The Quality Of Courage Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDDECFF EGHIHIJHJKLMMNNOOBBP P LQIIRSSRRFTUUVVOOLLR RWWVXYZ ZA2A2IIEEB2B2C2C2IVV AID2D2VV AE2ZE2F2F2G2G2VVF2F2 H2I2VVVVJ2VVV RRK2EL2L2VM2M2N2O2RR YYSSEVEP2EVIQ2IR2VS2 S2T2U2U2GU2YV2YW2E2V E2VU2U2VVGNH NNX2 U2Y2AVWU2WVV Y2IU2U2Z2NWU2 NU2 VVU2U2U2U2AAVV U2U2U2Black trees against an orange sky | A |
Trees that the wind shook terribly | B |
Like a harsh spume along the road | C |
Quavering up like withered arms | D |
Writhing like streams like twisted charms | D |
Of hot lead flung in snow Below | E |
The iron ice stung like a goad | C |
Slashing the torn shoes from my feet | F |
And all the air was bitter sleet | F |
- | |
And all the land was cramped with snow | E |
Steel strong and fierce and glimmering wan | G |
Like pale plains of obsidian | H |
And yet I strove and I was fire | I |
And ice and fire and ice were one | H |
In one vast hunger of desire | I |
A dim desire of pleasant places | J |
And lush fields in the summer sun | H |
And logs aflame and walls and faces | J |
And wine and old ambrosial talk | K |
A golden ball in fountains dancing | L |
And unforgotten hands Ah God | M |
I trod them down where I have trod | M |
And they remain and they remain | N |
Etched in unutterable pain | N |
Loved lips and faces now apart | O |
That once were closer than my heart | O |
In agony in agony | B |
And horribly a part of me | B |
For Lethe is for no man set | P |
And in Hell may no man forget | P |
- | |
And there were flowers and jugs bright glancing | L |
And old Italian swords and looks | Q |
A moment's glance of fire of fire | I |
Spiring leaping flaming higher | I |
Into the intense the cloudless blue | R |
Until two souls were one and flame | S |
And very flesh and yet the same | S |
As if all springs were crushed anew | R |
Into one globed drop of dew | R |
But for the most I thought of heat | F |
Desiring greatly Hot white sand | T |
The lazy body lies at rest in | U |
Or sun dried scented grass to nest in | U |
And fires innumerable fires | V |
Great fagots hurling golden gyres | V |
Of sparks far up and the red heart | O |
In sea coals crashing as they part | O |
To tiny flares and kindling snapping | L |
Bunched sticks that burst their string and wrapping | L |
And fall like jackstraws green and blue | R |
The evil flames of driftwood too | R |
And heavy sullen lumps of coke | W |
With still fierce heat and ugly smoke | W |
And then the vision of his face | V |
And theirs all theirs came like a sword | X |
Thrice to the heart and as I fell | Y |
I thought I saw a light before | Z |
- | |
I woke My hands were blue and sore | Z |
Torn on the ice I scarcely felt | A2 |
The frozen sleet begin to melt | A2 |
Upon my face as I breathed deeper | I |
But lay there warmly like a sleeper | I |
Who shifts his arm once and moans low | E |
And then sinks back to night Slow slow | E |
And still as Death came Sleep and Death | B2 |
And looked at me with quiet breath | B2 |
Unbending figures black and stark | C2 |
Against the intense deeps of the dark | C2 |
Tall and like trees Like sweet and fire | I |
Rest crept and crept along my veins | V |
Gently And there were no more pains | V |
- | |
Was it not better so to lie | A |
The fight was done Even gods tire | I |
Of fighting My way was the wrong | D2 |
Now I should drift and drift along | D2 |
To endless quiet golden peace | V |
And let the tortured body cease | V |
- | |
And then a light winked like an eye | A |
And very many miles away | E2 |
A girl stood at a warm lit door | Z |
Holding a lamp Ray upon ray | E2 |
It cloaked the snow with perfect light | F2 |
And where she was there was no night | F2 |
Nor could be ever God is sure | G2 |
And in his hands are things secure | G2 |
It is not given me to trace | V |
