Blake's Victory Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AB CCDDEFGHFFIIJJKKLLMM NNOOPPQQRRSSQQTTMM RRUUBBRRVVSSRRRRCCTT FFFEWWVX YYQQZZA2N B2EC2C2NN RRD2D2E2E2BB F2FVV RRG2G2H2I2J2J2K2K2YY C2C2NNL2L2Q RRRRM2M2 MMC2C2N2N2 O2O2QQB2P2Q2R2QQEFMM QQRR RRSSRR RRWW BBKKRRS2T2 P2B2RRO2O2RR| On The Victory Obtained By Blake Over The Spaniards | A |
| In The Bay Of Santa Cruz In The Island Of Tenerife | B |
| - | |
| - | |
| Now does Spain's fleet her spacious wings unfold | C |
| Leaves the New World and hastens for the old | C |
| But though the wind was fair they slowly swum | D |
| Freighted with acted guilt and guilt to come | D |
| For this rich load of which so proud they are | E |
| Was raised by tyranny and raised for war | F |
| Every capacious gallion's womb was filled | G |
| With what the womb of wealthy kingdoms yield | H |
| The New World's wounded entrails they had tore | F |
| For wealth wherewith to wound the Old once more | F |
| Wealth which all others' avarice might cloy | I |
| But yet in them caused as much fear as joy | I |
| For now upon the main themselves they saw | J |
| That boundless empire where you give the law | J |
| Of winds' and waters' rage they fearful be | K |
| But much more fearful are your flags to see | K |
| Day that to those who sail upon the deep | L |
| More wished for and more welcome is than sleep | L |
| They dreaded to behold lest the sun's light | M |
| With English streamers should salute their sight | M |
| In thickest darkness they would choose to steer | N |
| So that such darkness might suppress their fear | N |
| At length theirs vanishes and fortune smiles | O |
| For they behold the sweet Canary Isles | O |
| One of which doubtless is by Nature blessed | P |
| Above both Worlds since 'tis above the rest | P |
| For lest some gloominess might strain her sky | Q |
| Trees there the duty of the clouds supply | Q |
| O noble trust which heav'n on this isle pours | R |
| Fertile to be yet never need her show'rs | R |
| A happy people which at once do gain | S |
| The benefits without the ills of rain | S |
| Both health and profit fate cannot deny | Q |
| Where still the earth is moist the air still dry | Q |
| The jarring elements no discord know | T |
| Fuel and rain together kindly grow | T |
| And coolness there with heat doth never fight | M |
| This only rules by day and that by night | M |
| - | |
| Your worth to all these isles a just right brings | R |
| The best of lands should have the best of kings | R |
| And these want nothing heaven can afford | U |
| Unless it be the having you their Lord | U |
| But this great want will not a long one prove | B |
| Your conquering sword will soon that want remove | B |
| For Spain had better she'll ere long confess | R |
| Have broken all her swords than this one peace | R |
| Casting that legue off which she held so long | V |
| She cast off that which only made her strong | V |
| Forces and art she soon will feel are vain | S |
| Peace against you was the sole strength of Spain | S |
| By that alone those islands she secures | R |
| Peace made them hers but war will make them yours | R |
| There the indulgent soil that rich grape breeds | R |
| Which of the gods the fancied drink exceeds | R |
| They still do yield such is their precious mould | C |
| All that is good and are not cursed with gold | C |
| With fatal gold for still where that does grow | T |
| Neither the soil not people quiet know | T |
| Which troubles men to raise it when 'tis ore | F |
| And when 'tis raised does trouble them much more | F |
| Ah why was thither brought that cause of war | F |
| Kind Nature had from thence removed so far | E |
| In vain doth she those islands free from ill | W |
| If fortune can make guilty what she will | W |
| But whilst I draw that scene where you ere long | V |
| Shall conquests act your present are unsung | X |
| - | |
| For Santa Cruz the glad fleet makes her way | Y |
| And safely there casts anchor in the bay | Y |
| Never so many with one joyful cry | Q |
| That place saluted where they all must die | Q |
| Deluded men Fate with you did but sport | Z |
| You 'scaped the sea to perish in your port | Z |
| 'Twas more for England's fame you should die there | A2 |
| Where you had most of strength and least of fear | N |
| - | |
| The Peak's proud height the Spaniards all admire | B2 |
| Yet in their breasts carry a pride much high'r | E |
| Only to this vast hill a power is given | C2 |
| At once both to inhabit earth and heaven | C2 |
| But this stupendous prospect did not near | N |
| Make them admire so much as they did fear | N |
| - | |
| For here they met with news which did produce | R |
| A grief above the cure of grapes' best juice | R |
