Tomlinson Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDEEEFEEAAEGEAAH HIEJJEKELLBEMEENNKE OOPQJRCRFEFGGIISSEEE EEETEAAKEHHUEVVEEWWE EMXEENEEEYYZEA2A2EEB BEEFEB2B2WWEEC2C2EEA EAFFLLEEA2

Now Tomlinson gave up the ghost in his house in Berkeley SquareA
And a Spirit came to his bedside and gripped him by the hairA
A Spirit gripped him by the hair and carried him far awayB
Till he heard as the roar of a rain fed ford the roar of the Milky WayB
Till he heard the roar of the Milky Way die down and drone and ceaseC
And they came to the Gate within the Wall where Peter holds the keysD
quot Stand up stand up now Tomlinson and answer loud and highE
The good that ye did for the sake of men or ever ye came to dieE
The good that ye did for the sake of men in little earth so lone quotE
And the naked soul of Tomlinson grew white as a rain washed boneF
quot O I have a friend on earth quot he said quot that was my priest and guideE
And well would he answer all for me if he were by my side quotE
quot For that ye strove in neighbour love it shall be written fairA
But now ye wait at Heaven's Gate and not in Berkeley SquareA
Though we called your friend from his bed this nightE
he could not speak for youG
For the race is run by one and one and never by two and two quotE
Then Tomlinson looked up and down and little gain was thereA
For the naked stars grinned overhead and he saw that his soul was bareA
The Wind that blows between the worlds it cut him like a knifeH
And Tomlinson took up his tale and spoke of his good in lifeH
quot This I have read in a book quot he said quot and that was told to meI
And this I have thought that another man thought of a Prince in Muscovy quotE
The good souls flocked like homing doves and bade him clear the pathJ
And Peter twirled the jangling keys in weariness and wrathJ
quot Ye have read ye have heard ye have thought quot he saidE
quot and the tale is yet to runK
By the worth of the body that once ye had give answer what ha' ye done quotE
Then Tomlinson looked back and forth and little good it boreL
For the Darkness stayed at his shoulder blade and Heaven's Gate beforeL
quot O this I have felt and this I have guessed and this I have heard men sayB
And this they wrote that another man wrote of a carl in Norroway quotE
quot Ye have read ye have felt ye have guessed good lackM
Ye have hampered Heaven's GateE
There's little room between the stars in idleness to prateE
O none may reach by hired speech of neighbour priest and kinN
Through borrowed deed to God's good meed that lies so fair withinN
Get hence get hence to the Lord of Wrong for doom has yet to runK
And the faith that ye share with Berkeley Square uphold you Tomlinson quotE
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The Spirit gripped him by the hair and sun by sun they fellO
Till they came to the belt of Naughty Stars that rim the mouth of HellO
The first are red with pride and wrath the next are white with painP
But the third are black with clinkered sin that cannot burn againQ
They may hold their path they may leave their pathJ
with never a soul to markR
They may burn or freeze but they must not ceaseC
in the Scorn of the Outer DarkR
The Wind that blows between the worlds it nipped him to the boneF
And he yearned to the flare of Hell GateE
there as the light of his own hearth stoneF
The Devil he sat behind the bars where the desperate legions drewG
But he caught the hasting Tomlinson and would not let him throughG
quot Wot ye the price of good pit coal that I must pay quot said heI
quot That ye rank yoursel' so fit for Hell and ask no leave of meI
I am all o'er sib to Adam's breed that ye should give me scornS
For I strove with God for your First Father the day that he was bornS
Sit down sit down upon the slag and answer loud and highE
The harm that ye did to the Sons of Men or ever you came to die quotE
And Tomlinson looked up and up and saw against the nightE
The belly of a tortured star blood red in Hell Mouth lightE
And Tomlinson looked down and down and saw beneath his feetE
The frontlet of a tortured star milk white in Hell Mouth heatE
quot O I had a love on earth quot said he quot that kissed me to my fallT
And if ye would call my love to me I know she would answer all quotE
quot All that ye did in love forbid it shall be written fairA
But now ye wait at Hell Mouth Gate and not in Berkeley SquareA
Though we whistled your love from her bed to night I trow she would not runK
For the sin ye do by two and two ye must pay for one by one quotE
The Wind that blows between the worlds it cut him like a knifeH
And Tomlinson took up the tale and spoke of his sin in lifeH
quot Once I ha' laughed at the power of Love and twice at the grip of the GraveU
And thrice I ha' patted my God on the head that men might call me brave quotE
The Devil he blew on a brandered soul and set it aside to coolV
quot Do ye think I would waste my good pit coal on the hide of a brain sick foolV
I see no worth in the hobnailed mirth or the jolthead jest ye didE
That I should waken my gentlemen that are sleeping three on a grid quotE
Then Tomlinson looked back and forth and there was little graceW
For Hell Gate filled the houseless Soul with the Fear of Naked SpaceW
quot Nay this I ha' heard quot quo' Tomlinson quot and this was noised abroadE
And this I ha' got from a Belgian book on the word of a dead French lord quotE
quot Ye ha' heard ye ha' read ye ha' got good lackM
and the tale begins afreshX
Have ye sinned one sin for the pride o' the eyeE
or the sinful lust of the flesh quotE
Then Tomlinson he gripped the bars and yammered quot Let me inN
For I mind that I borrowed my neighbour's wife to sin the deadly sin quotE
The Devil he grinned behind the bars and banked the fires highE
quot Did ye read of that sin in a book quot said he and Tomlinson said quot Ay quotE
The Devil he blew upon his nails and the little devils ranY
And he said quot Go husk this whimpering thief that comes in the guise of a manY
Winnow him out 'twixt star and star and sieve his proper worthZ
There's sore decline in Adam's line if this be spawn of earth quotE
Empusa's crew so naked new they may not face the fireA2
But weep that they bin too small to sin to the height of their desireA2
Over the coal they chased the Soul and racked it all abroadE
As children rifle a caddis case or the raven's foolish hoardE
And back they came with the tattered Thing as children after playB
And they said quot The soul that he got from God he has bartered clean awayB
We have threshed a stook of print and book and winnowed a chattering windE
And many a soul wherefrom he stole but his we cannot findE
We have handled him we have dandled him we have seared him to the boneF
And sure if tooth and nail show truth he has no soul of his own quotE
The Devil he bowed his head on his breast and rumbled deep and lowB2
quot I'm all o'er sib to Adam's breed that I should bid him goB2
Yet close we lie and deep we lie and if I gave him placeW
My gentlemen that are so proud would flout me to my faceW
They'd call my house a common stews and me a careless hostE
And I would not anger my gentlemen for the sake of a shiftless ghost quotE
The Devil he looked at the mangled Soul that prayed to feel the flameC2
And he thought of Holy Charity but he thought of his own good nameC2
quot Now ye could haste my coal to waste and sit ye down to fryE
Did ye think of that theft for yourself quot said he and Tomlinson said quot Ay quotE
The Devil he blew an outward breath for his heart was free from careA
quot Ye have scarce the soul of a louse quot he saidE
quot but the roots of sin are thereA
And for that sin should ye come in were I the lord aloneF
But sinful pride has rule inside and mightier than my ownF
Honour and Wit fore damned they sit to each his priest and whoreL
Nay scarce I dare myself go there and you they'd torture soreL
Ye are neither spirit nor spirk quot he said quot ye are neither book nor bruteE
Go get ye back to the flesh again for the sake of Man's reputeE
I'm all o'erA2

Rudyard Kipling



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