France: An Ode Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCCBDEDEFFGHGHAIAGGI G A GGGGJGJGGGJKJLGMGNNM N A OPPOG GGGGDQDQRGRJJG SGGSGTGTGGGUGUGVGGGV G JNNJWWWWGGXYYYZA2ZB2 B2A2B2

IA
-
Ye clouds that far above me float and pauseB
Whose pathless march no mortal may controlC
Ye Ocean Waves that whereso'er ye rollC
Yield homage only to eternal lawsB
Ye Woods that listen to the night birds singingD
Midway the smooth and perilous slope reclinedE
Save when your own imperious branches swingingD
Have made a solemn music of the windE
Where like a man beloved of GodF
Through glooms which never woodmand trodF
How oft pursuing fancies holyG
My moonlight way o'er flowering weeds I woundH
Inspired beyond the guess of follyG
By each rude shape and wild unconquerable soundH
O ye loud Waves and O ye Forests highA
And O ye Clouds that far above me soaredI
Thou rising Sun thou blue rejoicing SkyA
Yea every thing that is and will be freeG
Bear witness for me whereso'er ye beG
With what deep worship I have still adoredI
The spirit of divinest LibertyG
-
IIA
-
When France in wrath her giant limbs uprearedG
And with that oath which smote air earth and seaG
Stamped her strong foot and said she would be freeG
Bear witness for me how I hoped and fearedG
With what a joy my lofty gratulationJ
Unawed I sang amid a slavish bandG
And when to whelm the disenchanted nationJ
Like fiends embattled by a wizard's wandG
The Monarchs marched in evil dayG
And Britain joined the dire arrayG
Though dear her shores and circling oceanJ
Though many friendships many youthful lovesK
Had swoln the patriot emotionJ
And flung a magic light o'er all the hills and grovesL
Yet still my voice unaltered sang defeatG
To all that braved the tyrant quelling lanceM
And shame too long delayed and vain retreatG
For ne'er O Liberty with parial aimN
I dimmed thy light or damped thy holy flameN
But blessed the paeans of delivered FranceM
And hung my head and wept at Britain's nameN
-
IIIA
-
'And what ' I said 'though Blasphemy's loud screamO
With that sweet music of deliverance stroveP
Though all the fierce and drunken passions woveP
A dance more wild than e'er was maniac's dreamO
Ye storms that round the dawning East assembledG
The Sun was rising though ye hid his light '-
And when to soothe my soul that hoped and trembledG
The dissonance ceased and all that seemed calm and brightG
When France her front deep scarr'd and goryG
Concealed with clustering wreaths of gloryG
When unsupportably advancingD
Her arm made mockery of the warrior's rampQ
While timid looks of fury glancingD
Domestic treason crushed beneath her fatal stampQ
Writhed like a wounded dragon in his goreR
Then I reproached my fears that would not fleeG
'And soon ' I said 'shall Wisdom teach her loreR
In the low huts of them that toil and groanJ
And conquering by her happiness aloneJ
Shall France compel the nations to be freeG
Till love and Joy look round and call the Earth their own '-
-
-
Forgive me Freedom O forgive those dreamsS
I hear thy voice I hear thy loud lamentG
From bleak Helvetia's icy caverns sentG
I hear thy groans upon her blood stained streamsS
Heroes that for your peaceful country perishedG
And ye that fleeing spot your mountain snowsT
With bleeding wounds forgive me that I cherishedG
One thought that ever blessed your cruel foesT
To scatter rage and traitorous guiltG
Where Peace her jealous home had builtG
A patriot race to disinheritG
Of all that made their stormy wilds so dearU
And with inexpiable spiritG
To taint the bloodless freedom of the mountaineerU
O France that mockest Heaven adulterous blindG
And patriot only in pernicious toilsV
Are these thy boasts Champion of human kindG
To mix with Kings in the low lust of swayG
Yell in the hunt and share the murderous preyG
To insult the shrine of Liberty with spoilsV
From freemen torn to tempt and to betrayG
-
-
The Sensual and the Dark rebel in vainJ
Slaves by their own compulsion In mad gameN
They burst their manacles and wear the nameN
Of Freedom graven on a heavier chainJ
O Liberty with profitless endeavourW
Have I pursued thee many a weary hourW
But thou nor swell'st the victor's strain nor everW
Didst breathe thy soul in forms of human powerW
Alike from all howe'er they praise theeG
Nor prayer nor boastful name delays theeG
Alike from Priestcraft's harpy minionsX
And factious Blasphemy's obscener slavesY
Thou speedest on thy subtle pinionsY
The guide of homeless winds and playmate of the wavesY
And there I felt thee on that sea cliff's vergeZ
Whose pines scarce travelled by the breeze aboveA2
Had made one murmur with the distant surgeZ
Yes while I stood and gazed my temples bareB2
And shot my being through earth sea and airB2
Possessing all things with intensest loveA2
O Liberty my spirit felt thee thereB2

Samuel Taylor Coleridge



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about France: An Ode poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 18 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets