The Daguerreotype Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABACBCCDEFFGDHIJHJIK KLMMLNLN NNOOPPNFFQQNBNNBBNNN FFRRRF SNTSRNRUUTFNFVVNPPWX WYZRA2B2C2B2D2D2E2E2 F2SSNG2TG2TG2RRSSF2F 2H2D2H2H2NI2I2ND2NNJ 2NJ2NQK2L2NQNNFFNNB2 B2NNRNNNRRNNRRRLLLYN YH2H2NM2UNNNMMLLBBNB BLLN2N2LLBBLO2O2LLLN NLLLLLLP2RLRZRP2RZL LLLLLQ2BBBQ2Q2LLR2R2

This then is sheA
My mother as she looked at seventeenB
When she first met my father Young incrediblyA
Younger than spring without the faintest traceC
Of disappointment weariness or teanB
Upon the childlike earnestness and graceC
Of the waiting faceC
Those close wound ropes of pearlD
Or common beads made precious by their useE
Seem heavy for so slight a throat to wearF
But the low bodice leaves the shoulders bareF
And half the glad swell of the breast for newsG
That now the woman stirs within the girlD
And yetH
Even so the loops and globesI
Of beaten goldJ
And jetH
Hung in the stately way of oldJ
From the ears' drooping lobesI
On festivals and Lord's day of the weekK
Show all too matron sober for the cheekK
Which now I look again is perfect childL
Or no or no 't is girlhood's very selfM
Moulded by some deep mischief ridden elfM
So meek so maiden mildL
But startling the close gazer with the senseN
Of passions forest shy and forest wildL
And delicate delirious merrimentsN
-
As a moth beats sidewiseN
And up and over and triesN
To skirt the irresistible lureO
Of the flame that has him sureO
My spirit that is none too strong to dayP
Flutters and makes delayP
Pausing to wonder on the perfect lipsN
Lifting to muse upon the low drawn hairF
And each hid radiance thereF
But powerless to stem the tide race brightQ
The vehement peace which drifts it toward the lightQ
Where soon ah now with criesN
Of grief and giving up unto its gainB
It shrinks no longer nor deniesN
But dipsN
Hurriedly home to the exquisite heart of painB
And all is well for I have seen them plainB
The unforgettable the unforgotten eyesN
Across the blinding gush of these good tearsN
They shine as in the sweet and heavy yearsN
When by her bed and chairF
We children gathered jealously to shareF
The sunlit aura breathing myrrh and thymeR
Where the sore stricken body made a climeR
Gentler than May and pleasanter than rhymeR
Holier and more mystical than prayerF
-
God how thy ways are strangeS
That this should be even thisN
The patient headT
Which suffered years ago the dreary changeS
That these so dewy lips should be the sameR
As those I stooped to kissN
And heard my harrowing half spoken nameR
A little ere the one who bowed above herU
Our father and her very constant loverU
Rose stoical and we knew that she was deadT
Then I who could not understand or shareF
His antique noblenessN
Being unapt to bearF
The insults which time flings us for our proofV
Fled from the horrible roofV
Into the alien sunshine mercilessN
The shrill satiric fields ghastly with dayP
Raging to front God in his pride of swayP
And hurl across the lifted swords of fateW
That ringed Him where He satX
My puny gage of scorn and desolate hateW
Which somehow should undo Him after allY
That this girl face expectant virginalZ
Which gazes out at meR
Boon as a sweetheart as if nothing lothA2
Save for the eyes with other presage storedB2
To pledge me trothC2
And in the kingdom where the heart is lordB2
Take sail on the terrible gladness of the deepD2
Whose winds the gray Norns keepD2
That this should be indeedE2
The flesh which caught my soul a flying seedE2
Out of the to and froF2
Of scattering hands where the seedsman MageS
Stooping from star to star and age to ageS
Sings as he sowsN
That underneath this breastG2
Nine moons I fedT
Deep of divine unrestG2
While over and over in the dark she saidT
Bless egrave d but not as happier children blessedG2
That this should beR
Even sheR
God how with time and changeS
Thou makest thy footsteps strangeS
Ah now I knowF2
