All Is Vanity Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCCBDDEFFCGHHGIJIJKL MDDM A NHHOPPHHQQFRRFHHHHHS SHHIHTTHIMUUMHHDDVW A XXHYYUHUHHZA2A2ZWWB2 B2HHHHC2WWC2D2D2HHHE 2E2XXHHF2G2TF2EUH2E A2 EHHEHHHHWWHHHHHHHHHI 2J2HHEEK2K2EHHHHEL2W WHHHEEM2M2HHHHFFHHB2 B2HFF L2 UDDUED2D2EJEEJJA2A2H IID2I | A |
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How vain is Life which rightly we compare | B |
To flying Posts that haste away | C |
To Plants that fade with the declining Day | C |
To Clouds that sail amidst the yielding Air | B |
Till by Extention into that they flow | D |
Or scatt'ring on the World below | D |
Are lost and gone ere we can say they were | E |
To Autumn leaves which every Wind can chace | F |
To rising Bubbles on the Waters Face | F |
To fleeting Dreams that will not stay | C |
Nor in th' abused Fancy dance | G |
When the returning Rays of Light | H |
Resuming their alternate Right | H |
Break on th' ill order'd Scene on the fantastick Trance | G |
As weak is Man whilst Tenant to the Earth | I |
As frail and as uncertain all his Ways | J |
From the first moment of his weeping Birth | I |
Down to the last and best of his few restless Days | J |
When to the Land of Darkness he retires | K |
From disappointed Hopes and frustrated Desires | L |
Reaping no other Fruit of all his Pain | M |
Bestow'd whilst in the vale of Tears below | D |
But this unhappy Truth at last to know | D |
That Vanity's our Lot and all Mankind is Vain | M |
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II | A |
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If past the hazard of his tendrest Years | N |
Neither in thoughtless Sleep opprest | H |
Nor poison'd with a tainted Breast | H |
Loos'd from the infant Bands and female Cares | O |
A studious Boy advanc'd beyond his Age | P |
Wastes the dim Lamp and turns the restless Page | P |
For some lov'd Book prevents the rising Day | H |
And on it stoln aside bestows the Hours of Play | H |
Him the observing Master do's design | Q |
For search of darkned Truths and Mysteries Divine | Q |
Bids him with unremitted Labour trace | F |
The Rise of Empires and their various Fates | R |
The several Tyrants o'er the several States | R |
To Babel's lofty Towers and warlike Nimrod's Race | F |
Bids him in Paradice the Bank survey | H |
Where Man new moulded from the temper'd Clay | H |
Till fir'd with Breath Divine a helpless Figure lay | H |
Could he be led thus far What were the Boast | H |
What the Reward of all the Toil it cost | H |
What from that Land of ever blooming Spring | S |
For our Instruction could he bring | S |
Unless that having Humane Nature found | H |
Unseparated from its Parent Ground | H |
Howe'er we vaunt our Elevated Birth | I |
The Epicure in soft Array | H |
The lothsome Beggar that before | T |
His rude unhospitable Door | T |
Unpity'd but by Brutes a broken Carcass lay | H |
Were both alike deriv'd from the same common Earth | I |
But ere the Child can to these Heights attain | M |
Ere he can in the Learned Sphere arise | U |
A guilding Star attracting to the Skies | U |
A fever seizing the o'er labour'd Brain | M |
Sends him perhaps to Death's concealing Shade | H |
Where in the Marble Tomb now silent laid | H |
He better do's that useful Doctrine show | D |
Which all the sad Assistants ought to know | D |
Who round the Grave his short continuance mourn | V |
That first from Dust we came and must to Dust return | W |
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III | A |
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A bolder Youth grown capable of Arms | X |
Bellona courts with her prevailing Charms | X |
Bids th' inchanting Trumpet sound | H |
Loud as Triumph soft as Love | Y |
Striking now the Poles above | Y |
Then descending from the Skies | U |
Soften every falling Note | H |
As the harmonious Lark that sings and flies | U |
When near the Earth contracts her narrow Throat | H |
And warbles on the Ground | H |
Shews the proud Steed impatient of the Check | Z |
'Gainst the loudest Terrors Proof | A2 |
Pawing the Valley with his steeled Hoof | A2 |
With Lightning arm'd his Eyes with Thunder cloth'd his Neck | Z |
Who on the th' advanced Foe the Signal giv'n | W |
Flies like a rushing Storm by mighty Whirlwinds driv'n | W |
Lays open the Records of Fame | B2 |
No glorious Deed omits no Man of mighty Name | B2 |
Their Stratagems their Tempers she'll repeat | H |
From Alexander's truly stil'd the GREAT | H |
From C sar's on the World's Imperial Seat | H |
To Turenne's Conduct and to Conde's Heat | H |
'Tis done and now th' ambitious Youth disdains | C2 |
The safe but harder Labours of the Gown | W |
The softer pleasures of the Courtly Town | W |
The once lov'd rural Sports and Chaces on the Plains | C2 |
