The Death-bed Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEF GHIJKLMNO PQRSTU VWMXYZ A2EB2ZC2D2 E2F2G2H2I2 J2CDK2| He drowsed and was aware of silence heaped | A |
| Round him unshaken as the steadfast walls | B |
| Aqueous like floating rays of amber light | C |
| Soaring and quivering in the wings of sleep | D |
| Silence and safety and his mortal shore | E |
| Lipped by the inward moonless waves of death | F |
| - | |
| Someone was holding water to his mouth | G |
| He swallowed unresisting moaned and dropped | H |
| Through crimson gloom to darkness and forgot | I |
| The opiate throb and ache that was his wound | J |
| Water calm sliding green above the weir | K |
| Water a sky lit alley for his boat | L |
| Bird voiced and bordered with reflected flowers | M |
| And shaken hues of summer drifting down | N |
| He dipped contented oars and sighed and slept | O |
| - | |
| Night with a gust of wind was in the ward | P |
| Blowing the curtain to a glimmering curve | Q |
| Night He was blind he could not see the stars | R |
| Glinting among the wraiths of wandering cloud | S |
| Queer blots of colour purple scarlet green | T |
| Flickered and faded in his drowning eyes | U |
| - | |
| Rain he could hear it rustling through the dark | V |
| Fragrance and passionless music woven as one | W |
| Warm rain on drooping roses pattering showers | M |
| That soak the woods not the harsh rain that sweeps | X |
| Behind the thunder but a trickling peace | Y |
| Gently and slowly washing life away | Z |
| - | |
| - | |
| He stirred shifting his body then the pain | A2 |
| Leapt like a prowling beast and gripped and tore | E |
| His groping dreams with grinding claws and fangs | B2 |
| But someone was beside him soon he lay | Z |
| Shuddering because that evil thing had passed | C2 |
| And death who'd stepped toward him paused and stared | D2 |
| - | |
| Light many lamps and gather round his bed | E2 |
| Lend him your eyes warm blood and will to live | F2 |
| Speak to him rouse him you may save him yet | G2 |
| He's young he hated War how should he die | H2 |
| When cruel old campaigners win safe through | I2 |
| - | |
| But death replied 'I choose him ' So he went | J2 |
| And there was silence in the summer night | C |
| Silence and safety and the veils of sleep | D |
| Then far away the thudding of the guns | K2 |
Siegfried Sassoon
(1)
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