Prologue, Designed For Mr D'urfey's Last Play Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHIGGJJ KKLLMMNN| Grown old in rhyme 'twere barbarous to discard | A |
| Your persevering unexhausted bard | A |
| Damnation follows death in other men | B |
| But your damn'd poet lives and writes again | B |
| The adventurous lover is successful still | C |
| Who strives to please the fair against her will | C |
| Be kind and make him in his wishes easy | D |
| Who in your own despite has strove to please ye | D |
| He scorn'd to borrow from the wits of yore | E |
| But ever writ as none e'er writ before | E |
| You modern wits should each man bring his claim | F |
| Have desperate debentures on your fame | F |
| And little would be left you I'm afraid | G |
| If all your debts to Greece and Rome were paid | G |
| From this deep fund our author largely draws | H |
| Nor sinks his credit lower than it was | I |
| Though plays for honour in old time he made | G |
| 'Tis now for better reasons to be paid | G |
| Believe him he has known the world too long | J |
| And seen the death of much immortal song | J |
| He says poor poets lost while players won | K |
| As pimps grow rich while gallants are undone | K |
| Though Tom the poet writ with ease and pleasure | L |
| The comic Tom abounds in other treasure | L |
| Fame is at best an unperforming cheat | M |
| But 'tis substantial happiness to eat | M |
| Let ease his last request be of your giving | N |
| Nor force him to be damn'd to get his living | N |
Alexander Pope
(1)
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