The Dunciad: Book Ii. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDEEFFFF GGHH FFIIFFFFJK IILL MMNNFFOOFFDDPPLLHHDD QQFF RDDSSTTFFPPUUVVWWIII IDDDDF FFDDIIXXFF FFDDMMYYIIFFZZFF IIIIDDIIDDII LA2DDIIB2C2D2D2 E2E2IIFFIIA FFIIDDF2F2G2G2FFFFYY IIIIXXFFQ H2H2FFIIIIFF

High on a gorgeous seat that far out shoneA
Henley's gilt tub or Flecknoe's Irish throneA
Or that where on her Curlls the public poursB
All bounteous fragrant grains and golden showersC
Great Cibber sate the proud Parnassian sneerD
The conscious simper and the jealous leerD
Mix on his look all eyes direct their raysE
On him and crowds turn coxcombs as they gazeE
His peers shine round him with reflected graceF
New edge their dulness and new bronze their faceF
So from the sun's broad beam in shallow urnsF
Heaven's twinkling sparks draw light and point their hornsF
-
Not with more glee by hands Pontific crown'dG
With scarlet hats wide waving circled roundG
Rome in her Capitol saw Querno sitH
Throned on seven hills the Antichrist of witH
-
And now the queen to glad her sons proclaimsF
By herald hawkers high heroic gamesF
They summon all her race an endless bandI
Pours forth and leaves unpeopled half the landI
A motley mixture in long wigs in bagsF
In silks in crapes in garters and in ragsF
From drawing rooms from colleges from garretsF
On horse on foot in hacks and gilded chariotsF
All who true dunces in her cause appear'dJ
And all who knew those dunces to rewardK
-
Amid that area wide they took their standI
Where the tall maypole once o'er looked the StrandI
But now so Anne and piety ordainL
A church collects the saints of Drury LaneL
-
With authors stationers obey'd the callM
The field of glory is a field for allM
Glory and gain the industrious tribe provokeN
And gentle Dulness ever loves a jokeN
A poet's form she placed before their eyesF
And bade the nimblest racer seize the prizeF
No meagre muse rid mope adust and thinO
In a dun night gown of his own loose skinO
But such a bulk as no twelve bards could raiseF
Twelve starveling bards of these degenerate daysF
All as a partridge plump full fed and fairD
She form'd this image of well bodied airD
With pert flat eyes she window'd well its headP
A brain of feathers and a heart of leadP
And empty words she gave and sounding strainL
But senseless lifeless idol void and vainL
Never was dash'd out at one lucky hitH
A fool so just a copy of a witH
So like that critics said and courtiers sworeD
A wit it was and call'd the phantom MoreD
-
All gaze with ardour some a poet's nameQ
Others a sword knot and laced suit inflameQ
But lofty Lintot in the circle roseF
'This prize is mine who tempt it are my foesF
With me began this genius and shall end '-
He spoke and who with Lintot shall contendR
Fear held them mute Alone untaught to fearD
Stood dauntless Curll 'Behold that rival hereD
The race by vigour not by vaunts is wonS
So take the hindmost Hell ' He said and runS
Swift as a bard the bailiff leaves behindT
He left huge Lintot and out stripp'd the windT
As when a dab chick waddles through the copseF
On feet and wings and flies and wades and hopsF
So labouring on with shoulders hands and headP
Wide as a wind mill all his figure spreadP
With arms expanded Bernard rows his stateU
And left legg'd Jacob seems to emulateU
Full in the middle way there stood a lakeV
Which Curll's Corinna chanced that morn to makeV
Such was her wont at early dawn to dropW
Her evening cates before his neighbour's shopW
Here fortuned Curll to slide loud shout the bandI
And Bernard Bernard rings through all the StrandI
Obscene with filth the miscreant lies bewray'dI
Fallen in the plash his wickedness had laidI
Then first if poets aught of truth declareD
The caitiff vaticide conceived a prayerD
'Hear Jove whose name my bards and I adoreD
As much at least as any god's or moreD
And him and his if more devotion warmsF
Down with the Bible up with the Pope's arms '-
-
A place there is betwixt earth air and seasF
Where from Ambrosia Jove retires for easeF
There in his seat two spacious vents appearD
