The First Epistle Of The First Book Of Horace Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDEEFG HHIIJ KKLLMB NNAAOOPPLLQQ RRSSTTRRUUVW XXYYUUZZ A2B2TTQQAAC2H D2D2OONE2TTF2F2G2H2 I2 J2 LLHK2 L2L2M2N2O2P2 A Q2Q2R2R2 AAS2S2OOS2 AAPPPC2C2AAM2M2T2 M2M2 U2U2PPI2I2V2V2S2S2W2 W2X2X2 Y2Y2K2K2J2 S2S2S2Q2Z2Z2A3 Y2Y2K2K2B3B3B3S2S2SS C3C3 D3D3E2E2E3E3F3F3G3G3 S2S2NNE2E2F2F2SY2H3H 3K2K2AAI3I3

TO LORD BOLINGBROKEA
-
St John whose love indulged my labours pastB
Matures my present and shall bound my lastB
Why will you break the Sabbath of my daysC
Now sick alike of envy and of praiseC
Public too long ah let me hide my ageD
See modest Cibber now has left the stageD
Our generals now retired to their estatesE
Hang their old trophies o'er the garden gatesE
In life's cool evening satiate of applauseF
Nor fond of bleeding even in Brunswick's causeG
-
A voice there is that whispers in my earH
'Tis reason's voice which sometimes one can hearH
'Friend Pope be prudent let your Muse take breathI
And never gallop Pegasus to deathI
Lest still and stately void of fire or forceJ
You limp like Blackmore on a Lord Mayor's horse '-
-
Farewell then verse and love and every toyK
The rhymes and rattles of the man or boyK
What right what true what fit we justly callL
Let this be all my care for this is allL
To lay this harvest up and hoard with hasteM
What every day will want and most the lastB
-
But ask not to what doctors I applyN
Sworn to no master of no sect am IN
As drives the storm at any door I knockA
And house with Montaigne now or now with LockeA
Sometimes a patriot active in debateO
Mix with the world and battle for the stateO
Free as young Lyttelton her cause pursueP
Still true to virtue and as warm as trueP
Sometimes with Aristippus or St PaulL
Indulge my candour and grow all to allL
Back to my native moderation slideQ
And win my way by yielding to the tideQ
-
Long as to him who works for debt the dayR
Long as the night to her whose love's awayR
Long as the year's dull circle seems to runS
When the brisk minor pants for twenty oneS
So slow the unprofitable moments rollT
That lock up all the functions of my soulT
That keep me from myself and still delayR
Life's instant business to a future dayR
That task which as we follow or despiseU
The eldest is a fool the youngest wiseU
Which done the poorest can no wants endureV
And which not done the richest must be poorW
-
Late as it is I put myself to schoolX
And feel some comfort not to be a foolX
Weak though I am of limb and short of sightY
Far from a lynx and not a giant quiteY
I'll do what Mead and Cheselden adviseU
To keep these limbs and to preserve these eyesU
Not to go back is somewhat to advanceZ
And men must walk at least before they danceZ
-
Say does thy blood rebel thy bosom moveA2
With wretched avarice or as wretched loveB2
Know there are words and spells which can controlT
Between the fits this fever of the soulT
Know there are rhymes which fresh and fresh appliedQ
Will cure the arrant'st puppy of his prideQ
Be furious envious slothful mad or drunkA
Slave to a wife or vassal to a punkA
A Switz a High Dutch or a Low Dutch bearC2
All that we ask is but a patient earH
-
'Tis the first virtue vices to abhorD2
And the first wisdom to be fool no moreD2
But to the world no bugbear is so greatO
As want of figure and a small estateO
To either India see the merchant flyN
Scared at the spectre of pale povertyE2
See him with pains of body pangs of soulT
Burn through the tropic freeze beneath the poleT
Wilt thou do nothing for a nobler endF2
Nothing to make philosophy thy friendF2
To stop thy foolish views thy long desiresG2
And ease thy heart of all that it admiresH2
-
Here Wisdom calls 'Seek Virtue first be boldI2
As gold to silver Virtue is to gold '-
There London's voice 'Get money money stillJ2
And then let virtue follow if she will '-
This this the saving doctrine preach'd to allL
From low St James's up to high St PaulL
From him whose quill stands quiver'd at his earH
To him who notches sticks at WestminsterK2
-
Barnard in spirit sense and truth aboundsL2
'Pray then what wants he ' Fourscore thousand poundsL2
A pension or such harness for a slaveM2
As Bug now has and Dorimant would haveN2
Barnard thou art a cit with all thy worthO2
But Bug and D l their Honours and so forthP2
-
Yet every child another song will singA
'Virtue brave boys 'tis virtue makes a king '-
