The Christ Upon The Hill Poem Rhyme Scheme

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William Cosmo Monkhouse

The Christ Upon The Hill Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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Part I	A
	-
A couple old sat o'er the fire	B
And they were bent and gray	C
They burned the charcoal for their Lord	D
Who lived long leagues away	C
	-
Deep in the wood the old pair dwelt	E
Far from the paths of men	F
And saw no face but their poor son's	G
And a wanderer's now and then	F
	-
The son alas Had grown apace	H
And left his wits behind	I
He was as helpless as the air	J
As empty as the wind	I
	-
With puffing lips and shambling feet	K
And eyes a staring wide	L
He whistled ever as he went	M
And little did beside	L
	-
He whistled high he whistled low	N
He whistled sharp and sweet	K
He brought the redbreast to his hand	O
And the brown hare to his feet	K
	-
Without a fear of beast or bird	P
He wandered all the day	C
But when the light began to fail	Q
His courage passed away	C
	-
He feared the werewolf in the wood	R
The dragon in the dell	S
And home he fled as if pursued	T
By all the hosts of hell	S
	-
Ah we are old the woman said	U
And soon shall we be gone	V
And what will our poor Michael do	W
When he is left alone	X
	-
We are forgotten of all men	F
And he is dead I fear	Y
That good old priest who used to come	Z
And shrive us thrice a year	Y
	-
We have no kin the mother said	U
We have no friend said she	A2
The father gazed upon the fire	B
And not a word said he	A2
	-
Again she spoke No friend or kin	B2
'Death only Death ' is near	Y
And he will take us both away	C
And leave our Michael here	C2
	-
And who shall give him bite or sup	D2
And who shall keep him neat	K
Ah what were Heaven if we must weep	E2
Before God's mercy seat	K
	-
And when the woman ceased the man	F2
A little waited still	G2
And then he said We have one friend	H2
The Christ upon the Hill	G2
	-
	-
Part II	A
	-
The Christ upon the Hill so gaunt	I2
And lean and stark and drear	C2
It made the heart with pity start	J2
It smote the soul with fear	C2
	-
High reared against a cliff it stood	R
Just where the great roads met	K2
And many a knee had worn the stone	X
Wherein the Rood was set	K2
	-
For deadly was the pass beyond	L2
And all men paused to pray	C2
For courage or to pour their thanks	M2
For dangers passed away	C2
	-
But not for fear of beast or fiend	N2
But boding deeper ill	G2
The charcoal burner and his wife	O2
Slow climbed the weary hill	G2
	-
Before the Rood their simple son	P2
Lay stretched upon the ground	Q2
And crumbled black bread for the birds	R2
That hopped and pecked around	Q2
	-
For he had gone before with feet	K
As wild and light as air	C2
And borne the basket on his back	S2
That held their frugal fare	C2
	-
And they were faint and ere they prayed	T2
They sat them down to eat	K
And much they marvelled at their son	P2
Who never touched his meat	K
	-
But now the birds were flown away	C2
Sat up and only gazed	U2
Upon the Christ upon the cross	V2
As one with wonder dazed	U2
	-
Full long he sat and never moved	W2
But then he gave a cry	C2
And caught his mother by the wrist	X2
And said I heard a sigh	C2
	-
It is an image made of wood	R
It has no voice she said	U
'Twas but the wind you heard my son	P2
But Michael shook his head	U
	-
And gazed again so earnestly	A2
His face grew almost wise	Y2
And now he cried again and said	U
Look how he closed his eyes	Y2
	-
'Tis but the shadow of a bird	P
That passed across his face	H
The mother said see even now	Z2
It hovers near the place	H
	-
And then the father said My son	P2
The image is of wood	R
And do you think a man could live	A3
Without a taste of food	T
	-
No food the silly youth replied	L
And pointed to a wren	F
Who with a crumb upon Christ's lip	B3
Had just alighted then	F
