The Bard Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEAFDFBGHHIJKALJA LMMMMNNOKPQKPQKRRRKO OO OOSSOTTUUOOVVTWWMXMX M YZOOKKA2KB2A2B2KKOB2 UOC2PD2E2E2D2F2E2G2F 2PPC2G2C2H2II2KUTJ2J 2TACK2QQQL2OC2CUM2N2 AUUO2K2AAO2AUK2K2K2

Where dwells the spirit of the Bard what skyA
Persuades his daring wingB
Folded in soft carnation or in snowC
Still sleeping far o'er summits of the cloudD
And with a seeming sweet unconsciousnessE
Wooing his plume through baffling storms to flyA
Assured of all that ever yet might blessF
The spirit by love and loftiest hope made proudD
Would he but struggle for the dear caressF
Or would his giant springB
Impelled by holiest ireG
Assail the sullen summits of the stormH
Bent with broad breast and still impatient formH
Where clouds unfold themselves in leaping fireI
What vision wins his soulJ
What passion wings his flightK
What dream of conquest woos his eager eyeA
How glows he with the strifeL
How spurns he at controlJ
With what unmeasured rage would he defyA
The foes that rise around and threaten lifeL
His upward flight is fairM
He goes through parting airM
He breaks the barrier cloud he sees the eye that's thereM
The centre of the realm of storm that mocked him but to dareM
And now he grasps the prizeN
That on the summit liesN
And binds the burning jewel to his browO
Transfigured by its brightK
He wears a mightier faceP
Nor grovels more in likeness of the earthQ
His wing a bolder flightK
His step a wilder graceP
He glows the creature of a holier birthQ
Suns sing and stars glow glad around his lightK
And thus he speeds afarR
'Mid gathering sun and starR
The sov'reign he of worlds where these but subjects areR
And men that marked his wing with mocking sightK
Do watch and wonder nowO
Will watch and worship with delight anonO
When far from hiss and hate his upward form hath goneO
-
h ere that van was wonO
Whose flight hath braved the sunO
Whose daring strength and aimS
Have scaled the heights of cloud and bared their breasts of flameS
What lowly toil was doneO
How slow the moments spedT
How bitter were the pangs that vexed the heart and headT
The burden which he boreU
The thorns his feet that toreU
The cruel wounds he suffered with no moanO
Alone and still aloneO
Denial which could smileV
Beholding all the whileV
How salter than the sea were the salt tears he shedT
And over all the curseW
Than all of these more worseW
Prostrate before the common way to bearM
The feet of hissing thingsX
Whose toil it is to tearM
And cramp the glorious creature born to wingsX
Ah should he once despairM
-
-
Not lonely with the sad nymph SolitudeY
Deep in the cover of the ancient woodZ
Where the sun leaves him and the happy dawnO
Stealing with blushes over the gray lawnO
Stills finds him all forgetful of the flightK
Of hours that passing still from dark to brightK
Know not to loiter all their progress naughtA2
His eye unconscious of the day is brightK
With inward vision till as sudden freedB2
By the superior quest of a proud thoughtA2
He darts away with an unmeasured speedB2
His pinion purpling as he gains the heightK
Where still though all obscured from mortal sightK
He bathes him in the late smiles of the sunO
And oh the glory as he guides his steedB2
Flakes from his pinions falling as they soarU
To mounts where Eos binds her buskins onO
And proud Artemis watching by her wellC2
For one sole fortunate of all his raceP
With hand upon his mouth her beagle staysD2
Lest he should baffle sounds too sweet to loseE2
That even now are gliding with the dewsE2
How nobly he arraysD2
His robes for flight his robes the woven of songsF2
Borrowed from starry spheres with each a museE2
That with her harmonies maintains its danceG2
Celestial and its circles bright prolongsF2
Fair ever but with warrior form and faceP
He stands before the eye of each young graceP
Beguiling the sweet passion from her cellC2
And still subjecting beauty by the glanceG2
Which speaks his own subjection to a spellC2
The eldest born of rapture that makes LoveH2
At once submissive and the ConquerorI
He conquers but to bring deliveranceI2
And with deliverance lightK
To conquer he has only to exploreU
And makes a permanent empire but to spreadT
Though speeding on with unobserving hasteJ2
A wing above the wasteJ2
A single feather from his pinion shedT
A single beam of beauty from his eyeA
Takes captive of the dim sleeping realm belowC
Through eyes of truest worshippers that straightK2
Bring shouts to welcome and bright flowers to wreatheQ
His altars and as those to life from deathQ
Plucked sudden in their gratitude and faithQ
Deem him a god who wrought the miracleL2
So do they take him to their shrines and vowO
Their annual incense of sweet song and smellC2
For him to whom their happiness they oweC
Thus goes he still from desert shore to shoreU
Where life in darkness droops where beauty errsM2
Having no worshippersN2
And lacking sympathy for the light The eyeA
That is the spirit of his wing no moreU
This progress once begun can cease to soarU
Suffers eclipse or sleepsO2
No more be furledK2
The wing that from the first decreed to flyA
Must speed to daily conquests deep and highA
Till no domain of dark unlighted keepsO2
And all the realm of strife beneath the skyA
Grows one in beauty and peace for evermoreU
Soothed to eternal office of delightK2
By these that wing the soul on its first flightK2
For these are the great spirits that shape the worldK2

William Gilmore Simms



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