The Martyr
Herman Melville 1819 – 1891
(Indicative of the Passion of the People
on the 15th Day of April, 1865)
* * *
Good Friday was the day
Of the prodigy and crime,
When they killed him in his pity,
When they killed him in his prime
Of clemency and calm-
When with yearning he was filled
To redeem the evil-willed,
And, though conqueror, be kind;
But they killed him in his kindness,
In their madness and their blindness,
And they killed him from behind.
There is sobbing of the strong,
And a pall upon the land;
But the People in their weeping
Bare the iron hand;
Beware the People weeping
When they bare the iron hand.
He lieth in his blood-
The father in his face;
They have killed him, the Forgiver-
The Avenger takes his place,
The Avenger wisely stern,
Who in righteousness shall do
What the heavens call him to,
And the parricides remand;
For they killed him in his kindness,
In their madness and their blindness,
And his blood is on their hand.
There is sobbing of the strong,
And a pall upon the land;
But the People in their weeping
Bare the iron hand;
Beware the People weeping
When they bare the iron hand.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 04, 2023
- 1:01 min read
- 217 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | aa xbxbxccdeEd FGHGHG xixixjjgeEg FGHGHG |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,054 |
Words | 205 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 3, 11, 6, 11, 6 |
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