True conscious honour is to feel no sinQ2
He's arm'd without that's innocent withinQ2
Be this thy screen and this thy wall of brassR2
Compared to this a minister's an assR2
-
And say to which shall our applause belongA
This new court jargon or the good old songA
The modern language of corrupted peersS2
Or what was spoke at Cressy and PoictiersS2
Who counsels best who whispers 'Be but greatO
With praise or infamy leave that to fateO
Get place and wealth if possible with graceS2
If not by any means get wealth and place '-
For what to have a box where eunuchs singA
And foremost in the circle eye a kingA
Or he who bids thee face with steady viewP
Proud fortune and look shallow greatness throughP
And while he bids thee sets th' example tooP
If such a doctrine in St James's airC2
Should chance to make the well dress'd rabble stareC2
If honest S z take scandal at a sparkA
That less admires the palace than the parkA
Faith I shall give the answer Reynard gaveM2
'I cannot like dread sir your royal caveM2
Because I see by all the tracks aboutT2
Full many a beast goes in but none comes out '-
Adieu to virtue if you're once a slaveM2
Send her to court you send her to her graveM2
-
Well if a king's a lion at the leastU2
The people are a many headed beastU2
Can they direct what measures to pursueP
Who know themselves so little what to doP
Alike in nothing but one lust of goldI2
Just half the land would buy and half be soldI2
Their country's wealth our mightier misers drainV2
Or cross to plunder provinces the mainV2
The rest some farm the poor box some the pewsS2
Some keep assemblies and would keep the stewsS2
Some with fat bucks on childless dotards fawnW2
Some win rich widows by their chine and brawnW2
While with the silent growth of ten per centX2
In dirt and darkness hundreds stink contentX2
-
Of all these ways if each pursues his ownY2
Satire be kind and let the wretch aloneY2
But show me one who has it in his powerK2
To act consistent with himself an hourK2
Sir Job sail'd forth the evening bright and stillJ2
'No place on earth' he cried 'like Greenwich hill '-
Up starts a palace lo the obedient baseS2
Slopes at its foot the woods its sides embraceS2
The silver Thames reflects its marble faceS2
Now let some whimsy or that devil withinQ2
Which guides all those who know not what they meanZ2
But give the knight or give his lady spleenZ2
'Away away take all your scaffolds downA3
For snug's the word my dear we'll live in town '-
-
At amorous Flavio is the stocking thrownY2
That very night he longs to lie aloneY2
The fool whose wife elopes some thrice a quarterK2
For matrimonial solace dies a martyrK2
Did ever Proteus Merlin any witchB3
Transform themselves so strangely as the richB3
Well but the poor the poor have the same itchB3
They change their weekly barber weekly newsS2
Prefer a new japanner to their shoesS2
Discharge their garrets move their beds and runS
They know not whither in a chaise and oneS
They hire their sculler and when once aboardC3
Grow sick and damn the climate like a lordC3
-
You laugh half beau half sloven if I standD3
My wig all powder and all snuff my bandD3
You laugh if coat and breeches strangely varyE2
White gloves and linen worthy Lady MaryE2
But when no prelate's lawn with hair shirt linedE3
Is half so incoherent as my mindE3
When each opinion with the next at strifeF3
One ebb and flow of follies all my lifeF3
I plant root up I build and then confoundG3
Turn round to square and square again to roundG3
You never change one muscle of your faceS2
You think this madness but a common caseS2
Nor once to Chancery nor to Hale applyN
Yet hang your lip to see a seam awryN
Careless how ill I with myself agreeE2
Kind to my dress my figure not to meE2
Is this my guide philosopher and friendF2
This he who loves me and who ought to mendF2
Who ought to make me what he can or noneS
That man divine whom Wisdom calls her ownY2
Great without title without fortune bless'dH3
Rich even when plunder'd honour'd while oppress'dH3
Loved without youth and follow'd without powerK2
At home though exiled free though in the TowerK2
In short that reasoning high immortal thingA
Just less than Jove and much above a kingA
Nay half in heaven except what's mighty oddI3
A fit of vapours clouds this demi godI3

Alexander Pope



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