Ash Wednesday Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDCEEFG HIJHIJKB LMLMNMOBPO QRQGBIBQ ASATT UU A VRRRWRPRXYRZRA2B2C2D 2B2YRRRPP B2RE2RB2PE2B2YRRRRRB 2RRE2RF2IYB2 PIRRRRB2 A SE2ISB2S SE2G2SG2 SRH2H2RI2SRSSS RR R Z RH2H2SB2SRB2 RSB2 PPP RPPJ2J2J2B2 E2RK2R D2J2Y E2 E2 Z RYRRL2RRRR Z RB2RRB2LSB2RB2 SZYH2RSRSB2 Z SSSB2B2RR E2 Z BCD B2B2PB2SPB2 B2B2E2E2SSB2B2M2 M2B2B2SZ RYRSE2B2E2B2SB2R B2

IA
-
Because I do not hope to turn againB
Because I do not hopeC
Because I do not hope to turnD
Desiring this man's gift and that man's scopeC
I no longer strive to strive towards such thingsE
Why should the ag egrave d eagle stretch its wingsE
Why should I mournF
The vanished power of the usual reignG
-
Because I do not hope to knowH
The infirm glory of the positive hourI
Because I do not thinkJ
Because I know I shall not knowH
The one veritable transitory powerI
Because I cannot drinkJ
There where trees flower and springs flow for there isK
nothing againB
-
Because I know that time is always timeL
And place is always and only placeM
And what is actual is actual only for one timeL
And only for one placeM
I rejoice that things are as they are andN
I renounce the bless egrave d faceM
And renounce the voiceO
Because I cannot hope to turn againB
Consequently I rejoice having to construct somethingP
Upon which to rejoiceO
-
And pray to God to have mercy upon usQ
And pray that I may forgetR
These matters that with myself I too much discussQ
Too much explainG
Because I do not hope to turn againB
Let these words answerI
For what is done not to be done againB
May the judgement not be too heavy upon usQ
-
Because these wings are no longer wings to flyA
But merely vans to beat the airS
The air which is now thoroughly small and dryA
Smaller and dryer than the willT
Teach us to care and not to care Teach us to sit stillT
-
Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our deathU
Pray for us now and at the hour of our deathU
-
IIA
-
Lady three white leopards sat under a juniper treeV
In the cool of the day having fed to sateityR
On my legs my heart my liver and that which had been containedR
In the hollow round of my skull And God saidR
Shall these bones live shall theseW
Bones live And that which had been containedR
In the bones which were already dry said chirpingP
Because of the goodness of this LadyR
And because of her loveliness and becauseX
She honours the Virgin in meditationY
We shine with brightness And I who am here dissembledR
Proffer my deeds to oblivion and my loveZ
To the posterity of the desert and the fruit of the gourdR
It is this which recoversA2
My guts the strings of my eyes and the indigestible portionsB2
Which the leopards reject The Lady is withdrawnC2
In a white gown to contemplation in a white gownD2
Let the whiteness of bones atone to forgetfulnessB2
There is no life in them As I am forgottenY
And would be forgotten so I would forgetR
Thus devoted concentrated in purpose And God saidR
Prophesy to the wind to the wind only for onlyR
The wind will listen And the bones sang chirpingP
With the burden of the grasshopper sayingP
-
Lady of silencesB2
Calm and distressedR
Torn and most wholeE2
Rose of memoryR
Rose of forgetfulnessB2
Exhausted and life givingP
Worried reposefulE2
The single RoseB2
Is now the GardenY
Where all loves endR
Terminate tormentR
Of love unsatisfiedR
The greater tormentR
Of love satisfiedR
End of the endlessB2
Journey to no endR
Conclusion of all thatR
Is inconclusibleE2
Speech without word andR
Word of no speechF2
Grace to the MotherI
For the GardenY
Where all love endsB2
-
Under a juniper tree the bones sang scattered and shiningP
We are glad to be scattered we did little good to each otherI
Under a tree in the cool of day with the blessing of sandR
Forgetting themselves and each other unitedR
In the quiet of the desert This is the land which yeR
Shall divide by lot And neither division nor unityR
Matters This is the land We have our inheritanceB2
-
IIIA
-
At the first turning of the second stairS
I turned and saw belowE2
The same shape twisted on the banisterI
Under the vapour in the fetid airS
Struggling with the devil of the stairs who wearsB2
The deceitul face of hope and of despairS
-
At the second turning of the second stairS
I left them twisting turning belowE2
There were no more faces and the stair was darkG2
Damp jagg egrave d like an old man's mouth drivelling beyond repairS
Or the toothed gullet of an ag egrave d sharkG2
-
At the first turning of the third stairS
Was a slotted window bellied like the figs's fruitR
And beyond the hawthorn blossom and a pasture sceneH2
The broadbacked figure drest in blue and greenH2
