'My New-Cut Ashlar'
My new-cut ashlar takes the lightWhere crimson-blank the windows flare.By my own work before the night,Great Overseer, I make my prayer.
If there be good in that I wrought,Thy Hand compelled it, Master, Thine--Where I have failed to meet Thy ThoughtI know, through Thee, the blame was mine.
One instant's toil to Thee deniedStands all Eternity's offence.Of that I did with Thee to guideTo Thee, through Thee, be excellence.
The depth and dream of my desire,The bitter paths wherein I stray--Thou knowest Who hath made the Fire,Thou knowest Who hast made the Clay.
Who, lest all thought of Eden fade,Bring'st Eden to the craftsman's brain--Godlike to muse o'er his own TradeAnd manlike stand with God again!
One stone the more swings into placeIn that dread Temple of Thy worth.It is enough that, through Thy Grace,I saw nought common on Thy Earth.
Take not that vision from my ken--Oh whatsoe'er may spoil or speed.Help me to need no aid from menThat I may help such men as need!
Words in this poem
- flare v. i.
- To burn with an unsteady or waving flame; as, the candle flares. [Cf. Norw. flara to blaze, flame, adorn with tinsel, dial. Sw. flasa upp, and E. flash, or flacker.]
- offence n.
- The act of offending in any sense; esp., a crime or a sin, an affront or an injury. [F., fr. L. offensa. See Offend.]
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- eden n.
- The garden where Adam and Eve first dwelt; hence, a delightful region or residence. [Heb. eden delight, pleasure; also, a place of pleasure, Eden.]
- manlike a.
- Like man, or like a man, in form or nature; having the qualities of a man, esp. the nobler qualities; manly. [Man + like. Cf. Manly.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
'My New-Cut Ashlar' is in the public domain. This text is taken from Songs from Books, Project Gutenberg ebook #15529; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Rudyard Kipling, 'My New-Cut Ashlar', in Songs from Books (1912), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #15529, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/kipling-songs-from-books/my-new-cut-ashlar.html, id L20307.
Form and metre
'My New-Cut Ashlar' is 28 lines in 7 stanzas of 4 lines each. Every stanza rhymes ABAB. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 88%).
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABAB lightA · flareB · nightA · prayerB
- 2 ABAB wroughtA · thineB · thoughtA · mineB
- 3 ABAB deniedA · offenceB · guideA · excellenceB
- 4 ABAB desireA · strayB · fireA · clayB
- 5 ABAB fadeA · brainB · tradeA · againB
- 6 ABAB placeA · worthB · graceA · earthB
- 7 ABAB kenA · speedB · menA · needB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| My new-cut ashlar takes the light | 8 | ········ |
| Where crimson-blank the windows flare. | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| By my own work before the night, | 8 | ········ |
| Great Overseer, I make my prayer. | 9 | ·/˘/˘···· |
| If there be good in that I wrought, | 8 | ········ |
| Thy Hand compelled it, Master, Thine-- | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| Where I have failed to meet Thy Thought | 8 | ········ |
| I know, through Thee, the blame was mine. | 8 | ········ |
| One instant's toil to Thee denied | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| Stands all Eternity's offence. | 8 | ··˘/˘˘˘/ |
| Of that I did with Thee to guide | 8 | ········ |
| To Thee, through Thee, be excellence. | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| The depth and dream of my desire, | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| The bitter paths wherein I stray-- | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Thou knowest Who hath made the Fire, | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| Thou knowest Who hast made the Clay. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Who, lest all thought of Eden fade, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Bring'st Eden to the craftsman's brain-- | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Godlike to muse o'er his own Trade | 8 | /˘······ |
| And manlike stand with God again! | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| One stone the more swings into place | 8 | ········ |
| In that dread Temple of Thy worth. | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| It is enough that, through Thy Grace, | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| I saw nought common on Thy Earth. | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Take not that vision from my ken-- | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Oh whatsoe'er may spoil or speed. | 7 | ······· |
| Help me to need no aid from men | 8 | ········ |
| That I may help such men as need! | 8 | ········ |
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