A Goodnight Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSNPTUVV WXYZA2YHB2C2D2E2OYD2 HHF2G2H2I2D2 GJ2K2D2C2NGL2NM| Go to sleep though of course you will not | A |
| to tideless waves thundering slantwise against | B |
| strong embankments rattle and swish of spray | C |
| dashed thirty feet high caught by the lake wind | D |
| scattered and strewn broadcast in over the steady | E |
| car rails Sleep sleep Gulls' cries in a wind gust | F |
| broken by the wind calculating wings set above | G |
| the field of waves breaking | H |
| Go to sleep to the lunge between foam crests | I |
| refuse churned in the recoil Food Food | J |
| Offal Offal that holds them in the air wave white | K |
| for the one purpose feather upon feather the wild | L |
| chill in their eyes the hoarseness in their voices | M |
| sleep sleep | N |
| - | |
| Gentlefooted crowds are treading out your lullaby | O |
| Their arms nudge they brush shoulders | P |
| hitch this way then that mass and surge at the crossings | Q |
| lullaby lullaby The wild fowl police whistles | R |
| the enraged roar of the traffic machine shrieks | S |
| it is all to put you to sleep | N |
| to soften your limbs in relaxed postures | P |
| and that your head slip sidewise and your hair loosen | T |
| and fall over your eyes and over your mouth | U |
| brushing your lips wistfully that you may dream | V |
| sleep and dream | V |
| - | |
| A black fungus springs out about the lonely church doors | W |
| sleep sleep The Night coming down upon | X |
| the wet boulevard would start you awake with his | Y |
| message to have in at your window Pay no | Z |
| heed to him He storms at your sill with | A2 |
| cooings with gesticulations curses | Y |
| You will not let him in He would keep you from sleeping | H |
| He would have you sit under your desk lamp | B2 |
| brooding pondering he would have you | C2 |
| slide out the drawer take up the ornamented dagger | D2 |
| and handle it It is late it is nineteen nineteen | E2 |
| go to sleep his cries are a lullaby | O |
| his jabbering is a sleep well my baby he is | Y |
| a crackbrained messenger | D2 |
| - | |
| The maid waking you in the morning | H |
| when you are up and dressing | H |
| the rustle of your clothes as you raise them | F2 |
| it is the same tune | G2 |
| At table the cold greeninsh split grapefruit its juice | H2 |
| on the tongue the clink of the spoon in | I2 |
| your coffee the toast odors say it over and over | D2 |
| - | |
| The open street door lets in the breath of | G |
| the morning wind from over the lake | J2 |
| The bus coming to a halt grinds from its sullen brakes | K2 |
| lullaby lullaby The crackle of a newspaper | D2 |
| the movement of the troubled coat beside you | C2 |
| sleep sleep sleep sleep | N |
| It is the sting of snow the burning liquor of | G |
| the moonlight the rush of rain in the gutters packed | L2 |
| with dead leaves go to sleep go to sleep | N |
| And the night passes and never passes | M |
William Carlos Williams
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