Ex Fumo Dare Lucem - 'twixt The Cup And The Lip Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Adam Lindsay Gordon

Ex Fumo Dare Lucem - 'twixt The Cup And The Lip Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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Prologue	A
	-
Calm and clear the bright day is declining	B
The crystal expanse of the bay	C
Like a shield of pure metal lies shining	B
'Twixt headlands of purple and grey	C
While the little waves leap in the sunset	D
And strike with a miniature shock	E
In sportive and infantine onset	D
The base of the iron stone rock	E
	-
Calm and clear the sea breezes are laden	F
With a fragrance a freshness a power	G
With a song like the song of a maiden	F
With a scent like the scent of a flower	G
And a whisper half weird half prophetic	H
Comes home with the sigh of the surf	I
But I pause for your fancies poetic	H
Never rise from the level of Turf	I
	-
Fellow bungler of mine fellow sinner	G
In public performances past	J
In trials whence touts take their winner	G
In rumours that circulate fast	J
In strains from Prunella or Priam	K
Staying stayers or goers that go	L
You're much better posted than I am	K
'Tis little I care less I know	L
	-
Alas neither poet nor prophet	M
Am I though a jingler of rhymes	N
'Tis a hobby of mine and I'm off it	O
At times and I'm on it at times	N
And whether I'm off it or on it	O
Your readers my counsels will shun	F
Since I scarce know Van Tromp from Blue Bonnet	M
Though I might know Cigar from the Nun	F
	-
With visions you ought to be sated	P
And sicken'd by this time I swear	Q
That mine are all myths self created	R
Air visions that vanish in air	Q
If I had some loose coins I might chuck one	F
To settle this question and say	C
Here goes this is tails for the black one	F
And heads for my fav'rite the bay	C
	-
And must I rob Paul to pay Peter	G
Or Peter defraud to pay Paul	S
My rhymes are they stale if my metre	G
Is varied one chime rings through all	S
One chime though I sing more or sing less	T
I have but one string to my lute	U
And it might have been better if stringless	T
And songless the same had been mute	U
	-
Yet not as a seer of visions	T
Nor yet as a dreamer of dreams	T
I send you these partial decisions	T
On hackney'd impoverish'd themes	T
But with song out of tune sung to pass time	V
Flung heedless to friends or to foes	T
Where the false notes that ring for the last time	V
May blend with some real ones who knows	T
	-
	-
	-
The Race	T
	-
On the hill they are crowding together	G
In the stand they are crushing for room	W
Like midge flies they swarm on the heather	G
They gather like bees on the broom	W
They flutter like moths round a candle	X
Stale similes granted what then	Y
I've got a stale subject to handle	X
A very stale stump of a pen	Y
	-
Hark the shuffle of feet that are many	Z
Of voices the many tongued clang	A2
Has he had a bad night Has he any	Z
Friends left How I hate your turf slang	A2
'Tis stale to begin with not witty	Z
But dull and inclined to be coarse	T
But bad men can't use more's the pity	Z
Good words when they slate a good horse	T
	-
Heu heu quantus equis that's Latin	F
For bellows to mend with the weeds	T
They're off lights and shades silk and satin	F
A rainbow of riders and steeds	T
And one shows in front and another	G
Goes up and is seen in his place	T
Sic transit more Latin Oh bother	G
Let's get to the end of the race	T
	-
	-
	-
See they come round the last turn careering	B
Already Tait's colours are struck	B2
And the green in the vanguard is steering	B
And the red's in the rear of the ruck	B2
Are the stripes in the shade doom'd to lie long	C2
Do the blue stars on white skies wax dim	D2
Is it Tamworth or Smuggler 'Tis Bylong	C2
That wins either Bylong or Tim	D2
	-
As the shell through the breach that is riven	F
And sapp'd by the springing of mines	T
As the bolt from the thunder cloud driven	F
That levels the larches and pines	T
Through yon mass parti colour'd that dashes	T
Goal turn'd clad in many hued garb	E2
From rear to van surges and flashes	T
The yellow and black of The Barb	E2
	-
Past The Fly falling back on the right and	F2
The Gull giving way on the left	G2
Past Tamworth who feels the whip smite and	F2
Whose sides by the rowels are cleft	G2
Where Tim and the chestnut together	G
Still bear of the battle the brunt	H2
As if eight stone twelve were a feather	G
He comes with a rush to the front	H2
	-
Tim Whiffler may yet prove a Tartar	G
And Bylong's the horse that can stay	C
But Kean is in trouble and Carter	G
Is hard on the satin skinn'd bay	C
And The Barb comes away unextended	C
Hard held like a second Eclipse	T