| They learned with terror that nor summer's heat | D2 |
| Nor winter's storms had made your fleet retreat | D2 |
| To fight against such foes was vain they knew | E2 |
| Which did the rage of elements subdue | E2 |
| Who on the ocean that does horror give | B |
| To all besides triumphantly do live | B |
| - | |
| With haste they therefore all their gallions moor | F2 |
| And flank with cannon from the neighbouring shore | F |
| Forts lines and scones all the bay along | V |
| They build and act all that can make them strong | V |
| - | |
| Fond men who know not whilst such works they raise | R |
| They only labour to exalt your praise | R |
| Yet they by restless toil became at length | G2 |
| So proud and confident of their made strength | G2 |
| That they with joy their boasting general heard | H2 |
| Wish then for that assault he lately feared | I2 |
| His wish he has for now undaunted Blake | J2 |
| With wing egrave d speed for Santa Cruz does make | J2 |
| For your renown his conquering fleet does ride | K2 |
| O'er seas as vast as is the Spaniards' pride | K2 |
| Whose fleet and trenches viewed he soon did say | Y |
| 'We to their strength are more obliged than they | Y |
| Were't not for that they from their fate would run | C2 |
| And a third world seek out our arms to shun | C2 |
| Those forts which there so high and strong appear | N |
| Do not so much suppress as show their fear | N |
| Of speedy victory let no man doubt | L2 |
| Our worst work's past now we have found them out | L2 |
| Behold their navy does at anchor lie | Q |
| And they are ours for now they cannot fly ' | - |
| - | |
| This said the whole fleet gave it their applause | R |
| And all assumes your courage in your cause | R |
| That bay they enter which unto them owes | R |
| The noblest of wreaths that victory bestows | R |
| Bold Stayner leads this fleet's designed by fate | M2 |
| To give him laurel as the last did plate | M2 |
| - | |
| The thundering cannon now begins the fight | M |
| And though it be at noon creates a night | M |
| The air was soon after the fight begun | C2 |
| Far more enflamed by it than by the sun | C2 |
| Never so burning was that climate known | N2 |
| War turned the temperate to the torrid zone | N2 |
| - | |
| Fate these two fleets between both worlds had brought | O2 |
| Who fight as if for both those worlds they fought | O2 |
| Thousands of ways thousands of men there die | Q |
| Some ships are sunk some blown up in the sky | Q |
| Nature ne'er made cedars so high aspire | B2 |
| As oaks did then urged by the active fire | P2 |
| Which by quick powder's force so high was sent | Q2 |
| That it returned to its own element | R2 |
| Torn limbs some leagues into the island fly | Q |
| Whilst others lower in the sea do lie | Q |
| Scarce souls from bodies severed are so far | E |
| By death as bodies there were by the war | F |
| The all seeing sun ne'er gazed on such a sight | M |
| Two dreadful navies there at anchor fight | M |
| And neither have or power or will to fly | Q |
| There one must conquer or there both must die | Q |
| Far different motives yet engaged them thus | R |
| Necessity did them but Choice did us | R |
| - | |
| A choice which did the highest worth express | R |
| And was attended by as high success | R |
| For your resistless genius there did reign | S |
| By which we laurels reaped e'en on the main | S |
| So properous stars though absent to the sense | R |
| Bless those they shine for by their influence | R |
| - | |
| Our cannon now tears every ship and sconce | R |
| And o'er two elements triumphs at once | R |
| Their gallions sunk their wealth the sea doth fill | W |
| The only place where it can cause no ill | W |
| - | |
| Ah would those treasures which both Indies have | B |
| Were buried in as large and deep a grave | B |
| Wars' chief support with them would buried be | K |
| And the land owe her peace unto the sea | K |
| Ages to come your conquering arms will bless | R |
| There they destroy what had destroyed their peace | R |
| And in one war the present age may boast | S2 |
| The certain seeds of many wars are lost | T2 |
| - | |
| All the foe's ships destroyed by sea or fire | P2 |
| Victorious Blake does from the bay retire | B2 |
| His siege of Spain he then again pursues | R |
| And there first brings of his success the news | R |
| The saddest news that e'er to Spain was brought | O2 |
| Their rich fleet sunk and ours with laurel fraught | O2 |
| Whilst fame in every place her trumpet blows | R |
| And tells the world how much to you it owes | R |
Andrew Marvell
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Blake's Victory poem by Andrew Marvell
Best Poems of Andrew Marvell