To The Royal Society (excerpts) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCDDDEEFFFFGGDDD FFHIHIDJDKJKLDLDFFMM NO FFFFFFFFFFPFPFFFFDDQ QDDDDDFF FRFRRSSTUUVVWWJDXXFF SFSFFFFFFFYRDDZA2B2C 2FF FFDDRFFRFRRDDGGFFFFD 2D2 BBDDFFDDDFFSSFE2E2FF F

Philosophy the great and only heirA
Of all that human knowledge which has binB
Unforfeited by man's rebellious sinB
Though full of years he do appearC
Philosophy I say and call it heD
For whatso'ere the painter's fancy beD
It a male virtue seems to meD
Has still been kept in nonage till of lateE
Nor manag'd or enjoy'd his vast estateE
Three or four thousand years one would have thoughtF
To ripeness and perfection might have broughtF
A science so well bred and nurstF
And of such hopeful parts too at the firstF
But oh the guardians and the tutors thenG
Some negligent and some ambitious menG
Would ne'er consent to set him freeD
Or his own natural powers to let him seeD
Lest that should put an end to their authorityD
-
That his own business he might quite forgetF
They' amus'd him with the sports of wanton witF
With the desserts of poetry they fed himH
Instead of solid meats t' encrease his forceI
Instead of vigorous exercise they led himH
Into the pleasant labyrinths of ever fresh discourseI
Instead of carrying him to seeD
The riches which do hoarded for him lieJ
In Nature's endless treasuryD
They chose his eye to entertainK
His curious but not covetous eyeJ
With painted scenes and pageants of the brainK
Some few exalted spirits this latter age has shownL
That labour'd to assert the libertyD
From guardians who were now usurpers grownL
Of this old minor still captiv'd PhilosophyD
But 'twas rebellion call'd to fightF
For such a long oppressed rightF
Bacon at last a mighty man aroseM
Whom a wise King and Nature choseM
Lord Chancellor of both their lawsN
And boldly undertook the injur'd pupil's causeO
-
Authority which did a body boastF
Though 'twas but air condens'd and stalk'd aboutF
Like some old giant's more gigantic ghostF
To terrify the learned routF
With the plain magic of true reason's lightF
He chas'd out of our sightF
Nor suffer'd living men to be misledF
By the vain shadows of the deadF
To graves from whence it rose the conquer'd phantom fledF
He broke that monstrous god which stoodF
In midst of th' orchard and the whole did claimP
Which with a useless scythe of woodF
And something else not worth a nameP
Both vast for show yet neither fitF
Or to defend or to begetF
Ridiculous and senseless terrors madeF
Children and superstitious men afraidF
The orchard's open now and freeD
Bacon has broke that scarecrow deityD
Come enter all that willQ
Behold the ripen'd fruit come gather now your fillQ
Yet still methinks we fain would beD
Catching at the forbidden treeD
We would be like the DeityD
When truth and falshood good and evil weD
Without the senses aid within our selves would seeD
For 'tis God only who can findF
All Nature in his mindF
-
From words which are but pictures of the thoughtF
Though we our thoughts from them perversely drewR
To things the mind's right object he it broughtF
Like foolish birds to painted grapes we flewR
He sought and gather'd for our use the trueR
And when on heaps the chosen bunches layS
He press'd them wisely the mechanic wayS
Till all their juice did in one vessel joinT
Ferment into a nourishment divineU
The thirsty soul's refreshing wineU
Who to the life an exact piece would makeV
Must not from other's work a copy takeV
No not from Rubens or VandykeW
Much less content himself to make it likeW
Th' ideas and the images which lieJ
In his own fancy or his memoryD
No he before his sight must placeX
The natural and living faceX
The real object must commandF
Each judgment of his eye and motion of his handF
From these and all long errors of the wayS
In which our wand'ring predecessors wentF
And like th' old Hebrews many years did strayS
In deserts but of small extentF
Bacon like Moses led us forth at lastF
The barren wilderness he pastF
Did on the very border standF
Of the blest promis'd landF
And from the mountain's top of his exalted witF
Saw it himself and shew'd us itF
But life did never to one man allowY
Time to discover worlds and conquer tooR
Nor can so short a line sufficient beD
To fathom the vast depths of Nature's seaD
The work he did we ought t' admireZ
And were unjust if we should more requireA2
From his few years divided 'twixt th' excessB2
Of low affliction and high happinessC2
For who on things remote can fix his sightF
That's always in a triumph or a fightF
-
From you great champions we expect to getF
These spacious countries but discover'd yetF
Countries where yet in stead of Nature weD
Her images and idols worshipp'd seeD
These large and wealthy regions to subdueR
Though learning has whole armies at commandF
Quarter'd about in every landF
A better troop she ne're together drewR
Methinks like Gideon's little bandF
God with design has pick'd out youR
To do these noble wonders by a fewR
When the whole host he saw they are said heD
Too many to o'ercome for meD
And now he chooses out his menG
Much in the way that he did thenG
Not those many whom he foundF
Idly extended on the groundF
To drink with their dejected headF
The stream just so as by their mouths it fledF
No but those few who took the waters upD2
And made of their laborious hands the cupD2
-
-
With courage and success you the bold work beginB
Your cradle has not idle binB
None e're but Hercules and you could beD
At five years age worthy a historyD
And ne're did fortune better yetF
Th' historian to the story fitF
As you from all old errors freeD
And purge the body of philosophyD
So from all modern follies heD
Has vindicated eloquence and witF
His candid style like a clean stream does slideF
And his bright fancy all the wayS
Does like the sun shine in it playS
It does like Thames the best of rivers glideF
Where the god does not rudely overturnE2
But gently pour the crystal urnE2
And with judicious hand does the whole current guideF
'T has all the beauties Nature can impartF
And all the comely dress without the paint of artF

Abraham Cowley



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