While behind the hoof thunder is blended	C
With the whistling and crackling of whips	T
	-
	-
	-
Epilogue	C2
	-
He wins yes he wins upon paper	G
He hasn't yet won upon turf	I
And these rhymes are but moonshine and vapour	G
Air bubbles and spume from the surf	I
So be it at least they are given	F
Free gratis for just what they're worth	I2
And whatever there may be in heaven	F
There's little worth much upon earth	I2
	-
When with satellites round them the centre	G
Of all eyes hard press'd by the crowd	C
The pair horse and rider re enter	G
The gate 'mid a shout long and loud	C
You may feel as you might feel just landed	C
Full length on the grass from the clip	J2
Of a vicious cross counter right handed	C
Or upper cut whizzing from hip	J2
	-
And that's not so bad if you're pick'd up	K2
Discreetly and carefully nursed	C
Loose teeth by the sponge are soon lick'd up	K2
And next time you MAY get home first	C
Still I'm not sure you'd like it exactly	Z
Such tastes as a rule are acquired	C
And you'll find in a nutshell this fact lie	L2
Bruised optics are not much admired	C
	-
Do I bore you with vulgar allusions	T
Forgive me I speak as I feel	M2
I've pondered and made my conclusions	T
As the mill grinds the corn to the meal	M2
So man striving boldly but blindly	Z
Ground piecemeal in Destiny's mill	N2
At his best taking punishment kindly	Z
Is only a chopping block still	N2
	-
Are we wise Our abstruse calculations	T
Are based on experience long	C2
Are we sanguine Our high expectations	T
Are founded on hope that is strong	C2
Thus we build an air castle that crumbles	T
And drifts till no traces remain	O2
And the fool builds again while he grumbles	T
And the wise one laughs building again	Y
	-
How came they to pass these rash blunders	T
These false steps so hard to defend	C
Our friend puts the question and wonders	T
We laugh and reply Ah my friend	C
Could you trace the first stride falsely taken	F
The distance misjudged where or how	P2
When you pick'd yourself up stunn'd and shaken	F
At the fence 'twixt the turf and the plough	P2
	-
In the jar of the panel rebounding	C2
In the crash of the splintering wood	C
In the ears to the earth shock resounding	C2
In the eyes flashing fire and blood	C
In the quarters above you revolving	C2
In the sods underneath heaving high	L2
There was little to aid you in solving	C2
Such questions the how or the why	L2
	-
And destiny steadfast in trifles	T
Is steadfast for better or worse	T
In great things it crushes and stifles	T
And swallows the hopes that we nurse	T
Men wiser than we are may wonder	G
When the future they cling to so fast	C
To the roll of that destiny's thunder	G
Goes down with the wrecks of the past	C
	-
	-
	-
The past the dead past that has swallow'd	C
All the honey of life and the milk	C2
Brighter dreams than mere pastimes we've follow'd	C
Better things than our scarlet or silk	C2
Aye and worse things that past is it really	Z
Dead to us who again and again	Y
Feel sharply hear plainly see clearly	Z
Past days with their joy and their pain	O2
	-
Like corpses embalm'd and unburied	C
They lie and in spite of our will	N2
Our souls on the wings of thought carried	C
Revisit their sepulchres still	N2
Down the channels of mystery gliding	C2
They conjure strange tales rarely read	C
Of the priests of dead Pharaohs presiding	C2
At mystical feasts of the dead	C
	-
Weird pictures arise quaint devices	T
Rude emblems baked funeral meats	T
Strong incense rare wines and rich spices	T
The ashes the shrouds and the sheets	T
Does our thraldom fall short of completeness	T
For the magic of a charnel house charm	Q2
And the flavour of a poisonous sweetness	T
And the odour of a poisonous balm	R2
	-
And the links of the past but no matter	G
For I'm getting beyond you I guess	T
And you'll call me as mad as a hatter	G
If my thoughts I too freely express	T
I subjoin a quotation pray learn it	C
And with the aid of your lexicon tell us	T
The meaning thereof Res discernit	C
Sapiens quas confundit asellus	T
	-
Already green hillocks are swelling	C2
And combing white locks on the bar	G
Where a dull droning murmur is telling	C2
Of winds that have gather'd afar	G
Thus we know not the day nor the morrow	G
Nor yet what the night may bring forth	S2
Nor the storm nor the sleep nor the sorrow	G
Nor the strife nor the rest nor the wrath	T2
	-
Yet the skies are still tranquil and starlit	C
The sun 'twixt the wave and the west	C
Dies in purple and crimson and scarlet	C
And gold let us hope for the best	C
Since again from the earth his effulgence	T
The darkness and damp dews shall wipe	U2
Kind reader extend your indulgence	T
To this the last lay of The Pipe	U2