Enchanted the maytime with an antique fluteR
Blown hair is sweet brown hair over the mouth blownI2
Lilac and brown hairS
Distraction music of the flute stops and steps of the mindR
over the third stairS
Fading fading strength beyond hope and despairS
Climbing the third stairS
-
Lord I am not worthyR
Lord I am not worthyR
-
but speak the word onlyR
-
IVZ
-
Who walked between the violet and the violetR
Whe walked betweenH2
The various ranks of varied greenH2
Going in white and blue in Mary's colourS
Talking of trivial thingsB2
In ignorance and knowledge of eternal dolourS
Who moved among the others as they walkedR
Who then made strong the fountains and made fresh the springsB2
-
Made cool the dry rock and made firm the sandR
In blue of larkspur blue of Mary's colourS
Sovegna vosB2
-
Here are the years that walk between bearingP
Away the fiddles and the flutes restoringP
One who moves in the time between sleep and waking wearingP
-
White light folded sheathing about her foldedR
The new years walk restoringP
Through a bright cloud of tears the years restoringP
With a new verse the ancient rhyme RedeemJ2
The time RedeemJ2
The unread vision in the higher dreamJ2
While jewelled unicorns draw by the gilded hearseB2
-
The silent sister veiled in white and blueE2
Between the yews behind the garden godR
Whose flute is breathless bent her head and signed but spokeK2
no wordR
-
But the fountain sprang up and the bird sang downD2
Redeem the time redeem the dreamJ2
The token of the word unheard unspokenY
-
Till the wind shake a thousand whispers from the yewE2
-
And after this our exileE2
-
VZ
-
If the lost word is lost if the spent word is spentR
If the unheard unspokenY
Word is unspoken unheardR
Still is the unspoken word the Word unheardR
The Word without a word the Word withinL2
The world and for the worldR
And the light shone in darkness andR
Against the Word the unstilled world still whirledR
About the centre of the silent WordR
-
O my people what have I done unto theeZ
-
Where shall the word be found where will the wordR
Resound Not here there is not enough silenceB2
Not on the sea or on the islands notR
On the mainland in the desert or the rain landR
For those who walk in darknessB2
Both in the day time and in the night timeL
The right time and the right place are not hereS
No place of grace for those who avoid the faceB2
No time to rejoice for those who walk among noise andR
deny the voiceB2
-
Will the veiled sister pray forS
Those who walk in darkness who chose thee and oppose theeZ
Those who are torn on the horn between season and seasonY
time and time betweenH2
Hour and hour word and word power and power those who waitR
In darkness Will the veiled sister prayS
For children at the gateR
Who will not go away and cannot prayS
Pray for those who chose and opposeB2
-
O my people what have I done unto theeZ
-
Will the veiled sister between the slenderS
Yew trees pray for those who offend herS
And are terrified and cannot surrenderS
And affirm before the world and deny between the rocksB2
In the last desert before the last blue rocksB2
The desert in the garden the garden in the desertR
Of drouth spitting from the mouth the withered apple seedR
-
O my peopleE2
-
VIZ
-
Although I do not hope to turn againB
Although I do not hopeC
Although I do not hope to turnD
-
Wavering between the profit and the lossB2
In this brief transit where the dreams crossB2
The dreamcrossed twilight between birth and dyingP
Bless me father though I do not wish to wish these thingsB2
From the wide window towards the granite shoreS
The white sails still fly seaward seaward flyingP
Unbroken wingsB2
-
And the lost heart stiffens and rejoicesB2
In the lost lilac and the lost sea voicesB2
And the weak spirit quickens to rebelE2
For the bent golden rod and the lost sea smellE2
Quickens to recoverS
The cry of quail and the whirling ploverS
And the blind eye createsB2
The empty forms between the ivory gatesB2
And smell renews the salt savour of the sandy earthM2
-
This is the time of tension between dying and birthM2
The place of solitude where three dreams crossB2
Between blue rocksB2
But when the voices shaken from the yew tree drift awayS
Let the other yew be shaken and replyZ
-
Bless egrave d sister holy mother spirit of the fountain spiritR
of the gardenY
Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehoodR
Teach us to care and not to careS
Teach us to sit stillE2
Even among these rocksB2
Our peace in His willE2
And even among these rocksB2
Sister motherS
And spirit of the river spirit of the seaB2
Suffer me not to be separatedR
-
And let my cry come unto TheeB2

T. S. Eliot



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