The lovely laughter of that face | V |
Like a clear brook most full of light | F2 |
Or olives swaying on a height | F2 |
So silver they have wings almost | H2 |
Like a great word once known and lost | I2 |
And meaning all things Nor her voice | V |
A happy sound where larks rejoice | V |
Her body that great loveliness | V |
The tender fashion of her dress | V |
I may not paint them | J2 |
These I see | V |
Blazing through all eternity | V |
A fire winged sign a glorious tree | V |
- | |
She stood there and at once I knew | R |
The bitter thing that I must do | R |
There could be no surrender now | K2 |
Though Sleep and Death were whispering low | E |
My way was wrong So Would it mend | L2 |
If I shrank back before the end | L2 |
And sank to death and cowardice | V |
No the last lees must be drained up | M2 |
Base wine from an ignoble cup | M2 |
Yet not so base as sleek content | N2 |
When I had shrunk from punishment | O2 |
The wretched body strain anew | R |
Life was a storm to wander through | R |
I took the wrong way Good and well | Y |
At least my feet sought out not Hell | Y |
Though night were one consuming flame | S |
I must go on for my base aim | S |
And so perhaps make evil grow | E |
To something clean by agony | V |
And reach that light upon the snow | E |
And touch her dress at last | P2 |
So so | E |
I crawled I could not speak or see | V |
Save dimly The ice glared like fire | I |
A long bright Hell of choking cold | Q2 |
And each vein was a tautened wire | I |
Throbbing with torture and I crawled | R2 |
My hands were wounds | V |
So I attained | S2 |
The second Hell The snow was stained | S2 |
I thought and shook my head at it | T2 |
How red it was Black tree roots clutched | U2 |
And tore and soon the snow was smutched | U2 |
Anew and I lurched babbling on | G |
And then fell down to rest a bit | U2 |
And came upon another Hell | Y |
Loose stones that ice made terrible | V2 |
That rolled and gashed men as they fell | Y |
I stumbled slipped and all was gone | W2 |
That I had gained Once more I lay | E2 |
Before the long bright Hell of ice | V |
And still the light was far away | E2 |
There was red mist before my eyes | V |
Or I could tell you how I went | U2 |
Across the swaying firmament | U2 |
A glittering torture of cold stars | V |
And how I fought in Titan wars | V |
And died and lived again upon | G |
The rack and how the horses strain | N |
When their red task is nearly done | H |
- | |
I only know that there was Pain | N |
Infinite and eternal Pain | N |
And that I fell and rose again | X2 |
- | |
So she was walking in the road | U2 |
And I stood upright like a man | Y2 |
Once and fell blind and heard her cry | A |
And then there came long agony | V |
There was no pain when I awoke | W |
No pain at all Rest like a goad | U2 |
Spurred my eyes open and light broke | W |
Upon them like a million swords | V |
And she was there There are no words | V |
- | |
Heaven is for a moment's span | Y2 |
And ever | I |
So I spoke and said | U2 |
My honor stands up unbetrayed | U2 |
And I have seen you Dear | Z2 |
Sharp pain | N |
Closed like a cloak | W |
I moaned and died | U2 |
- | |
Here even here these things remain | N |
I shall draw nearer to her side | U2 |
- | |
Oh dear and laughing lost to me | V |
Hidden in grey Eternity | V |
I shall attain with burning feet | U2 |
To you and to the mercy seat | U2 |
The ages crumble down like dust | U2 |
Dark roses deviously thrust | U2 |
And scattered in sweet wine but I | A |
I shall lift up to you my cry | A |
And kiss your wet lips presently | V |
Beneath the ever living Tree | V |
- | |
This in my heart I keep for goad | U2 |
Somewhere in Heaven she walks that road | U2 |
Somewhere in Heaven she walks that road | U2 |
Stephen Vincent Benet
(1)
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