Corn Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AAABBCDDDEEEFFGHGCCC GGGIIIJJJIIICCCCII CCCKK CCCCCLLL CCMMNOOOPPHHHCCCCCQQ RRSSTTUU VVVWWVVXXCCCCVVYYYYV VVVVPPVVZZZ VVVVVZA2VVCCVVB2B2VV GGGVVVC2C2D2D2D2HHHC CCE2E2E2F2F2CCCCCCVV VG2G2G2VVVD2D2H2I2I2 I2J2WJ2VVVVVSSSVVV J2J2J2JJVVVKKKVVHHV V

To day the woods are trembling through and throughA
With shimmering forms that flash before my viewA
Then melt in green as dawn stars melt in blueA
The leaves that wave against my cheek caressB
Like women's hands the embracing boughs expressB
A subtlety of mighty tendernessC
The copse depths into little noises startD
That sound anon like beatings of a heartD
Anon like talk 'twixt lips not far apartD
The beech dreams balm as a dreamer hums a songE
Through that vague wafture expirations strongE
Throb from young hickories breathing deep and longE
With stress and urgence bold of prisoned springF
And ecstasy of burgeoningF
Now since the dew plashed road of morn is dryG
Forth venture odors of more qualityH
And heavenlier giving Like Jove's locks awryG
Long muscadinesC
Rich wreathe the spacious foreheads of great pinesC
And breathe ambrosial passion from their vinesC
I pray with mosses ferns and flowers shyG
That hide like gentle nuns from human eyeG
To lift adoring perfumes to the skyG
I hear faint bridal sighs of brown and greenI
Dying to silent hints of kisses keenI
As far lights fringe into a pleasant sheenI
I start at fragmentary whispers blownJ
From undertalks of leafy souls unknownJ
Vague purports sweet of inarticulate toneJ
Dreaming of gods men nuns and brides betweenI
Old companies of oaks that inward leanI
To join their radiant amplitudes of greenI
I slowly move with ranging looks that passC
Up from the matted miracles of grassC
Into yon veined complex of spaceC
Where sky and leafage interlaceC
So close the heaven of blue is seenI
Inwoven with a heaven of greenI
-
I wander to the zigzag cornered fenceC
Where sassafras intrenched in brambles denseC
Contests with stolid vehemenceC
The march of culture setting limb and thornK
As pikes against the army of the cornK
-
There while I pause my fieldward faring eyesC
Take harvests where the stately corn ranks riseC
Of inward dignitiesC
And large benignities and insights wiseC
Graces and modest majestiesC
Thus without theft I reap another's fieldL
Thus without tilth I house a wondrous yieldL
And heap my heart with quintuple crops concealedL
-
Look out of line one tall corn captain standsC
Advanced beyond the foremost of his bandsC
And waves his blades upon the very edgeM
And hottest thicket of the battling hedgeM
Thou lustrous stalk that ne'er mayst walk nor talkN
Still shalt thou type the poet soul sublimeO
That leads the vanward of his timid timeO
And sings up cowards with commanding rhymeO
Soul calm like thee yet fain like thee to growP
By double increment above belowP
Soul homely as thou art yet rich in grace like theeH
Teaching the yeomen selfless chivalryH
That moves in gentle curves of courtesyH
Soul filled like thy long veins with sweetness tenseC
By every godlike senseC
Transmuted from the four wild elementsC
Drawn to high plansC
Thou lift'st more stature than a mortal man'sC
Yet ever piercest downward in the mouldQ
And keepest holdQ
Upon the reverend and steadfast earthR
That gave thee birthR
Yea standest smiling in thy future graveS
Serene and braveS
With unremitting breathT
Inhaling life from deathT
Thine epitaph writ fair in fruitage eloquentU
Thyself thy monumentU
-
As poets shouldV
Thou hast built up thy hardihoodV
With universal foodV
Drawn in select proportion fairW
From honest mould and vagabond airW
From darkness of the dreadful nightV
And joyful lightV
From antique ashes whose departed flameX
In thee has finer life and longer fameX
From wounds and balmsC
From storms and calmsC
From potsherds and dry bonesC
And ruin stonesC
Into thy vigorous substance thou hast wroughtV
Whate'er the hand of Circumstance hath broughtV
Yea into cool solacing green hast spunY
White radiance hot from out the sunY
So thou dost mutually leavenY
