The Christ Upon The Hill Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDC EFGF HIJI KLML NKOK PCQC RSTS UVWX FYZY UA2BA2 B2YCC2 D2KE2K F2G2H2G2 A I2C2J2C2 RK2XK2 L2C2M2C2 N2G2O2G2 P2Q2R2Q2 KC2S2C2 T2KP2K C2U2V2U2 W2C2X2C2 RUP2U A2Y2UY2 PHZ2H P2RA3T LFB3F C3A3UA3 EC2NC2 D3XE3X A C2C2J2C2 ING2N F3G2VG2 G3PUP H3NUN I3UJ3U K3C2P2C2 L3F2S2F2 LG2LG2 M3M3RM3 N3O3P3O3 Q3M3K3M3 OKC2K M3M3DM3 UR3S3R3 T3U3V3U3 M3M3KM3 W3OM3O X3C2M3C2 A2WA2W A2Y3Z3Y3 NG2A2G2 NC2Y3C2 A4A2B4A2 C4WM3W M3C2NC2

Part IA
-
A couple old sat o'er the fireB
And they were bent and grayC
They burned the charcoal for their LordD
Who lived long leagues awayC
-
Deep in the wood the old pair dweltE
Far from the paths of menF
And saw no face but their poor son'sG
And a wanderer's now and thenF
-
The son alas Had grown apaceH
And left his wits behindI
He was as helpless as the airJ
As empty as the windI
-
With puffing lips and shambling feetK
And eyes a staring wideL
He whistled ever as he wentM
And little did besideL
-
He whistled high he whistled lowN
He whistled sharp and sweetK
He brought the redbreast to his handO
And the brown hare to his feetK
-
Without a fear of beast or birdP
He wandered all the dayC
But when the light began to failQ
His courage passed awayC
-
He feared the werewolf in the woodR
The dragon in the dellS
And home he fled as if pursuedT
By all the hosts of hellS
-
Ah we are old the woman saidU
And soon shall we be goneV
And what will our poor Michael doW
When he is left aloneX
-
We are forgotten of all menF
And he is dead I fearY
That good old priest who used to comeZ
And shrive us thrice a yearY
-
We have no kin the mother saidU
We have no friend said sheA2
The father gazed upon the fireB
And not a word said heA2
-
Again she spoke No friend or kinB2
'Death only Death ' is nearY
And he will take us both awayC
And leave our Michael hereC2
-
And who shall give him bite or supD2
And who shall keep him neatK
Ah what were Heaven if we must weepE2
Before God's mercy seatK
-
And when the woman ceased the manF2
A little waited stillG2
And then he said We have one friendH2
The Christ upon the HillG2
-
-
Part IIA
-
The Christ upon the Hill so gauntI2
And lean and stark and drearC2
It made the heart with pity startJ2
It smote the soul with fearC2
-
High reared against a cliff it stoodR
Just where the great roads metK2
And many a knee had worn the stoneX
Wherein the Rood was setK2
-
For deadly was the pass beyondL2
And all men paused to prayC2
For courage or to pour their thanksM2
For dangers passed awayC2
-
But not for fear of beast or fiendN2
But boding deeper illG2
The charcoal burner and his wifeO2
Slow climbed the weary hillG2
-
Before the Rood their simple sonP2
Lay stretched upon the groundQ2
And crumbled black bread for the birdsR2
That hopped and pecked aroundQ2
-
For he had gone before with feetK
As wild and light as airC2
And borne the basket on his backS2
That held their frugal fareC2
-
And they were faint and ere they prayedT2
They sat them down to eatK
And much they marvelled at their sonP2
Who never touched his meatK
-
But now the birds were flown awayC2
Sat up and only gazedU2
Upon the Christ upon the crossV2
As one with wonder dazedU2
-
Full long he sat and never movedW2
But then he gave a cryC2
And caught his mother by the wristX2
And said I heard a sighC2
-
It is an image made of woodR
It has no voice she saidU
'Twas but the wind you heard my sonP2
But Michael shook his headU
-
And gazed again so earnestlyA2
His face grew almost wiseY2
And now he cried again and saidU
Look how he closed his eyesY2
-
'Tis but the shadow of a birdP
That passed across his faceH
The mother said see even nowZ2
It hovers near the placeH
-
And then the father said My sonP2
The image is of woodR
And do you think a man could liveA3
Without a taste of foodT
-
No food the silly youth repliedL
And pointed to a wrenF
Who with a crumb upon Christ's lipB3
Had just alighted thenF
