First Anniversary Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCD EEFFGG HHIIJKLLMMNNOPQQRSTT AAUUVVAAWWAA AAXX YYYYAAYY YYAAYYZZAA YYA2A2B2B2AA C2C2YYYYAAYYQQ D2D2YYYYYYAAE2E2 YYF2FXXMMYYAAYYFFYY YYG2G2H2H2YY YYI2I2J2J2 B2B2K2K2YYYYYYAAL2L2 YYYYYYM2M2YYAAYY N2N2AAYYO2O2YYYYAAK2 K2 D2YLike the vain curlings of the watery maze | A |
Which in smooth streams a sinking weight does raise | A |
So Man declining always disappears | B |
In the weak circles of increasing years | B |
And his short tumults of themselves compose | C |
While flowing Time above his head does close | D |
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Cromwell alone with greater vigour runs | E |
Sun like the stages of succeeding suns | E |
And still the day which he doth next restore | F |
Is the just wonder of the day before | F |
Cromwell alone doth with new lustre spring | G |
And shines the jewel of the yearly ring | G |
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'Tis he the force of scattered time contracts | H |
And in one year the work of ages acts | H |
While heavy monarchs make a wide return | I |
Longer and more malignant than Saturn | I |
And though they all Platonic years should reign | J |
In the same posture would be found again | K |
Their earthy projects under ground they lay | L |
More slow and brittle than the China clay | L |
Well may they strive to leave them to their son | M |
For one thing never was by one king done | M |
Yet some more active for a frontier town | N |
Taken by proxy beg a false renown | N |
Another triumphs at the public cost | O |
And will have won if he no more have lost | P |
They fight by others but in person wrong | Q |
And only are against their subjects strong | Q |
Their other wars seem but a feigned cont st | R |
This common enemy is still oppressed | S |
If conquerors on them they turn their might | T |
If conquered on them they wreak their spite | T |
They neither build the temple in their days | A |
Nor matter for succeeding founders raise | A |
Nor sacred prophecies consult within | U |
Much less themself to p fect them begin | U |
No other care they bear of things above | V |
But with astrologers divine of Jove | V |
To know how long their planet yet reprieves | A |
From the deserv d fate their guilty lives | A |
Thus image like an useless time they tell | W |
And with vain sceptre strike the hourly bell | W |
Nor more contribute to the state of things | A |
Than wooden heads unto the viol's strings | A |
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While indefatigable Cromwell hies | A |
And cuts his way still nearer to the skies | A |
Learning a music in the region clear | X |
To tune this lower to that higher sphere | X |
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So when Amphion did the lute command | Y |
Which the god gave him with his gentle hand | Y |
The rougher stones unto his measures hewed | Y |
Danced up in order from the quarries rude | Y |
This took a lower that an higher place | A |
As he the treble altered or the bass | A |
No note he struck but a new stone was laid | Y |
And the great work ascended while he played | Y |
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The listening structures he with wonder eyed | Y |
And still new stops to various time applied | Y |
Now through the strings a martial rage he throws | A |
And joining straight the Theban tower arose | A |
Then as he strokes them with a touch more sweet | Y |
The flocking marbles in a palace meet | Y |
But for the most the graver notes did try | Z |
Therefore the temples reared their columns high | Z |
Thus ere he ceased his sacred lute creates | A |
Th' harmonious city of the seven gates | A |
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Such was that wondrous order and consent | Y |
When Cromwell tuned the ruling Instrument | Y |
While tedious statesmen many years did hack | A2 |
Framing a liberty that still went back | A2 |
Whose numerous gorge could swallow in an hour | B2 |
That island which the sea cannot devour | B2 |
Then our Amphion issued out and sings | A |
And once he struck and twice the powerful strings | A |
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The Commonwealth then first together came | C2 |
And each one entered in the willing frame | C2 |
All other matter yields and may be ruled | Y |
But who the minds of stubborn men can build | Y |
No quarry bears a stone so hardly wrought | Y |
Nor with such labour from its centre brought | Y |
None to be sunk in the foundation bends | A |
Each in the house the highest place contends | A |
And each the hand that lays him will direct | Y |
And some fall back upon the architect | Y |
Yet all composed by his attractive song | Q |
Into the animated city throng | Q |
