The Golden Whales Of California Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDCEEBFGFBHIHJKDK LLDMMNOPOQRSSIRTUVUB WSW X YYZZA2B2B2LC2D2E2D2B QCQF2NG2NEEH2 I2H2I2J2K2NK2L2NH2NE EH2H2H2H2H2H2H2H2H2M 2H2 M2SH2SH2H2H2H2H2H2H2 S AH2H2H2CCZZBEN EN2N2O2H2L2NH2H2H2H2 O2NH2O2O2BO2H2H2O2H2 H2NO2 O2L2L2L2QYYO2P2O2H2P 2 Q2 O2O2NB O2PO2R2R2O2 O2O2O2S2S2O2S2O2H2O2 O2O2O2O2O2O2O2O2O2O2 O2| Part I A Short Walk Along the Coast | A |
| - | |
| Yes I have walked in California | B |
| And the rivers there are blue and white | C |
| Thunderclouds of grapes hang on the mountains | D |
| Bears in the meadows pitch and fight | C |
| Limber double jointed lords of fate | E |
| Proud native sons of the Golden Gate | E |
| And flowers burst like bombs in California | B |
| Exploding on tomb and tower | F |
| And the panther cats chase the red rabbits | G |
| Scatter their young blood every hour | F |
| And the cattle on the hills of California | B |
| And the very swine in the holes | H |
| Have ears of silk and velvet | I |
| And tusks like long white poles | H |
| And the very swine big hearted | J |
| Walk with pride to their doom | K |
| For they feed on the sacred raisins | D |
| Where the great black agates loom | K |
| - | |
| Goshawfuls are Burbanked with the grizzly bears | L |
| At midnight their children come clanking up the stairs | L |
| They wriggle up the canyons | D |
| Nose into the caves | M |
| And swallow the papooses and the Indian braves | M |
| The trees climb so high the crows are dizzy | N |
| Flying to their nests at the top | O |
| While the jazz birds screech and storm the brazen beach | P |
| And the sea stars turn flip flop | O |
| The solid Golden Gate soars up to Heaven | Q |
| Perfumed cataracts are hurled | R |
| From the zones of silver snow | S |
| To the ripening rye below | S |
| To the land of the lemon and the nut | I |
| And the biggest ocean in the world | R |
| While the Native Sons like lords tremendous | T |
| Lift up their heads with chants sublime | U |
| And the band stands sound the trombone the saxophone and xylophone | V |
| And the whales roar in perfect tune and time | U |
| And the chanting of the whales of California | B |
| I have set my heart upon | W |
| It is sometimes a play by Belasco | S |
| Sometimes a tale of Prester John | W |
| - | |
| - | |
| Part II The Chanting of the Whales | X |
| - | |
| North to the Pole south to the Pole | Y |
| The whales of California wallow and roll | Y |
| They dive and breed and snort and play | Z |
| And the sun struck feed them every day | Z |
| Boatloads of citrons quinces cherries | A2 |
| Of bloody strawberries plums and beets | B2 |
| Hogsheads of pomegranates vats of sweets | B2 |
| And the he whales chant like a cyclone blares | L |
| Proclaiming the California noons | C2 |
| So gloriously hot some days | D2 |
| The snake is fried in the desert | E2 |
| And the flea no longer plays | D2 |
| There are ten gold suns in California | B |
| When all other lands have one | Q |
| For the Golden Gate must have due light | C |
| And persimmons be well done | Q |
| And the hot whales slosh and cool in the wash | F2 |
| And the fume of the hollow sea | N |
| Rally and roam in the loblolly foam | G2 |
| And whoop that their souls are free | N |
| Limber double jointed lords of fate | E |
| Proud native sons of the Golden Gate | E |
| And they chant of the forty niners | H2 |
| - | |
| Who sailed round the cape for their loot | I2 |
| With guns and picks and washpans | H2 |
| And a dagger in each boot | I2 |
| How the richest became the King of England | J2 |
| The poorest became the King of Spain | K2 |
| The bravest a colonel in the army | N |
| And a mean one went insane | K2 |
| The ten gold suns are so blasting | L2 |
| The sunstruck scoot for the sea | N |
| And turn to mermen and mermaids | H2 |
| And whoop that their souls are free | N |
| Limber double jointed lords of fate | E |
| Proud native sons of the Golden Gate | E |
| And they take young whales for their bronchos | H2 |
| And old whales for their steeds | H2 |
| Harnessed with golden seaweeds | H2 |
| And driven with golden reeds | H2 |
| They dance on the shore throwing rose leaves | H2 |
| They kiss all night throwing hearts | H2 |
| They fight like scalded wildcats | H2 |
| When the least bit of fighting starts | H2 |
| They drink these belly busting devils | H2 |
