Chronicle, The: A Ballad Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCCB DEFGGF HIJKKJ LLCMMC KKNEON NNPQQP RRFSSF TTUVVU CCNAAN ILWNEW XXYZZA2 B2B2C2C2C2C2 CCWD2D2W NNHTTH| Margarita first possess'd | A |
| If I remember well my breast | A |
| Margarita first of all | B |
| But when a while the wanton maid | C |
| With my restless heart had play'd | C |
| Martha took the flying ball | B |
| - | |
| Martha soon did it resign | D |
| To the beauteous Catharine | E |
| Beauteous Catharine gave place | F |
| Though loth and angry she to part | G |
| With the possession of my heart | G |
| To Eliza's conquering face | F |
| - | |
| Eliza till this hour might reign | H |
| Had she not evil counsel ta'en | I |
| Fundamental laws she broke | J |
| And still new favourites she chose | K |
| Till up in arms my passions rose | K |
| And cast away her yoke | J |
| - | |
| Mary then and gentle Anne | L |
| Both to reign at once began | L |
| Alternately they swayed | C |
| And sometimes Mary was the fair | M |
| And sometimes Anne the crown did wear | M |
| And sometimes both I obey'd | C |
| - | |
| Another Mary then arose | K |
| And did rigorous laws impose | K |
| A mighty tyrant she | N |
| Long alas should I have been | E |
| Under that iron scepter'd queen | O |
| Had not Rebecca set me free | N |
| - | |
| When fair Rebecca set me free | N |
| 'Twas then a golden time with me | N |
| But soon those pleasures fled | P |
| For the gracious princess died | Q |
| In her youth and beauty's pride | Q |
| And Judith reigned in her stead | P |
| - | |
| One month three days and half an hour | R |
| Judith held the sovereign power | R |
| Wondrous beautiful her face | F |
| But so weak and small her wit | S |
| That she to govern was unfit | S |
| And so Susanna took her place | F |
| - | |
| But when Isabella came | T |
| Arm'd with a resistless flame | T |
| And th' artillery of her eye | U |
| Whilst she proudly march'd about | V |
| Greater conquests to find out | V |
| She beat out Susan by the bye | U |
| - | |
| But in her place I then obey'd | C |
| Black ey'd Bess her viceroy maid | C |
| To whom ensued a vacancy | N |
| Thousand worse passions then possess'd | A |
| The interregnum of my breast | A |
| Bless me from such an anarchy | N |
| - | |
| Gentle Henrietta then | I |
| And a third Mary next began | L |
| Then Joan and Jane and Andria | W |
| And then a pretty Thomasine | N |
| And then another Catharine | E |
| And then a long et caetera | W |
| - | |
| But should I now to you relate | X |
| The strength and riches of their state | X |
| The powder patches and the pins | Y |
| The ribbons jewels and the rings | Z |
| The lace the paint and warlike things | Z |
| That make up all their magazines | A2 |
| - | |
| If I should tell the politic arts | B2 |
| To take and keep men's hearts | B2 |
| The letters embassies and spies | C2 |
| The frowns and smiles and flatteries | C2 |
| The quarrels tears and perjuries | C2 |
| Numberless nameless mysteries | C2 |
| - | |
| And all the little lime twigs laid | C |
| By Machiavel the waiting maid | C |
| I more voluminous should grow | W |
| Chiefly if I like them should tell | D2 |
| All change of weather that befel | D2 |
| Than Holinshed or Stow | W |
| - | |
| But I will briefer with them be | N |
| Since few of them were long with me | N |
| An higher and a nobler strain | H |
| My present empress does claim | T |
| Eleonora first o' th' name | T |
| Whom God grant long to reign | H |
Abraham Cowley
(1)
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About Chronicle, The: A Ballad
Chronicle, The: A Ballad is a poem by Abraham Cowley. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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