Lucretius Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKLMINOPQRS TUVWC XYZA2VB2C2 VVD2E2VVVXF2VB2G2VH2 OI2J2K2L2M2N2VVO2PVP 2 Q2R2US2T2PU2 PVPVV2L2 W2VX2Y2PPZ2 L2VL2VL2A3 T2L2L2L2L2VT2VL2VF2B 3L2L2L2L2VV L2L2L2L2C3VD3E3Z2PX2 VX2L2F3L2PY2L2L2L2 PVX2D3PL2I2VVL2VVPPP G3L2PPD3VX2H3VL2VD3L 2

Lucilla wedded to Lucretius foundA
Her master cold for when the morning flushB
Of passion and the first embrace had diedC
Between them tho' he loved her none the lessD
Yet often when the woman heard his footE
Return from pacings in the field and ranF
To greet him with a kiss the master tookG
Small notice or austerely for his mindH
Half buried in some weightier argumentI
Or fancy borne perhaps upon the riseJ
And long roll of the hexameter he pastK
To turn and ponder those three hundred scrollsL
Left by the Teacher whom he held divineM
She brook'd it not but wrathful petulantI
Dreaming some rival sought and found a witchN
Who brew'd the philtre which had power they saidO
To lead an errant passion home againP
And this at times she mingled with his drinkQ
And this destroy'd him for the wicked brothR
Confused the chemic labor of the bloodS
And tickling the brute brain within the man'sT
Made havoc among those tender cells and check'dU
His power to shape He loathed himself and onceV
After a tempest woke upon a mornW
That mock'd him with returning calm and criedC
-
Storm in the night for thrice I heard the rainX
Rushing and once the flash of a thunderboltY
Methought I never saw so fierce a forkZ
Struck out the streaming mountain side and show'dA2
A riotous confluence of watercoursesV
Blanching and billowing in a hollow of itB2
Where all but yester eve was dusty dryC2
-
Storm and what dreams ye holy Gods what dreamsV
For thrice I waken'd after dreams PerchanceV
We do but recollect the dreams that comeD2
Just ere the waking Terrible for it seem'dE2
A void was made in Nature all her bondsV
Crack'd and I saw the flaring atom streamsV
And torrents of her myriad universeV
Ruining along the illimitable inaneX
Fly on to clash together again and makeF2
Another and another frame of thingsV
For ever That was mine my dream I knew itB2
Of and belonging to me as the dogG2
With inward yelp and restless forefoot pliesV
His function of the woodland but the nextH2
I thought that all the blood by Sylla shedO
Came driving rainlike down again on earthI2
And where it dash'd the reddening meadow sprangJ2
No dragon warriors from Cadmean teethK2
For these I thought my dream would show to meL2
But girls Hetairai curious in their artM2
Hired animalisms vile as those that madeN2
The mulberry faced Dictator's orgies worseV
Than aught they fable of the quiet GodsV
And hands they mixt and yell'd and round me droveO2
In narrowing circles till I yell'd againP
Half suffocated and sprang up and sawV
Was it the first beam of my latest dayP2
-
Then then from utter gloom stood out theQ2
The breasts of Helen and hoveringly a swordR2
Now over and now under now directU
Pointed itself to pierce but sank down shamedS2
At all that beauty and as I stared a fireT2
The fire that left a roofless IlionP
Shot out of them and scorch'd me that I wokeU2
-
Is this thy vengeance holy Venus thineP
Because I would not one of thine own dovesV
Not even a rose were offered to thee thineP
Forgetful how my rich proemion makesV
Thy glory fly along the Italian fieldV2
In lays that will outlast thy deityL2
-
Deity nay thy worshippers My tongueW2
Trips or I speak profanely Which of theseV
Angers thee most or angers thee at allX2
Not if thou be'st of those who far aloofY2
From envy hate and pity and spite and scornP
Live the great life which all our greatest fainP
Would follow centred in eternal calmZ2
-
Nay if thou canstL2
Goddess like ourselvesV
Touch and be touch'd then would I cry to theeL2
To kiss thy Mavors roll thy tender armsV
Round him and keep him from the lust of bloodL2
That makes a steaming slaughter house of RomeA3
-
Ay but I meant not thee I meant riot herT2
Whom all the pines of Ida shook to seeL2
Slide from that quiet heaven of hers and temptL2
The Trojan while his neatherds were abroadL2
Nor her that o'er her wounded hunter weptL2
Her deity false in human amorous tearsV
Nor whom her beardless apple arbiterT2
Decided fairest Rather O ye GodsV
Poet like as the great Sicilian calledL2
Calliope to grace his golden verseV
Ay and this Kypris also did I takeF2
That popular name of thine to shadow forthB3
The all generating powers and genial heatL2
Of Nature when she strikes thro' the thick bloodL2
Of cattle and light is large and lambs are gladL2
Nosing the mother's udder and the birdL2
Makes his heart voice amid the blaze of flowersV
Which things appear the work of mighty GodsV
-
The Gods and if I go my work is leftL2
Unfinish'd if I go The Gods who hauntL2
The lucid interspace of world and worldL2
Where never creeps a cloud or moves a windL2
Nor ever falls the least white star of mowC3
Nor ever lowest roll of thunder moansV
Nor sound of human sorrow mounts to marD3
Their sacred everlasting calm and suchE3
Not all so fine nor so divine a calmZ2
Not such nor all unlike it man may gainP
Letting his own life go The Gods the GodslX2
If all be atoms how then should the GodsV
Being atomic not be dissolubleX2
Not follow the great law My master heldL2
That Gods there are for all men so believeF3
I prest my footsteps into his and meantL2
Surely to lead my Memmius in a trainP
Of fiowery clauses onward to the proofY2
That Gods there are and deathless Meant I meantL2
I have forgotten what I meant my mindL2
Stumbles and all my faculties are lamedL2
-
Look where another of our Gods the SunP
Apollo Delius or of older useV
All seeing Hyperion what you willX2
Has mounted yonder since he never swareD3
Except his wrath were wreak'd on wretched manP
That he would only shine among the deadL2
Hereafter tales for never yet on earthI2
Could dead flesh creep or bits of roasting oxV
Moan round the spit nor knows he what he seesV
King of the East altho' he seem and girtL2
With song and flame and fragrance slowly liftsV
His golden feet on those empurpled stairsV
That climb into the windy halls of heavenP
And here he glances on an eye new bornP
And gets for greeting but a wail of painP
And here he stays upon a freezing orbG3
That fain would gaze upon him to the lastL2
And here upon a yellow eyelid fallenP
And closed by those who mourn a friend in vainP
Not thankful that his troubles are no moreD3
And me altho' his fire is on my faceV
Blinding he sees not nor at all can tellX2
Whether I mean this day to end myselfH3
Or lend an ear to Plato where he saysV
That men like soldiers may not quit the postL2
Allotted by the Gods But he that holdsV
The Gods are careless wherefore need he careD3
Greatly for them nor rather plunge atL2

Alfred Lord Tennyson



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