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The Commonwealth does through their centres all | D2 |
Draw the circumference of the public wall | D2 |
The crossest spirits here do take their part | Y |
Fastening the contignation which they thwart | Y |
And they whose nature leads them to divide | Y |
Uphold this one and that the other side | Y |
But the most equal still sustain the height | Y |
And they as pillars keep the work upright | Y |
While the resistance of oppos d minds | A |
The fabric as with arches stronger binds | A |
Which on the basis of a senate free | E2 |
Knit by the roof's protecting weight agree | E2 |
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When for his foot he thus a place had found | Y |
He hurls e'er since the world about him round | Y |
And in his several aspects like a star | F2 |
Here shines in peace and thither shoots in war | F |
While by his beams observing princes steer | X |
And wisely court the influence they fear | X |
O would they rather by his pattern won | M |
Kiss the approaching not yet angry Son | M |
And in their numbered footsteps humbly tread | Y |
The path where holy oracles do lead | Y |
How might they under such a captain raise | A |
The great designs kept for the latter days | A |
But mad with reason so miscalled of state | Y |
They know them not and what they know not hate | Y |
Hence still they sing hosanna to the whore | F |
And her whom they should massacre adore | F |
But Indians whom they would convert subdue | Y |
Nor teach but traffic with or burn the Jew | Y |
- | |
Unhappy princes ignorantly bred | Y |
By malice some by error more misled | Y |
If gracious heaven to my life give length | G2 |
Leisure to time and to my weaknes strength | G2 |
Then shall I once with graver accents shake | H2 |
Your regal sloth and your long slumbers wake | H2 |
Like the shrill huntsman that prevents the east | Y |
Winding his horn to kings that chase the beast | Y |
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Till then my muse shall hollo far behind | Y |
Angelic Cromwell who outwings the wind | Y |
And in dark nights and in cold days alone | I2 |
Pursues the monster through every throne | I2 |
Which shrinking to her Roman den impure | J2 |
Gnashes her gory teeth nor there secure | J2 |
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Hence oft I think if in some happy hour | B2 |
High grace should meet in one with highest power | B2 |
And then a seasonable people still | K2 |
Should bend to his as he to heaven's will | K2 |
What we might hope what wonderful effect | Y |
From such a wished conjuncture might reflect | Y |
Sure the mysterious work where none withstand | Y |
Would forthwith finish under such a hand | Y |
Foreshortened time its useless course would stay | Y |
And soon precipitate the latest day | Y |
But a thick cloud about that morning lies | A |
And intercepts the beams of mortal eyes | A |
That 'tis the most which we determine can | L2 |
If these the times then this must be the man | L2 |
And well he therefore does and well has guessed | Y |
Who in his age has always forward pressed | Y |
And knowing not where heaven's choice may light | Y |
Girds yet his sword and ready stand to fight | Y |
But men alas as if they nothing cared | Y |
Look on all unconcerned or unprepared | Y |
And stars still fall and still the dragon's tail | M2 |
Swinges the volumes of its horrid flail | M2 |
For the great justice that did first suspend | Y |
The world by sin does by the same extend | Y |
Hence that blest day still counterpos d wastes | A |
The ill delaying what the elected hastes | A |
Hence landing nature to new seas is tossed | Y |
And good designs still with their authors lost | Y |
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And thou great Cromwell for whose happy birth | N2 |
A mould was chosen out of better earth | N2 |
Whose saint like mother we did lately see | A |
Live out an age long as a pedigree | A |
That she might seem could we the Fall dispute | Y |
T' have smelled the blossom and not eat the fruit | Y |
Though none does of more lasting parents grow | O2 |
Yet never any did them honour so | O2 |
Though thou thine heart from evil still unstained | Y |
And always hast thy tongue from fraud refrained | Y |
Thou who so oft through storms of thundering lead | Y |
Hast born securely thine undaunted head | Y |
Thy breast through poniarding conspiracies | A |
Drawn from the sheath of lying prophecies | A |
Thee proof behond all other force or skill | K2 |
Our sins endanger and shall one day kill | K2 |
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How near they failed and in thy sudden fall | D2 |
At once assayed | Y |
Andrew Marvell
(1)
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