The Rape Of The Lock (canto 3) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBBBCDEEFFGGAAHH CCIIAAAABBJIKKCCAA LLCCMMNN CC AAOOPPKKAAPPQQCRSS PPAATTUUVV AAWWGGAAXXYY AAZZA2A2B2B2GGAAXX B2B2CC C2C2AATTD2D2D2D2D2D2 AANND2D2CC A2A2AAD2D2AAD2D2CCCC D2D2D2D2D2D2D2D2 D2D2D2D2NE2CC AAD2D2XX IICCD2D2AAF2G2D2D2CC D2D2A2A2Close by those meads for ever crown'd with flow'rs | A |
Where Thames with pride surveys his rising tow'rs | A |
There stands a structure of majestic frame | B |
Which from the neighb'ring Hampton takes its name | B |
Here Britain's statesmen oft the fall foredoom | B |
Of foreign tyrants and of nymphs at home | B |
Here thou great Anna whom three realms obey | C |
Dost sometimes counsel take and sometimes tea | D |
Hither the heroes and the nymphs resort | E |
To taste awhile the pleasures of a court | E |
In various talk th' instructive hours they pass'd | F |
Who gave the ball or paid the visit last | F |
One speaks the glory of the British queen | G |
And one describes a charming Indian screen | G |
A third interprets motions looks and eyes | A |
At ev'ry word a reputation dies | A |
Snuff or the fan supply each pause of chat | H |
With singing laughing ogling and all that | H |
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Meanwhile declining from the noon of day | C |
The sun obliquely shoots his burning ray | C |
The hungry judges soon the sentence sign | I |
And wretches hang that jury men may dine | I |
The merchant from th' Exchange returns in peace | A |
And the long labours of the toilet cease | A |
Belinda now whom thirst of fame invites | A |
Burns to encounter two adventrous knights | A |
At ombre singly to decide their doom | B |
And swells her breast with conquests yet to come | B |
Straight the three bands prepare in arms to join | J |
Each band the number of the sacred nine | I |
Soon as she spreads her hand th' aerial guard | K |
Descend and sit on each important card | K |
First Ariel perch'd upon a Matadore | C |
Then each according to the rank they bore | C |
For Sylphs yet mindful of their ancient race | A |
Are as when women wondrous fond of place | A |
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Behold four Kings in majesty rever'd | L |
With hoary whiskers and a forky beard | L |
And four fair Queens whose hands sustain a flow'r | C |
Th' expressive emblem of their softer pow'r | C |
Four Knaves in garbs succinct a trusty band | M |
Caps on their heads and halberds in their hand | M |
And parti colour'd troops a shining train | N |
Draw forth to combat on the velvet plain | N |
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The skilful nymph reviews her force with care | C |
Let Spades be trumps she said and trumps they were | C |
- | |
Now move to war her sable Matadores | A |
In show like leaders of the swarthy Moors | A |
Spadillio first unconquerable lord | O |
Led off two captive trumps and swept the board | O |
As many more Manillio forc'd to yield | P |
And march'd a victor from the verdant field | P |
Him Basto follow'd but his fate more hard | K |
Gain'd but one trump and one plebeian card | K |
With his broad sabre next a chief in years | A |
The hoary Majesty of Spades appears | A |
Puts forth one manly leg to sight reveal'd | P |
The rest his many colour'd robe conceal'd | P |
The rebel Knave who dares his prince engage | Q |
Proves the just victim of his royal rage | Q |
Ev'n mighty Pam that kings and queens o'erthrew | C |
And mow'd down armies in the fights of loo | R |
Sad chance of war now destitute of aid | S |
Falls undistinguish'd by the victor Spade | S |
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Thus far both armies to Belinda yield | P |
Now to the baron fate inclines the field | P |
His warlike Amazon her host invades | A |
Th' imperial consort of the crown of Spades | A |
The Club's black tyrant first her victim died | T |
Spite of his haughty mien and barb'rous pride | T |
What boots the regal circle on his head | U |
His giant limbs in state unwieldy spread | U |
That long behind he trails his pompous robe | V |
And of all monarchs only grasps the globe | V |
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The baron now his diamonds pours apace | A |
Th' embroider'd King who shows but half his face | A |
And his refulgent Queen with pow'rs combin'd | W |
Of broken troops an easy conquest find | W |
Clubs Diamonds Hearts in wild disorder seen | G |
With throngs promiscuous strow the level green | G |
Thus when dispers'd a routed army runs | A |
Of Asia's troops and Afric's sable sons | A |
With like confusion diff'rent nations fly | X |
Of various habit and of various dye | X |
The pierc'd battalions disunited fall | Y |
In heaps on heaps one fate o'erwhelms them all | Y |
- | |
The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts | A |
And wins oh shameful chance the Queen of Hearts | A |
