Matri Dilectissimae'i.m. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFEDGHIJK LMNDOPQRD STUDD AVBSWXYZ DSTA2B2C2D2E2F2DSG2H 2I2 ZJ2DK2K2L2SD| In the waste hour | A |
| Between to day and yesterday | B |
| We watched while on my arm | C |
| Living flesh of her flesh bone of her bone | D |
| Dabbled in sweat the sacred head | E |
| Lay uncomplaining still contemptuous strange | F |
| Till the dear face turned dead | E |
| And to a sound of lamentation | D |
| The good heroic soul with all its wealth | G |
| Its sixty years of love and sacrifice | H |
| Suffering and passionate faith was reabsorbed | I |
| In the inexorable Peace | J |
| And life was changed to us for evermore | K |
| - | |
| Was nothing left of her but tears | L |
| Like blood drops from the heart | M |
| Nought save remorse | N |
| For duty unfulfilled justice undone | D |
| And charity ignored Nothing but love | O |
| Forgiveness reconcilement where in truth | P |
| But for this passing | Q |
| Into the unimaginable abyss | R |
| These things had never been | D |
| - | |
| Nay there were we | S |
| Her five strong sons | T |
| To her Death came the great Deliverer came | U |
| As equal comes to equal throne to throne | D |
| She was a mother of men | D |
| - | |
| The stars shine as of old The unchanging River | A |
| Bent on his errand of immortal law | V |
| Works his appointed way | B |
| To the immemorial sea | S |
| And the brave truth comes overwhelmingly home | W |
| That she in us yet works and shines | X |
| Lives and fulfils herself | Y |
| Unending as the river and the stars | Z |
| - | |
| Dearest live on | D |
| In such an immortality | S |
| As we thy sons | T |
| Born of thy body and nursed | A2 |
| At those wild faithful breasts | B2 |
| Can give of generous thoughts | C2 |
| And honourable words and deeds | D2 |
| That make men half in love with fate | E2 |
| Live on O brave and true | F2 |
| In us thy children in ours whose life is thine | D |
| Our best and theirs What is that best but thee | S |
| Thee and thy gift to us to pass | G2 |
| Like light along the infinite of space | H2 |
| To the immitigable end | I2 |
| - | |
| Between the river and the stars | Z |
| O royal and radiant soul | J2 |
| Thou dost return thine influences return | D |
| Upon thy children as in life and death | K2 |
| Turns stingless What is Death | K2 |
| But Life in act How should the Unteeming Grave | L2 |
| Be victor over thee | S |
| Mother a mother of men | D |
William Ernest Henley
(1)
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