The Iliad: Book Vi (excerpt) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEE FFGGHHBBIIJJKKCC IILLMMNNOOPPQRCCSSTU KK VVWWXYBBZZVVMMA2A2B2 B2C2D2E2F2G2G2 H2H2B2B2I2I2J2BG2K2 WWL2L2MMCCM2M2BBBBCC MEN2N2QQO2O2BBP2P2Q2 Q2SSEEB2B2BBR2R2S2 WWQQIIT2T2 CCOOU2U2N2N2MV2 BBBBW2W2X2X2QQCC Y2Y2NNZ2MA3A3 AAQQB3B3D

He said and pass'd with sad presaging heartA
To seek his spouse his soul's far dearer partA
At home he sought her but he sought in vainB
She with one maid of all her menial trainB
Had thence retir'd and with her second joyC
The young Astyanax the hope of TroyC
Pensive she stood on Ilion's tow'ry heightD
Beheld the war and sicken'd at the sightD
There her sad eyes in vain her lord exploreE
Or weep the wounds her bleeding country boreE
-
But he who found not whom his soul desir'dF
Whose virtue charm'd him as her beauty fir'dF
Stood in the gates and ask'd what way she bentG
Her parting steps if to the fane she wentG
Where late the mourning matrons made resortH
Or sought her sisters in the Trojan courtH
Not to the court replied th' attendant trainB
Nor mixed with matrons to Minerva's faneB
To Ilion's steepy tow'r she bent her wayI
To mark the fortunes of the doubtful dayI
Troy fled she heard before the Grecian swordJ
She heard and trembled for her absent lordJ
Distracted with surprise she seem'd to flyK
Fear on her cheek and sorrow in her eyeK
The nurse attended with her infant boyC
The young Astyanax the hope of TroyC
-
Hector this heard return'd without delayI
Swift through the town he trod his former wayI
Through streets of palaces and walks of stateL
And met the mourner at the Sc an gateL
With haste to meet him sprung the joyful fairM
His blameless wife E e tion's wealthy heirM
Cilician Theb great E e tion sway'dN
And Hippoplacus' wide extended shadeN
The nurse stood near in whose embraces prestO
His only hope hung smiling at her breastO
Whom each soft charm and early grace adornP
Fair as the new born star that gilds the mornP
To this lov'd infant Hector gave the nameQ
Scamandrius from Scamander's honour'd streamR
Astyanax the Trojans call'd the boyC
From his great father the defence of TroyC
Silent the warrior smil'd and pleas'd resign'dS
To tender passions all his mighty mindS
His beauteous princess cast a mournful lookT
Hung on his hand and then dejected spokeU
Her bosom labour'd with a boding sighK
And the big tear stood trembling in her eyeK
-
Too daring prince ah whither dost thou runV
Ah too forgetful of thy wife and sonV
And think'st thou not how wretched we shall beW
A widow I a helpless orphan heW
For sure such courage length of life deniesX
And thou must fall thy virtue's sacrificeY
Greece in her single heroes strove in vainB
Now hosts oppose thee and thou must be slainB
Oh grant me gods e'er Hector meets his doomZ
All I can ask of heav'n an early tombZ
So shall my days in one sad tenor runV
And end with sorrows as they first begunV
No parent now remains my griefs to shareM
No father's aid no mother's tender careM
The fierce Achilles wrapp'd our walls in fireA2
Laid Theb waste and slew my warlike sireA2
His fate compassion in the victor bredB2
Stern as he was he yet rever'd the deadB2
His radiant arms preserv'd from hostile spoilC2
And laid him decent on the fun'ral pileD2
Then rais'd a mountain where his bones were burn'dE2
The mountain nymphs the rural tomb adorn'dF2
Jove's sylvan daughters bade their elms bestowG2
A barren shade and in his honour growG2
-
By the same arm my sev'n brave brothers fellH2
In one sad day beheld the gates of hellH2
While the fat herds and snowy flocks they fedB2
Amid their fields the hapless heroes bledB2
My mother liv'd to bear the victor's bandsI2
The queen of Hippoplacia's sylvan landsI2
Redeem'd too late she scarce beheld againJ2
Her pleasing empire and her native plainB
When ah oppress'd by life consuming woeG2
She fell a victim to Diana's bowK2
-
Yet while my Hector still survives I seeW
