The Staircase Of Notre Dame, Paris

Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1828 (London) – 1882 (Birchington-on-Sea)



As one who, groping in a narrow stair,
Hath a strong sound of bells upon his ears,
Which, being at a distance off, appears
Quite close to him because of the pent air:
So with this France. She stumbles file and square
Darkling and without space for breath: each one
Who hears the thunder says: “It shall anon
Be in among her ranks to scatter her.”
This may be; and it may be that the storm
Is spent in rain upon the unscathed seas,
Or wasteth other countries ere it die:
Till she,—having climbed always through the swarm
Of darkness and of hurtling sound,—from these
Shall step forth on the light in a still sky.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
96

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAACCDEFGEFG
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 627
Words 120
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Dante Gabriel Rossetti was an English poet, illustrator, painter and translator. more…

All Dante Gabriel Rossetti poems | Dante Gabriel Rossetti Books

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    "The Staircase Of Notre Dame, Paris" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/7761/the-staircase-of-notre-dame,-paris>.

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