At this the blood the virgin's cheek forsook | Z |
A livid paleness spreads o'er all her look | Z |
She sees and trembles at th' approaching ill | A2 |
Just in the jaws of ruin and codille | A2 |
And now as oft in some distemper'd state | B2 |
On one nice trick depends the gen'ral fate | B2 |
An Ace of Hearts steps forth The King unseen | G |
Lurk'd in her hand and mourn'd his captive Queen | G |
He springs to vengeance with an eager pace | A |
And falls like thunder on the prostrate Ace | A |
The nymph exulting fills with shouts the sky | X |
The walls the woods and long canals reply | X |
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Oh thoughtless mortals ever blind to fate | B2 |
Too soon dejected and too soon elate | B2 |
Sudden these honours shall be snatch'd away | C |
And curs'd for ever this victorious day | C |
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For lo the board with cups and spoons is crown'd | C2 |
The berries crackle and the mill turns round | C2 |
On shining altars of Japan they raise | A |
The silver lamp the fiery spirits blaze | A |
From silver spouts the grateful liquors glide | T |
While China's earth receives the smoking tide | T |
At once they gratify their scent and taste | D2 |
And frequent cups prolong the rich repast | D2 |
Straight hover round the fair her airy band | D2 |
Some as she sipp'd the fuming liquor fann'd | D2 |
Some o'er her lap their careful plumes display'd | D2 |
Trembling and conscious of the rich brocade | D2 |
Coffee which makes the politician wise | A |
And see through all things with his half shut eyes | A |
Sent up in vapours to the baron's brain | N |
New stratagems the radiant lock to gain | N |
Ah cease rash youth desist ere 'tis too late | D2 |
Fear the just gods and think of Scylla's fate | D2 |
Chang'd to a bird and sent to flit in air | C |
She dearly pays for Nisus' injur'd hair | C |
- | |
But when to mischief mortals bend their will | A2 |
How soon they find fit instruments of ill | A2 |
Just then Clarissa drew with tempting grace | A |
A two edg'd weapon from her shining case | A |
So ladies in romance assist their knight | D2 |
Present the spear and arm him for the fight | D2 |
He takes the gift with rev'rence and extends | A |
The little engine on his fingers' ends | A |
This just behind Belinda's neck he spread | D2 |
As o'er the fragrant steams she bends her head | D2 |
Swift to the lock a thousand sprites repair | C |
A thousand wings by turns blow back the hair | C |
And thrice they twitch'd the diamond in her ear | C |
Thrice she look'd back and thrice the foe drew near | C |
Just in that instant anxious Ariel sought | D2 |
The close recesses of the virgin's thought | D2 |
As on the nosegay in her breast reclin'd | D2 |
He watch'd th' ideas rising in her mind | D2 |
Sudden he view'd in spite of all her art | D2 |
An earthly lover lurking at her heart | D2 |
Amaz'd confus'd he found his pow'r expir'd | D2 |
Resign'd to fate and with a sigh retir'd | D2 |
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The peer now spreads the glitt'ring forfex wide | D2 |
T' inclose the lock now joins it to divide | D2 |
Ev'n then before the fatal engine clos'd | D2 |
A wretched Sylph too fondly interpos'd | D2 |
Fate urg'd the shears and cut the Sylph in twain | N |
But airy substance soon unites again | E2 |
The meeting points the sacred hair dissever | C |
From the fair head for ever and for ever | C |
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Then flash'd the living lightning from her eyes | A |
And screams of horror rend th' affrighted skies | A |
Not louder shrieks to pitying Heav'n are cast | D2 |
When husbands or when lap dogs breathe their last | D2 |
Or when rich China vessels fall'n from high | X |
In glitt'ring dust and painted fragments lie | X |
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Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine | I |
The victor cried the glorious prize is mine | I |
While fish in streams or birds delight in air | C |
Or in a coach and six the British fair | C |
As long atAtalantis shall be read | D2 |
Or the small pillow grace a lady's bed | D2 |
While visits shall be paid on solemn days | A |
When num'rous wax lights in bright order blaze | A |
While nymphs take treats or assignations give | F2 |
So long my honour name and praise shall live | G2 |
What time would spare from steel receives its date | D2 |
And monuments like men submit to fate | D2 |
Steel could the labour of the gods destroy | C |
And strike to dust th' imperial tow'rs of Troy | C |
Steel could the works of mortal pride confound | D2 |
And hew triumphal arches to the ground | D2 |
What wonder then fair nymph thy hairs should feel | A2 |
The conqu'ring force of unresisted steel | A2 |
Alexander Pope
(1)
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