Lethe Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HI JJ KK LL MM CC NN MM AA OO PP BB QQ RR SS TT AA PP UU VV WW XX RR PP GG YY ZZ A2A2 BB NN JJ KK LL B2B2 SS C2H D2D2 E2E2 CC F2F2 G2G2 H2H2 VV I2I2 YY XX E2E2 QQ MM J2J2 K2K2| Through the noiseless doors of Death | A |
| Three passed out as with one breath | A |
| - | |
| Two had faces stern as Fate | B |
| Stamped with unrelenting hate | B |
| - | |
| One upon her lips of guile | C |
| Wore a cold mysterious smile | C |
| - | |
| Each of each unseen the pale | D |
| Shades went down the hollow vale | D |
| - | |
| Till they came unto the deep | E |
| River of Eternal Sleep | E |
| - | |
| Breath of wind or wing of bird | F |
| Never that dark stream hath stirred | F |
| - | |
| Still it seems as is the shore | G |
| But it flows for evermore | G |
| - | |
| Softly through the meadows wan | H |
| To the Sea Oblivion | I |
| - | |
| In the dusk like drops of blood | J |
| Poppies hang above the flood | J |
| - | |
| On its surface lies a thin | K |
| Ghostly web of mist wherein | K |
| - | |
| All things vague and changing seem | L |
| As the faces in a dream | L |
| - | |
| Two knelt down upon the bank | M |
| And of that dark water drank | M |
| - | |
| But the Third stood by the while | C |
| Smiling her mysterious smile | C |
| - | |
| Rising up those shades of men | N |
| Gazed upon each other then | N |
| - | |
| Side by side upon the bank | M |
| In a bed of poppies sank | M |
| - | |
| What one to the other saith | A |
| Sent thee through the doors of death | A |
| - | |
| While life throbbed in every vein | O |
| For a woman I was slain | O |
| - | |
| Love is but a fleeting spell | P |
| Hate alone remembers well | P |
| - | |
| For my slayer I shall wait | B |
| And though he at Heaven s gate | B |
| - | |
| Stand and wear an angel s crown | Q |
| I shall seize and drag him down | Q |
| - | |
| So the stern shade made reply | R |
| Then the first that spake said I | R |
| - | |
| For a woman s sake also | S |
| Slew myself and slew my foe | S |
| - | |
| Slew myself that in no shape | T |
| He my vengeance should escape | T |
| - | |
| Till Oblivion swallow both | A |
| And I swore a solemn oath | A |
| - | |
| I would hate remembers well | P |
| Hunt his spotted soul to hell | P |
| - | |
| But I left ere leave taking | U |
| Round her throat a dark red ring | U |
| - | |
| I shall know her you shall note | V |
| By that red ring round her throat | V |
| - | |
| Well I loved my fair false wife | W |
| And perchance in this new life | W |
| - | |
| She may love me we shall see | X |
| She shall choose twixt him and me | X |
| - | |
| Softly did the other sigh | R |
| My love s love will never die | R |
| - | |
| Love is not a fleeting spell | P |
| Love like hate remembers well | P |
| - | |
| Soon mayhap on this dim shore | G |
| We shall meet to part no more | G |
| - | |
| Then the first Shade spoke and said | Y |
| In this Kingdom of the Dead | Y |
| - | |
| Let us who so strangely meet | Z |
| Pledge each other in this sweet | Z |
| - | |
| Water our revenge to wreak | A2 |
| Side by side and so to seek | A2 |
| - | |
| Side by side whate er our fate | B |
| Those we love and those we hate | B |
| - | |
| Kneeling on the dim shore then | N |
| Side by side they drank again | N |
| - | |
| And they saw like drops of blood | J |
| Poppies nodding o er the flood | J |
| - | |
| And they gazed upon the thin | K |
| Ghostly web of mist wherein | K |
| - | |
| All things vague and changing seem | L |
| As the faces in a dream | L |
| - | |
| And by some enchantment weird | B2 |
| As they gazed thereon appeared | B2 |
| - | |
| Unto each down bending low | S |
| Form and features of his foe | S |
| - | |
| For a moment then were gone | C2 |
| And upon the meadows wan | H |
| - | |
| Half in Death and half a swoon | D2 |
| Shone a pale and spectral moon | D2 |
| - | |
| Then these twain rose drowsy eyed | E2 |
| And departed side by side | E2 |
| - | |
| But the Woman Shade the while | C |
| Smiled her cold mysterious smile | C |
| - | |
| And her beauty made a light | F2 |
| In that realm of pallid night | F2 |
| - | |
| Beauty laughs at worm and grave | G2 |
| Like the moon beneath the wave | G2 |
| - | |
| Back she flung her hair of gold | H2 |
| Glowing gleaming fold on fold | H2 |
| - | |
| Showing all but these might note | V |
| The red ring around her throat | V |
| - | |
| But they passed with cold surprise | I2 |
| And unrecognising eyes | I2 |
| - | |
| Lightly laughed she then and said | Y |
| In this Kingdom of the Dead | Y |
| - | |
| Strange the sights that one may see | X |
| There go twain who died for me | X |
| - | |
| Seeking through Creation wide | E2 |
| For each other side by side | E2 |
| - | |
| Then she wove a poppy crown | Q |
| Placed it on her head and down | Q |
| - | |
| On the river s margin sank | M |
| Midst the poppies of its bank | M |
| - | |
| Saying In the world above | J2 |
| Long he tarries my true love | J2 |
| - | |
| Here beside this river s rim | K2 |
| I will sleep and wait for him | K2 |
Victor James Daley
(1)
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