Strength of earth with grace of heavenY
So thou dost marry new and oldV
Into a one of higher mouldV
So thou dost reconcile the hot and coldV
The dark and brightV
And many a heart perplexing oppositeV
And soP
Akin by blood to high and lowP
Fitly thou playest out thy poet's partV
Richly expending thy much bruised heartV
In equal care to nourish lord in hallZ
Or beast in stallZ
Thou took'st from all that thou mightst give to allZ
-
O steadfast dweller on the selfsame spotV
Where thou wast born that still repinest notV
Type of the home fond heart the happy lotV
Deeply thy mild content rebukes the landV
Whose flimsy homes built on the shifting sandV
Of trade for ever rise and fallZ
With alternation whimsicalA2
Enduring scarce a dayV
Then swept awayV
By swift engulfments of incalculable tidesC
Whereon capricious Commerce ridesC
Look thou substantial spirit of contentV
Across this little vale thy continentV
To where beyond the mouldering millB2
Yon old deserted Georgian hillB2
Bares to the sun his piteous aged crestV
And seamy breastV
By restless hearted children left to lieG
Untended there beneath the heedless skyG
As barbarous folk expose their old to dieG
Upon that generous rounding sideV
With gullies scarifiedV
Where keen Neglect his lash hath pliedV
Dwelt one I knew of old who played at toilC2
And gave to coquette Cotton soul and soilC2
Scorning the slow reward of patient grainD2
He sowed his heart with hopes of swifter gainD2
Then sat him down and waited for the rainD2
He sailed in borrowed ships of usuryH
A foolish Jason on a treacherous seaH
Seeking the Fleece and finding miseryH
Lulled by smooth rippling loans in idle tranceC
He lay content that unthrift CircumstanceC
Should plough for him the stony field of ChanceC
Yea gathering crops whose worth no man might tellE2
He staked his life on games of Buy and SellE2
And turned each field into a gambler's hellE2
Aye as each year beganF2
My farmer to the neighboring city ranF2
Passed with a mournful anxious faceC
Into the banker's inner placeC
Parleyed excused pleaded for longer graceC
Railed at the drought the worm the rust the grassC
Protested ne'er again 'twould come to passC
With many an 'oh' and 'if' and 'but alas'C
Parried or swallowed searching questions rudeV
And kissed the dust to soften Dives's moodV
At last small loans by pledges great renewedV
He issues smiling from the fatal doorG2
And buys with lavish hand his yearly storeG2
Till his small borrowings will yield no moreG2
Aye as each year declinedV
With bitter heart and ever brooding mindV
He mourned his fate unkindV
In dust in rain with might and mainD2
He nursed his cotton cursed his grainD2
Fretted for news that made him fret againH2
Snatched at each telegram of Future SaleI2
And thrilled with Bulls' or Bears' alternate wailI2
In hope or fear alike for ever paleI2
And thus from year to year through hope and fearJ2
With many a curse and many a secret tearW
Striving in vain his cloud of debt to clearJ2
At lastV
He woke to find his foolish dreaming pastV
And all his best of life the easy preyV
Of squandering scamps and quacks that lined his wayV
With vile arrayV
From rascal statesman down to petty knaveS
Himself at best for all his bragging braveS
A gamester's catspaw and a banker's slaveS
Then worn and gray and sick with deep unrestV
He fled away into the oblivious WestV
Unmourned unblestV
-
Old hill old hill thou gashed and hairy LearJ2
Whom the divine Cordelia of the yearJ2
E'en pitying Spring will vainly strive to cheerJ2
King that no subject man nor beast may ownJ
Discrowned undaughtered and aloneJ
Yet shall the great God turn thy fateV
And bring thee back into thy monarch stateV
And majesty immaculateV
Lo through hot waverings of the August mornK
Thou givest from thy vasty sides forlornK
Visions of golden treasuries of cornK
Ripe largesse lingering for some bolder heartV
That manfully shall take thy partV
And tend theeH
And defend theeH
With antique sinew and with modern artV
-
-
Sunnyside Georgia AugustV

Sidney Lanier



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