Poet William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray

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May-day Ode Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCADDC EFFGEHHG IJJKILLM NOOGPQQ GPPGGPPG RSSGTPPG UVVGUWWG PGGXPYYX PRRGPPPG ZGGSZQQS HPPGHA2A2G PPPB2PC2C2B2 D2E2E2B2F2PPB2 A2PPGA2GGG GPPGGPPG G2D2D2ZH2GGZ I2J2B2PI2PPP PK2K2MPL2M2K GUUN2GO2O2N2

But yesterday a naked sodA
The dandies sneered from Rotten RowB
And cantered o'er it to and froB
And see 'tis doneC
As though 'twere by a wizard's rodA
A blazing arch of lucid glassD
Leaps like a fountain from the grassD
To meet the sunC
-
A quiet green but few days sinceE
With cattle browsing in the shadeF
And here are lines of bright arcadeF
In order raisedG
A palace as for fairy PrinceE
A rare pavilion such as manH
Saw never since mankind beganH
And built and glazedG
-
A peaceful place it was but nowI
And lo within its shining streetsJ
A multitude of nations meetsJ
A countless throngK
I see beneath the crystal bowI
And Gaul and German Russ and TurkL
Each with his native handiworkL
And busy tongueM
-
I felt a thrill of love and aweN
To mark the different garb of eachO
The changing tongue the various speechO
Together blentG
A thrill methinks like His who sawP
'All people dwelling upon earthQ
Praising our God with solemn mirthQ
And one consent '-
-
High Sovereign in your Royal stateG
Captains and chiefs and councillorsP
Before the lofty palace doorsP
Are open setG
Hush ere you pass the shining gateG
Hush ere the heaving curtain drawsP
And let the Royal pageant pauseP
A moment yetG
-
People and prince a silence keepR
Bow coronet and kingly crownS
Helmet and plume bow lowly downS
The while the priestG
Before the splendid portal stepT
While still the wondrous banquet staysP
From Heaven supreme a blessing praysP
Upon the feastG
-
Then onwards let the triumph marchU
Then let the loud artillery rollV
And trumpets ring and joy bells tollV
And pass the gateG
Pass underneath the shining archU
'Neath which the leafy elms are greenW
Ascend unto your throne O QueenW
And take your stateG
-
Behold her in her Royal placeP
A gentle lady and the handG
That sways the sceptre of this landG
How frail and weakX
Soft is the voice and fair the faceP
She breathes amen to prayer and hymnY
No wonder that her eyes are dimY
And pale her cheekX
-
This moment round her empire's shoresP
The winds of Austral winter sweepR
And thousands lie in midnight sleepR
At rest to dayG
Oh awful is that crown of yoursP
Queen of innumerable realmsP
Sitting beneath the budding elmsP
Of English MayG
-
A wondrous scepter 'tis to bearZ
Strange mystery of God which setG
Upon her brow yon coronetG
The foremost crownS
Of all the world on one so fairZ
That chose her to it from her birthQ
And bade the sons of all the earthQ
To her bow downS
-
The representatives of manH
Here from the far AntipodesP
And from the subject Indian seasP
In Congress meetG
From Afric and from HindustanH
From Western continent and isleA2
The envoys of her empire pileA2
Gifts at her feetG
-
Our brethren cross the Atlantic tidesP
Loading the gallant decks which onceP
Roared a defiance to our gunsP
With peaceful storeB2
Symbol of peace their vessel ridesP
O'er English waves float Star and StripeC2
And firm their friendly anchors gripeC2
The father shoreB2
-
From Rhine and Danube Rhone and SeineD2
As rivers from their sources gushE2
The swelling floods of nations rushE2
And seaward pourB2
From coast to coast in friendly chainF2
With countless ships we bridge the straitsP
And angry ocean separatesP
Europe no moreB2
-
From Mississippi and from NileA2
From Baltic Ganges BosphorousP
In England's ark assembled thusP
Are friend and guestG
Look down the mighty sunlit aisleA2
And see the sumptuous banquet setG
The brotherhood of nations metG
Around the feastG
-
Along the dazzling colonnadeG
Far as the straining eye can gazeP
Gleam cross and fountain bell and vaseP
In vistas brightG
And statues fair of nymph and maidG
And steeds and pards and AmazonsP
Writhing and grappling in the bronzeP
In endless fightG
-
To deck the glorious roof and domeG2
To make the Queen a canopyD2
The peaceful hosts of industryD2
Their standards bearZ
Yon are the works of Brahmin loomH2
On such a web of Persian threadG
The desert Arab bows his headG
And cries his prayerZ
-
Look yonder where the engines toilI2
These England's arms of conquest areJ2
The trophies of her bloodless warB2
Brave weapons theseP
Victorians over wave and soilI2
With these she sails she weaves she tillsP
Pierces the everlasting hillsP
And spans the seasP
-
The engine roars upon its raceP
The shuttle whirs the woofK2
The people hum from floor to roofK2
With Babel tongueM
The fountain in the basin playsP
The chanting organ echoes clearL2
An awful chorus 'tis to hearM2
A wondrous songK
-
Swell organ swell your trumpet blastG
March Queen and Royal pageant marchU
By splendid aisle and springing archU
Of this fair HallN2
And see above the fabric vastG
God's boundless Heaven is bending blueO2
God's peaceful sunlight's beaming throughO2
And shines o'er allN2

William Makepeace Thackeray



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