| And their tremens shake the ground | M2 |
| And then they repent like whirlwinds | H2 |
| - | |
| And never were such saints found | M2 |
| They will give you their plug tobacco | S |
| They will give you the shirts off their backs | H2 |
| They will cry for your every sorrow | S |
| Put ham in your haversacks | H2 |
| And they feed the cuttlefishes whales and skates | H2 |
| With dates and figs in bales and crates | H2 |
| Shiploads of sweet potatoes peanuts rutabagas | H2 |
| Honey in hearts of gourds | H2 |
| Grapefruits and oranges barrelled with apples | H2 |
| And spices like sharp sweet swords | H2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| Part III St Francis of San Francisco | S |
| - | |
| But the surf is white down the long strange coast | A |
| With breasts that shake with sighs | H2 |
| And the ocean of all oceans | H2 |
| Holds salt from weary eyes | H2 |
| St Francis comes to his city at night | C |
| And stands in the brilliant electric light | C |
| And his swans that prophesy night and day | Z |
| Would soothe his heart that wastes away | Z |
| The giant swans of California | B |
| That nest on the Golden Gate | E |
| And beat through the clouds serenely | N |
| - | |
| And on St Francis wait | E |
| But St Francis shades his face in his cowl | N2 |
| And stands in the street like a lost grey owl | N2 |
| He thinks of gold gold | O2 |
| He sees on far redwoods | H2 |
| Dewfall and dawning | L2 |
| Deep in Yosemite | N |
| Shadows and shrines | H2 |
| He hears from far valleys | H2 |
| Prayers by young Christians | H2 |
| He sees their due penance | H2 |
| So cruel so cold | O2 |
| He sees them made holy | N |
| White souled like young aspens | H2 |
| With whimsies and fancies untold | O2 |
| The opposite of gold | O2 |
| And the mighty mountain swans of California | B |
| Whose eggs are like mosque domes of Ind | O2 |
| Cry with curious notes | H2 |
| That their eggs are good for boats | H2 |
| To toss upon the foam and the wind | O2 |
| He beholds on far rivers | H2 |
| The venturesome lovers | H2 |
| Sailing for the sea | N |
| All night | O2 |
| - | |
| In swanshells white | O2 |
| He sees them far on the ocean prevailing | L2 |
| In a year and a month and a day of sailing | L2 |
| Leaving the whales and their whoop unfailing | L2 |
| On through the lightning ice and confusion | Q |
| North of the North Pole | Y |
| South of the jgouth Pole | Y |
| And west of the west of the west of the west | O2 |
| To the shore of Heartache s Cure | P2 |
| The opposite of gold | O2 |
| On and on like Columbus | H2 |
| With faith and eggshell sure | P2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| Part IV The Voice of the Earthquake | Q2 |
| - | |
| But what is the earthquake s cry at last | O2 |
| Making St Francis yet aghast | O2 |
| ' Oh the flashing cornucopia of haughty | N |
| From here on the audience California joins in the | B |
| - | |
| Is gold gold gold | O2 |
| Their brittle speech and their clutching reach | P |
| Is gold gold gold | O2 |
| What is the fire engine s ding dong bell | R2 |
| The burden of the burble of the bull frog in the well | R2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
| - | |
| What is the color of the cup and plate | O2 |
| And knife and fork of the chief of state | O2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
| What is the flavor of the Bartlett pear | S2 |
| What is the savor of the salt sea air | S2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
| What is the color of the sea girl s hair | S2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
| In the church of Jesus and the streets of Venus | H2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
| What color are the cradle and the bridal bed | O2 |
| What color are the coffins of the great grey dead | O2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
| What is the hue of the big whales hide | O2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
| What is the color of their guts inside | O2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
| ' What is the color of the pumpkins in the moonlight | O2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
| The color of the moth and the worm in the starlight | O2 |
| Gold gold gold | O2 |
Vachel Lindsay
(1)
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