My father mother brethren all in theeW
Alas my parents brothers kindred allL2
Once more will perish if my Hector fallL2
Thy wife thy infant in thy danger shareM
Oh prove a husband's and a father's careM
That quarter most the skilful Greeks annoyC
Where yon wild fig trees join the wall of TroyC
Thou from this tow'r defend th' important postM2
There Agamemnon points his dreadful hostM2
That pass Tydides Ajax strive to gainB
And there the vengeful Spartan fires his trainB
Thrice our bold foes the fierce attack have giv'nB
Or led by hopes or dictated from heav'nB
Let others in the field their arms employC
But stay my Hector here and guard his TroyC
-
The chief replied That post shall be my careM
Not that alone but all the works of warE
How would the sons of Troy in arms renown'dN2
And Troy's proud dames whose garments sweep the groundN2
Attaint the lustre of my former nameQ
Should Hector basely quit the field of fameQ
My early youth was bred to martial painsO2
My soul impels me to th' embattled plainsO2
Let me be foremost to defend the throneB
And guard my father's glories and my ownB
Yet come it will the day decreed by fatesP2
How my heart trembles while my tongue relatesP2
The day when thou imperial Troy must bendQ2
And see thy warriors fall thy glories endQ2
And yet no dire presage so wounds my mindS
My mother's death the ruin of my kindS
Not Priam's hoary hairs defil'd with goreE
Not all my brothers gasping on the shoreE
As thine Andromache thy griefs I dreadB2
I see thee trembling weeping captive ledB2
In Argive looms our battles to designB
And woes of which so large a part was thineB
To bear the victor's hard commands or bringR2
The weight of waters from Hyperia's springR2
There while you groan beneath the load of lifeS2
They cry 'Behold the mighty Hector's wife '-
Some haughty Greek who lives thy tears to seeW
Embitters all thy woes by naming meW
The thoughts of glory past and present shameQ
A thousand griefs shall waken at the nameQ
May I lie cold before that dreadful dayI
Press'd with a load of monumental clayI
Thy Hector wrapp'd in everlasting sleepT2
Shall neither hear thee sigh nor see thee weepT2
-
Thus having spoke th' illustrious chief of TroyC
Stretch'd his fond arms to clasp the lovely boyC
The babe clung crying to his nurse's breastO
Scar'd at the dazzling helm and nodding crestO
With secret pleasure each fond parent smil'dU2
And Hector hasted to relieve his childU2
The glitt'ring terrors from his brows unboundN2
And plac'd the beaming helmet on the groundN2
Then kiss'd the child and lifting high in airM
Thus to the gods preferr'd a father's pray'rV2
-
O thou whose glory fills th' ethereal throneB
And all ye deathless pow'rs protect my sonB
Grant him like me to purchase just renownB
To guard the Trojans to defend the crownB
Against his country's foes the war to wageW2
And rise the Hector of the future ageW2
So when triumphant from successful toilsX2
Of heroes slain he bears the reeking spoilsX2
Whole hosts may hail him with deserv'd acclaimQ
And say 'This chief transcends his father's fame'Q
While pleas'd amidst the gen'ral shouts of TroyC
His mother's conscious heart o'erflows with joyC
-
He spoke and fondly gazing on her charmsY2
Restor'd the pleasing burthen to her armsY2
Soft on her fragrant breast the babe she laidN
Hush'd to repose and with a smile survey'dN
The troubled pleasure soon chastis'd by fearZ2
She mingled with the smile a tender tearM
The soften'd chief with kind compassion view'dA3
And dried the falling drops and thus pursu'dA3
-
Andromache my soul's far better partA
Why with untimely sorrows heaves thy heartA
No hostile hand can antedate my doomQ
Till fate condemns me to the silent tombQ
Fix'd is the term to all the race of earthB3
And such the hard condition of our birthB3
No force can then resist no flightD

Alexander Pope



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