that lawyerB
If I d had Dorking but you couldn't afford him Poor men haveF3
no right to breed sons I'd not be hereQ3
If you'd had money to put me through college Tell the governorB
I know he won't pardon but he can commute the sentence toN2
life imprisonment Then I can read and studyS
I can help the penitentiary doctor I can do something to helpR3
humanity Tell him it's madnessB2
To throw such a brain as mine into the garbage Don't deny myO2
guilt but tell him my reasonsB2
I kidnappR3

Robinson Jeffers



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