The Singer In The Prison Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AA BCDEFGH AA IJKLMNOJPQR R SSTT AA UUVV AA WWKK AA VVXY AA ZZA2B2A2C2D2E2 ZB2ZZGXKZD2KFF2G2H2I 2 AA

O sight of shame and pain and doleA
O fearful thought a convict SoulA
-
RANG the refrain along the hall the prisonB
Rose to the roof the vaults of heaven aboveC
Pouring in floods of melody in tones so pensive sweet and strongD
the like whereof was never heardE
Reaching the far off sentry and the armed guards who ceas'd theirF
pacingG
Making the hearer's pulses stop for extasy and aweH
-
-
O sight of pity gloom and doleA
O pardon me a hapless SoulA
-
The sun was low in the west one winter dayI
When down a narrow aisle amid the thieves and outlaws of the landJ
There by the hundreds seated sear faced murderers wilyK
counterfeitersL
Gather'd to Sunday church in prison walls the keepers roundM
Plenteous well arm'd watching with vigilant eyesN
All that dark cankerous blotch a nation's criminal massO
Calmly a Lady walk'd holding a little innocent child by either handJ
Whom seating on their stools beside her on the platformP
She first preluding with the instrument a low and musical preludeQ
In voice surpassing all sang forth a quaint old hymnR
-
-
THE HYMNR
-
A Soul confined by bars and bandsS
Cries Help O help and wrings her handsS
Blinded her eyes bleeding her breastT
Nor pardon finds nor balm of restT
-
O sight of shame and pain and doleA
O fearful thought a convict SoulA
-
Ceaseless she paces to and froU
O heart sick days O nights of woU
Nor hand of friend nor loving faceV
Nor favor comes nor word of graceV
-
O sight of pity gloom and doleA
O pardon me a hapless SoulA
-
It was not I that sinn'd the sinW
The ruthless Body dragg'd me inW
Though long I strove courageouslyK
The Body was too much for meK
-
O Life no life but bitter doleA
O burning beaten baffled SoulA
-
Dear prison'd Soul bear up a spaceV
For soon or late the certain graceV
To set thee free and bear thee homeX
The Heavenly Pardoner Death shall comeY
-
Convict no more nor shame nor doleA
Depart a God enfranchis'd SoulA
-
-
The singer ceas'dZ
One glance swept from her clear calm eyes o'er all those upturn'dZ
facesA2
Strange sea of prison faces a thousand varied crafty brutalB2
seam'd and beauteous facesA2
Then rising passing back along the narrow aisle between themC2
While her gown touch'd them rustling in the silenceD2
She vanish'd with her children in the duskE2
-
-
While upon all convicts and armed keepers ere they stirr'dZ
Convict forgetting prison keeper his loaded pistolB2
A hush and pause fell down a wondrous minuteZ
With deep half stifled sobs and sound of bad men bow'd and movedZ
to weepingG
And youth's convulsive breathings memories of homeX
The mother's voice in lullaby the sister's care the happyK
childhoodZ
The long pent spirit rous'd to reminiscenceD2
A wondrous minute then But after in the solitary night to manyK
many thereF
Years after even in the hour of death the sad refrain the tuneF2
the voice the wordsG2
Resumed the large calm Lady walks the narrow aisleH2
The wailing melody again the singer in the prison singsI2
-
O sight of shame and pain and doleA
O fearful thought a convict SoulA

Walt Whitman



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