Watching the Abbot Sing at Evensong



Deep song--the singing of it trembling
his breastbone--
from a polished pew (in semidarkness)
I watch the Abbot's throat wavering
like fluid in a shaking glass
baritone journeying
upward through the flesh
chanting the spirit of the man
in rhythm more extreme
than breathing
A prayer calling the Abbot's god
into a shape of life, informing his song
with clear light, fuller than sun
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Submitted on May 02, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

19 sec read
1

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCACADBEAFGB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 369
Words 64
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 13

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    "Watching the Abbot Sing at Evensong" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/90391/watching-the-abbot-sing-at-evensong>.

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