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 U2U2U2

Black trees against an orange skyA
Trees that the wind shook terriblyB
Like a harsh spume along the roadC
Quavering up like withered armsD
Writhing like streams like twisted charmsD
Of hot lead flung in snow BelowE
The iron ice stung like a goadC
Slashing the torn shoes from my feetF
And all the air was bitter sleetF
-
And all the land was cramped with snowE
Steel strong and fierce and glimmering wanG
Like pale plains of obsidianH
And yet I strove and I was fireI
And ice and fire and ice were oneH
In one vast hunger of desireI
A dim desire of pleasant placesJ
And lush fields in the summer sunH
And logs aflame and walls and facesJ
And wine and old ambrosial talkK
A golden ball in fountains dancingL
And unforgotten hands Ah GodM
I trod them down where I have trodM
And they remain and they remainN
Etched in unutterable painN
Loved lips and faces now apartO
That once were closer than my heartO
In agony in agonyB
And horribly a part of meB
For Lethe is for no man setP
And in Hell may no man forgetP
-
And there were flowers and jugs bright glancingL
And old Italian swords and looksQ
A moment's glance of fire of fireI
Spiring leaping flaming higherI
Into the intense the cloudless blueR
Until two souls were one and flameS
And very flesh and yet the sameS
As if all springs were crushed anewR
Into one globed drop of dewR
But for the most I thought of heatF
Desiring greatly Hot white sandT
The lazy body lies at rest inU
Or sun dried scented grass to nest inU
And fires innumerable firesV
Great fagots hurling golden gyresV
Of sparks far up and the red heartO
In sea coals crashing as they partO
To tiny flares and kindling snappingL
Bunched sticks that burst their string and wrappingL
And fall like jackstraws green and blueR
The evil flames of driftwood tooR
And heavy sullen lumps of cokeW
With still fierce heat and ugly smokeW
And then the vision of his faceV
And theirs all theirs came like a swordX
Thrice to the heart and as I fellY
I thought I saw a light beforeZ
-
I woke My hands were blue and soreZ
Torn on the ice I scarcely feltA2
The frozen sleet begin to meltA2
Upon my face as I breathed deeperI
But lay there warmly like a sleeperI
Who shifts his arm once and moans lowE
And then sinks back to night Slow slowE
And still as Death came Sleep and DeathB2
And looked at me with quiet breathB2
Unbending figures black and starkC2
Against the intense deeps of the darkC2
Tall and like trees Like sweet and fireI
Rest crept and crept along my veinsV
Gently And there were no more painsV
-
Was it not better so to lieA
The fight was done Even gods tireI
Of fighting My way was the wrongD2
Now I should drift and drift alongD2
To endless quiet golden peaceV
And let the tortured body ceaseV
-
And then a light winked like an eyeA
And very many miles awayE2
A girl stood at a warm lit doorZ
Holding a lamp Ray upon rayE2
It cloaked the snow with perfect lightF2
And where she was there was no nightF2
Nor could be ever God is sureG2
And in his hands are things secureG2
It is not given me to traceV
The lovely laughter of that faceV
Like a clear brook most full of lightF2
Or olives swaying on a heightF2
So silver they have wings almostH2
Like a great word once known and lostI2
And meaning all things Nor her voiceV
A happy sound where larks rejoiceV
Her body that great lovelinessV
The tender fashion of her dressV
I may not paint themJ2
These I seeV
Blazing through all eternityV
A fire winged sign a glorious treeV
-
She stood there and at once I knewR
The bitter thing that I must doR
There could be no surrender nowK2
Though Sleep and Death were whispering lowE
My way was wrong So Would it mendL2
If I shrank back before the endL2
And sank to death and cowardiceV
No the last lees must be drained upM2
Base wine from an ignoble cupM2
Yet not so base as sleek contentN2
When I had shrunk from punishmentO2
The wretched body strain anewR
Life was a storm to wander throughR
I took the wrong way Good and wellY
At least my feet sought out not HellY
Though night were one consuming flameS
I must go on for my base aimS
And so perhaps make evil growE
To something clean by agonyV
And reach that light upon the snowE
And touch her dress at lastP2
So soE
I crawled I could not speak or seeV
Save dimly The ice glared like fireI
A long bright Hell of choking coldQ2
And each vein was a tautened wireI
Throbbing with torture and I crawledR2
My hands were woundsV
So I attainedS2
The second Hell The snow was stainedS2
I thought and shook my head at itT2
How red it was Black tree roots clutchedU2
And tore and soon the snow was smutchedU2
Anew and I lurched babbling onG
And then fell down to rest a bitU2
And came upon another HellY
Loose stones that ice made terribleV2
That rolled and gashed men as they fellY
I stumbled slipped and all was goneW2
That I had gained Once more I layE2
Before the long bright Hell of iceV
And still the light was far awayE2
There was red mist before my eyesV
Or I could tell you how I wentU2
Across the swaying firmamentU2
A glittering torture of cold starsV
And how I fought in Titan warsV
And died and lived again uponG
The rack and how the horses strainN
When their red task is nearly doneH
-
I only know that there was PainN
Infinite and eternal PainN
And that I fell and rose againX2
-
So she was walking in the roadU2
And I stood upright like a manY2
Once and fell blind and heard her cryA
And then there came long agonyV
There was no pain when I awokeW
No pain at all Rest like a goadU2
Spurred my eyes open and light brokeW
Upon them like a million swordsV
And she was there There are no wordsV
-
Heaven is for a moment's spanY2
And everI
So I spoke and saidU2
My honor stands up unbetrayedU2
And I have seen you DearZ2
Sharp painN
Closed like a cloakW
I moaned and diedU2
-
Here even here these things remainN
I shall draw nearer to her sideU2
-
Oh dear and laughing lost to meV
Hidden in grey EternityV
I shall attain with burning feetU2
To you and to the mercy seatU2
The ages crumble down like dustU2
Dark roses deviously thrustU2
And scattered in sweet wine but IA
I shall lift up to you my cryA
And kiss your wet lips presentlyV
Beneath the ever living TreeV
-
This in my heart I keep for goadU2
Somewhere in Heaven she walks that roadU2
Somewhere in Heaven she walks that roadU2

Stephen Vincent Benet



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