They play upon me and it is not soF2
Why 't is a girl I never saw beforeH2
A little thing to flatter and make weepD2
To tease until her heart is soreH2
Then kiss and clear the scoreH2
A gypsy run the fieldsN
A little liberal daughter of the earthI2
Good for what hour of truancy and mirthI2
The careless season yieldsN
Hither side the flood of the year and yonder of the neapD2
Then thank you thanks again and twenty light good byesN
O shrined above the skiesN
Frown not clear browJ2
Darken not holy eyesN
Thou knowest well I know that it is thouJ2
Only to save me from such memoriesN
As would unman me quiteQ
Here in this web of strangeness caughtK2
And prey to troubled thoughtL2
Do I deviseN
These foolish shifts and slightQ
Only to shield me from the afflicting senseN
Of some waste influenceN
Which from this morning face and lustrous hairF
Breathes on me sudden ruin and despairF
In any other guiseN
With any but this girlish depth of gazeN
Your coming had not so unsealed and pouredB2
The dusty amphoras where I had storedB2
The drippings of the winepress of my daysN
I think these eyes foreseeN
Now in their unawakened virgin timeR
Their mother's pride in meN
And dream even now unconsciouslyN
Upon each soaring peak and sky hung leaN
You pictured I should climbR
Broken premonitions comeR
Shapes gestures visionaryN
Not as once to maiden MaryN
The manifest angel with fresh lilies cameR
Intelligibly calling her by nameR
But vanishingly dumbR
Thwarted and bright and wildL
As heralding a sin defiledL
Earth encumbered blood begotten passionate man childL
Who yet should be a trump of mighty callY
Blown in the gates of evil kingsN
To make them fallY
Who yet should be a sword of flame beforeH2
The soul's inviolate doorH2
To beat away the clang of hellish wingsN
Who yet should be a lyreM2
Of high unquenchable desireU
In the day of little thingsN
Look where the amphorasN
The yield of many daysN
Trod by my hot soul from the pulp of selfM
And set upon the shelfM
In sullen prideL
The Vineyard master's tasting to abideL
O mother mineB
Are these the bringings in the doings fineB
Of him you used to praiseN
Emptied and overthrownB
The jars lie strownB
These for their flavor duly nursedL
Drip from the stopples vinegar accursedL
These I thought honied to the very sealN2
Dry dry a little acid mealN2
A pinch of mouldy dustL
Sole leavings of the amber mantling mustL
These rude to look uponB
But flasking up the liquor dearest wonB
Through sacred hours and hardL
With watching and with wrestlings and with griefO2
Even of these of these in chiefO2
The stale breath sickens reeking from the shardL
Nothing is left Aye how much less than naughtL
What shall be said or thoughtL
Of the slack hours and waste imaginingsN
The cynic rending of the wingsN
Known to that froward that unreckoning heartL
Whereof this brewage was the precious partL
Treasured and set away with furtive boastL
O dear and cruel ghostL
Be merciful be justL
See I was yours and I am in the dustL
Then look not so as if all things were wellP2
Take your eyes from me leave me to my shameR
Or else if gaze they mustL
Steel them with judgment darken them with blameR
But by the ways of light ineffableZ
You bade me go and I have faltered fromR
By the low waters moaning out of hellP2
Whereto my feet have comeR
Lay not on me these intolerableZ
Looks of rejoicing love of pride of happy trustL
-
Nothing dismayedL
By all I say and all I hint not madeL
AfraidL
O then stay by me LetL
These eyes afflict me cleanse me keep me yetL
Brave eyes and trueQ2
See how the shrivelled heart that long has lainB
Dead to delight and painB
Stirs and begins againB
To utter pleasant life as if it knewQ2
The wintry days were throughQ2
As if in its awakening boughs it heardL
The quick sweet spoken birdL
Strong eyes and braveR2
Inexorable to saveR2

William Vaughn Moody



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