On this he sits to that he leans his earD
And hears the various vows of fond mankindI
Some beg an eastern some a western windI
All vain petitions mounting to the skyX
With reams abundant this abode supplyX
Amused he reads and then returns the billsF
Sign'd with that ichor which from gods distilsF
-
In office here fair Cloacina standsF
And ministers to Jove with purest handsF
Forth from the heap she pick'd her votary's prayerD
And placed it next him a distinction rareD
Oft had the goddess heard her servant's callM
From her black grottos near the Temple wallM
Listening delighted to the jest uncleanY
Of link boys vile and watermen obsceneY
Where as he fish'd her nether realms for witI
She oft had favour'd him and favours yetI
Renew'd by ordure's sympathetic forceF
As oil'd with magic juices for the courseF
Vigorous he rises from the effluvia strongZ
Imbibes new life and scours and stinks alongZ
Repasses Lintot vindicates the raceF
Nor heeds the brown dishonours of his faceF
-
And now the victor stretch'd his eager handI
Where the tall Nothing stood or seem'd to standI
A shapeless shade it melted from his sightI
Like forms in clouds or visions of the nightI
To seize his papers Curll was next thy careD
His papers light fly diverse toss'd in airD
Songs sonnets epigrams the winds upliftI
And whisk them back to Evans Young and SwiftI
The embroider'd suit at least he deem'd his preyD
That suit an unpaid tailor snatch'd awayD
No rag no scrap of all the beau or witI
That once so flutter'd and that once so writI
-
Heaven rings with laughter of the laughter vainL
Dulness good queen repeats the jest againA2
Three wicked imps of her own Grub Street choirD
She deck'd like Congreve Addison and PriorD
Mears Warner Wilkins run delusive thoughtI
Breval Bond Bezaleel the varlets caughtI
Curll stretches after Gay but Gay is goneB2
He grasps an empty Joseph for a JohnC2
So Proteus hunted in a nobler shapeD2
Became when seized a puppy or an apeD2
-
To him the goddess 'Son thy grief lay downE2
And turn this whole illusion on the townE2
As the sage dame experienced in her tradeI
By names of toasts retails each batter'd jadeI
Whence hapless Monsieur much complains at ParisF
Of wrongs from duchesses and Lady MariesF
Be thine my stationer this magic giftI
Cook shall be Prior and Concanen SwiftI
So shall each hostile name become our ownA
And we too boast our Garth and Addison '-
-
With that she gave him piteous of his caseF
Yet smiling at his rueful length of faceF
A shaggy tapestry worthy to be spreadI
On Codrus' old or Dunton's modern bedI
Instructive work whose wry mouth'd portraitureD
Display'd the fates her confessors endureD
Earless on high stood unabash'd DefoeF2
And Tutchin flagrant from the scourge belowF2
There Ridpath Roper cudgell'd might ye viewG2
The very worsted still look'd black and blueG2
Himself among the storied chiefs he spiesF
As from the blanket high in air he fliesF
And oh he cried what street what lane but knowsF
Our purgings pumpings blanketings and blowsF
In every loom our labours shall be seenY
And the fresh vomit run for ever greenY
-
See in the circle next Eliza placedI
Two babes of love close clinging to her waistI
Fair as before her works she stands confess'dI
In flowers and pearls by bounteous Kirkall dress'dI
The goddess then 'Who best can send on highX
The salient spout far streaming to the skyX
His be yon Juno of majestic sizeF
With cow like udders and with ox like eyesF
This China Jordan let the chief o'ercomeQ
Replenish not ingloriously at home '-
-
Osborne and Curll accept the glorious strifeH2
Though this his son dissuades and that his wifeH2
One on his manly confidence reliesF
One on his vigour and superior sizeF
First Osborne lean'd against his letter'd postI
It rose and labour'd to a curve at mostI
So Jove's bright bow displays its watery roundI
Sure sign that no spectator shall be drown'dI
A second effort brought but new disgraceF
The wild meander wasF

Alexander Pope



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