Does with the Soldier's Life the Garb assume | D2 |
The gold Embroid'ries and the graceful Plume | D2 |
Walks haughty in a Coat of Scarlet Die | H |
A Colour well contriv'd to cheat the Eye | H |
Where richer Blood alas may undistinguisht lye | H |
And oh too near that wretched Fate attends | E2 |
Hear it ye Parents all ye weeping Friends | E2 |
Thou fonder Maid won by these gaudy Charms | X |
The destin'd Prize of his Victorious Arms | X |
Now fainting Dye upon the mournful Sound | H |
That speaks his hasty Death and paints the fatal Wound | H |
Trail all your Pikes dispirit every Drum | F2 |
March in a slow Procession from afar | G2 |
Ye silent ye dejected Men of War | T |
Be still the Hautboys and the Flute be dumb | F2 |
Display no more in vain the lofty Banner | E |
For see where on the Bier before ye lies | U |
The pale the fall'n th' untimely Sacrifice | H2 |
To your mistaken Shrine to your false Idol Honour | E |
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IV | A2 |
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As Vain is Beauty and as short her Power | E |
Tho' in its proud and transitory Sway | H |
The coldest Hearts and wisest Heads obey | H |
That gay fantastick Tyrant of an Hour | E |
On Beauty's Charms altho' a Father's Right | H |
Tho' grave Seleucus to thy Royal Side | H |
By holy Vows fair Stratonice be ty'd | H |
With anxious Joy with dangerous Delight | H |
Too often gazes thy unwary Son | W |
Till past all Hopes expiring and undone | W |
A speaking Pulse the secret Cause impart | H |
The only time when the Physician's Art | H |
Could ease that lab'ring Grief or heal a Lover's Smart | H |
See Great Antonius now impatient stand | H |
Expecting with mistaken Pride | H |
On Cydnus crowded Shore on Cydnus fatal Strand | H |
A Queen at his Tribunal to be try'd | H |
A Queen that arm'd in Beauty shall deride | H |
His feeble Rage and his whole Fate command | H |
O'er the still Waves her burnisht Galley moves | I2 |
Row'd by the Graces whilst officious Loves | J2 |
To silken Cords their busie Hands apply | H |
Or gathering all the gentle Gales that fly | H |
To their fair Mistress with these Spoils repair | E |
And from their purple Wings disperse the balmy Air | E |
Hov'ring Perfumes ascend in od'rous Clouds | K2 |
Curl o'er the Barque and play among the Shrouds | K2 |
Whilst gently dashing every Silver Oar | E |
Guided by the Rules of Art | H |
With tuneful Instruments design'd | H |
To soften and subdue the stubborn Mind | H |
A strangely pleasing and harmonious Part | H |
In equal Measures bore | E |
Like a new Venus on her native Sea | L2 |
In midst of the transporting Scene | W |
Which Pen or Pencil imitates in vain | W |
On a resplendent and conspicuous Bed | H |
With all the Pride of Persia loosely spread | H |
The lovely Syrene lay | H |
Which but discern'd from the yet distant Shore | E |
Th' amazed Emperor could hate no more | E |
No more a baffled Vengeance could pursue | M2 |
But yielding still still as she nearer drew | M2 |
When Cleopatra anchor'd in the Bay | H |
Where every Charm cou'd all its Force display | H |
Like his own Statue stood and gaz'd the World away | H |
Where ends alas this Pageantry and State | H |
Where end the Triumphs of this conqu'ring Face | F |
Envy'd of Roman Wives and all the Female Race | F |
Oh swift Vicissitude of Beauty's Fate | H |
Now in her Tomb withdrawn from publick Sight | H |
From near Captivity and Shame | B2 |
The vanquish'd the abandon'd Dame | B2 |
Proffers the Arm that held another's Right | H |
To the destructive Snake's more just Embrace | F |
And courts deforming Death to mend his Leaden Pace | F |
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V | L2 |
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But Wit shall last the vaunting Poet cries | U |
Th' immortal Streams that from Parnassus flow | D |
Shall make his never fading Lawrels grow | D |
Above this mouldring Earth to flourish in the Skies | U |
'And when his Body falls in Funeral Fire | E |
When late revolving Ages shall consume | D2 |
The very Pillars that support his Tomb | D2 |
'His name shall live and his best Part aspire | E |
Deluded Wretch grasping at future Praise | J |
Now planting with mistaken Care | E |
Round thy enchanted Palace in the Air | E |
A Grove which in thy Fancy time shall raise | J |
A Grove of soaring Palms and everlasting Bays | J |
Could'st Thou alas to such Reknown arrive | A2 |
As thy Imagination wou'd contrive | A2 |
Should numerous Cities in a vain contest | H |
Struggle for thy famous Birth | I |
Should the sole Monarch of the conquer'd Earth | I |
His wreathed Head upon thy Volume | D2 |
Anne Kingsmill Finch
(1)
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