-
And now the old man held his peaceC3
And the woman ceased to striveA3
For still he shook his silly headU
And said The man's aliveA3
-
It is God's will they said and kneltE
And knew not what to sayC2
But when they rose they felt as thoughN
All fear had passed awayC2
-
And they could smile when Michael leftD3
His dinner on the stoneX
He said The birds will feed the ChristE3
When they are quite aloneX
-
-
Part IIIA
-
The couple sat before the fireC2
More old and sad and poorC2
For there was winter at the heartJ2
And winter at the doorC2
-
It shook the roof with shocks of windI
It caked the pane with snowN
The candle flickered on the sillG2
Like a soul that longed to goN
-
'Twas Michael's beacon gone to feedF3
The Christ upon the HillG2
And midnight long had passed and goneV
And he was absent stillG2
-
And now and then they turned a logG3
And now they dropped a wordP
'Twas all the wind the mother saidU
The father said The birdP
-
I hoped that it was God himselfH3
The mother muttered lowN
It must have been the fiend he saidU
For to deceive him soN
-
And then the mother cried aloudI3
What matter it she saidU
Or wind or bird or fiend or GodJ3
For he is dead is deadU
-
Hark cried the man and through the stormK3
A note came high and clearC2
It was the whistle of their sonP2
That sound they longed to hearC2
-
And then a cry for help and outL3
Into the snow they ranF2
And there was Michael On his backS2
He bore a helpless manF2
-
He lives he lives he wildly criedL
His wounds are dripping stillG2
And surely red from hand and sideL
There ran a tiny rillG2
-
They brought Him in and laid Him downM3
Upon the warm hearthstoneM3
It was the Christ but not of woodR
But made of flesh and boneM3
-
They washed His wounds and at their touchN3
They turned to purple scarsO3
Like a young moon upon the breastP3
On hands and feet like starsO3
-
They brought to moisten His dry lipsQ3
They hoarded flask of wineM3
They wrapped Him round with blankets warmK3
And waited for a signM3
-
And soon without the help of handO
He rose upon His feetK
And like a friend beside the fireC2
He took the vacant seatK
-
He sat up in the chair thenM3
And straight began to shineM3
Until His face and raiment pouredD
A glory most divineM3
-
The thorns upon His foreheadU
Broke out in leaves of goldR3
The blood drops turned to berriesS3
Like rubies rich and boldR3
-
The blankets that bewrapped HimT3
Flowed into folds of whiteU3
Bestarred with gold and jewelsV3
Which sparkled in the lightU3
-
The very chair He sat onM3
Became a crystal throneM3
The oaken stool beneath His feetK
Turned to a jasper stoneM3
-
He stretched an arm to MichaelW3
And touched him with His handO
And he arose beside the throneM3
An angel bright and grandO
-
And then His lips were openedX3
And strong and sweet and clearC2
Like water from a fountainM3
His voice was good to hearC2
-
I am the King of GloryA2
I am your brother tooW
And even as you do to MeA2
So do I unto youW
-
You took Me in and clothed MeA2
You washed My body piercedY3
You gave me of your wine to drinkZ3
When I was sore athirstY3
-
And you have suffered alsoN
And you must suffer stillG2
I suffered upon CalvaryA2
I suffer on the HillG2
-
But I am Prince of SorrowN
And I am Lord of CareC2
I come to bring you comfortY3
And save you from despairC2
-
Your son your only son is safeA4
And beautiful to seeA2
And though you miss him for a whileB4
You know he is with MeA2
-
And I will give him peace and joyC4
As no man every knewW
A little grief a little painM3
And I will come for youW
-
He rose His arms around their sonM3
And through the open doorC2
They only saw a whirl of snowN
And heard the tempest roarC2

William Cosmo Monkhouse



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The Christ Upon The Hill is a poem by William Cosmo Monkhouse. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.



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