	-
And now the old man held his peace	C3
And the woman ceased to strive	A3
For still he shook his silly head	U
And said The man's alive	A3
	-
It is God's will they said and knelt	E
And knew not what to say	C2
But when they rose they felt as though	N
All fear had passed away	C2
	-
And they could smile when Michael left	D3
His dinner on the stone	X
He said The birds will feed the Christ	E3
When they are quite alone	X
	-
	-
Part III	A
	-
The couple sat before the fire	C2
More old and sad and poor	C2
For there was winter at the heart	J2
And winter at the door	C2
	-
It shook the roof with shocks of wind	I
It caked the pane with snow	N
The candle flickered on the sill	G2
Like a soul that longed to go	N
	-
'Twas Michael's beacon gone to feed	F3
The Christ upon the Hill	G2
And midnight long had passed and gone	V
And he was absent still	G2
	-
And now and then they turned a log	G3
And now they dropped a word	P
'Twas all the wind the mother said	U
The father said The bird	P
	-
I hoped that it was God himself	H3
The mother muttered low	N
It must have been the fiend he said	U
For to deceive him so	N
	-
And then the mother cried aloud	I3
What matter it she said	U
Or wind or bird or fiend or God	J3
For he is dead is dead	U
	-
Hark cried the man and through the storm	K3
A note came high and clear	C2
It was the whistle of their son	P2
That sound they longed to hear	C2
	-
And then a cry for help and out	L3
Into the snow they ran	F2
And there was Michael On his back	S2
He bore a helpless man	F2
	-
He lives he lives he wildly cried	L
His wounds are dripping still	G2
And surely red from hand and side	L
There ran a tiny rill	G2
	-
They brought Him in and laid Him down	M3
Upon the warm hearthstone	M3
It was the Christ but not of wood	R
But made of flesh and bone	M3
	-
They washed His wounds and at their touch	N3
They turned to purple scars	O3
Like a young moon upon the breast	P3
On hands and feet like stars	O3
	-
They brought to moisten His dry lips	Q3
They hoarded flask of wine	M3
They wrapped Him round with blankets warm	K3
And waited for a sign	M3
	-
And soon without the help of hand	O
He rose upon His feet	K
And like a friend beside the fire	C2
He took the vacant seat	K
	-
He sat up in the chair then	M3
And straight began to shine	M3
Until His face and raiment poured	D
A glory most divine	M3
	-
The thorns upon His forehead	U
Broke out in leaves of gold	R3
The blood drops turned to berries	S3
Like rubies rich and bold	R3
	-
The blankets that bewrapped Him	T3
Flowed into folds of white	U3
Bestarred with gold and jewels	V3
Which sparkled in the light	U3
	-
The very chair He sat on	M3
Became a crystal throne	M3
The oaken stool beneath His feet	K
Turned to a jasper stone	M3
	-
He stretched an arm to Michael	W3
And touched him with His hand	O
And he arose beside the throne	M3
An angel bright and grand	O
	-
And then His lips were opened	X3
And strong and sweet and clear	C2
Like water from a fountain	M3
His voice was good to hear	C2
	-
I am the King of Glory	A2
I am your brother too	W
And even as you do to Me	A2
So do I unto you	W
	-
You took Me in and clothed Me	A2
You washed My body pierced	Y3
You gave me of your wine to drink	Z3
When I was sore athirst	Y3
	-
And you have suffered also	N
And you must suffer still	G2
I suffered upon Calvary	A2
I suffer on the Hill	G2
	-
But I am Prince of Sorrow	N
And I am Lord of Care	C2
I come to bring you comfort	Y3
And save you from despair	C2
	-
Your son your only son is safe	A4
And beautiful to see	A2
And though you miss him for a while	B4
You know he is with Me	A2
	-
And I will give him peace and joy	C4
As no man every knew	W
A little grief a little pain	M3
And I will come for you	W
	-
He rose His arms around their son	M3
And through the open door	C2
They only saw a whirl of snow	N
And heard the tempest roar	C2