The Poor Man's Lamb Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAAAAAAABBCCDEFGAAAA HIJJKKLLMMNO PPQR AAAIISSS TUVVWWAAGEEXXAAUUAAY YAAZA2B2C2AAD2D2E2E2 AAAA AAF2G2UUUH2H2I2I2J2K AAK2K2KKL2L2 AAUUU M2M2UNKKAACCCKKKKKKA AKAN2N2N2O2O2AA AAKKKKAAM2M2CCKKVVP2 P2 AAKKQ2Q2KK UUKKR2R2R2 S2T2NOW spent the alter'd King in am'rous Cares | A |
The Hours of sacred Hymns and solemn Pray'rs | A |
In vain the Alter waits his slow returns | A |
Where unattended Incense faintly burns | A |
In vain the whisp'ring Priests their Fears express | A |
And of the Change a thousand Causes guess | A |
Heedless of all their Censures He retires | A |
And in his Palace feeds his secret Fires | A |
Impatient till from Rabbah Tydings tell | B |
That near those Walls the poor Uriah fell | B |
Led to the Onset by a Chosen Few | C |
Who at the treacherous Signal soon withdrew | C |
Nor to his Rescue e'er return'd again | D |
Till by fierce Ammon's Sword they saw the Victim slain | E |
'Tis pass'd 'tis done the holy Marriage Knot | F |
Too strong to be unty'd at last is cut | G |
And now to Bathsheba the King declares | A |
That with his Heart the Kingdom too is hers | A |
That Israel's Throne and longing Monarch's Arms | A |
Are to be fill'd but with her widow'd Charms | A |
Nor must the Days of formal Tears exceed | H |
To cross the Living and abuse the Dead | I |
This she denies and signs of Grief are worn | J |
But mourns no more than may her Face adorn | J |
Give to those Eyes which Love and Empire fir'd | K |
A melting Softness more to be desir'd | K |
Till the fixt Time tho' hard to be endur'd | L |
Was pass'd and a sad Consort's Name procur'd | L |
When with the Pomp that suits a Prince's Thought | M |
By Passion sway'd and glorious Woman taught | M |
A Queen she's made than Michal seated higher | N |
Whilst light unusual Airs prophane the hallow'd Lyre | O |
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Where art thou Nathan where's that Spirit now | P |
Giv'n to brave Vice tho' on a Prince's Brow | P |
In what low Cave or on what Desert Coast | Q |
Now Virtue wants it is thy Presence lost | R |
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But lo he comes the Rev'rend Bard appears | A |
Defil'd with Dust his awful silver Hairs | A |
And his rough Garment wet with falling Tears | A |
The King this mark'd and conscious wou'd have fled | I |
The healing Balm which for his Wounds was shed | I |
Till the more wary Priest the Serpents Art | S |
Join'd to the Dove like Temper of his Heart | S |
And thus retards the Prince just ready now to part | S |
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Hear me the Cause betwixt two Neighbors hear | T |
Thou who for Justice dost the Sceptre bear | U |
Help the Opprest nor let me weep alone | V |
For him that calls for Succour from the Throne | V |
Good Princes for Protection are Ador'd | W |
And Greater by the Shield than by the Sword | W |
This clears the Doubt and now no more he fears | A |
The Cause his Own and therefore stays and hears | A |
When thus the Prophet | G |
In a flow'ry Plain | E |
A King like Man does in full Plenty reign | E |
Casts round his Eyes in vain to reach the Bound | X |
Which Jordan's Flood sets to his fertile Ground | X |
Countless his Flocks whilst Lebanon contains | A |
A Herd as large kept by his numerous Swains | A |
That fill with morning Bellowings the cool Air | U |
And to the Cedar's shade at scorching Noon repair | U |
Near to this Wood a lowly Cottage stands | A |
Built by the humble Owner's painful Hands | A |
Fenc'd by a Stubble roof from Rain and Heat | Y |
Secur'd without within all Plain and Neat | Y |
A Field of small Extent surrounds the Place | A |
In which One single Ewe did sport and graze | A |
This his whole Stock till in full time there came | Z |
To bless his utmost Hopes a snowy Lamb | A2 |
Which lest the Season yet too Cold might prove | B2 |
And Northern Blasts annoy it from the Grove | C2 |
Or tow'ring Fowl on the weak Prey might sieze | A |
For with his Store his Fears must too increase | A |
He brings it Home and lays it by his Side | D2 |
At once his Wealth his Pleasure and his Pride | D2 |
Still bars the Door by Labour call'd away | E2 |
And when returning at the Close of Day | E2 |
With One small Mess himself and that sustains | A |
And half his Dish it shares and half his slender Gains | A |
When to the great Man's table now there comes | A |
A Lord as great follow'd by hungry Grooms | A |
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For these must be provided sundry Meats | A |
The best for Some for Others coarser Cates | A |
One Servant diligent above the rest | F2 |
To help his Master to contrive the Feast | G2 |
Extols the Lamb was nourished with such Care | U |
So fed so lodg'd it must be Princely Fare | U |
And having this my Lord his own may spare | U |
In haste he sends led by no Law but Will | H2 |
Not to entreat or purchase but to Kill | H2 |
The Messenger's arriv'd the harmless Spoil | I2 |
Unus'd to fly runs Bleating to the Toil | I2 |
Whilst for the Innocent the Owner fear'd | J2 |
And sure wou'd move cou'd Poverty be heard | K |
Oh spare he cries the Product of my Cares | A |
My Stock's Encrease the Blessing on my Pray'rs | A |
My growing Hope and Treasure of my Life | K2 |
More was he speaking when the murd'ring Knife | K2 |
Shew'd him his Suit tho' just must be deny'd | K |
And the white Fleece in its own Scarlet dy'd | K |
Whilst the poor helpless Wretch stands weeping by | L2 |
And lifts his Hands for Justice to the Sky | L2 |
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Which he shall find th' incensed King replies | A |
When for the proud Offence th' Oppressor dies | A |
O Nathan by the Holy Name I swear | U |
Our Land such Wrongs unpunished shall not bear | U |
If with the Fault th' Offender thou declare | U |
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To whom the Prophet closing with the Time | M2 |
Thou art the Man replies and thine th' ill natur'd Crime | M2 |
Nor think against thy Place or State I err | U |
A Pow'r above thee does this Charge prefer | N |
Urg'd by whose Spirit hither am I brought | K |
T' expostulate his Goodness and thy Fault | K |
To lead thee back to those forgotten Years | A |
In Labour spent and lowly Rustick Cares | A |
When in the Wilderness thy Flocks but few | C |
Thou didst the Shepherd's simple Art pursue | C |
Thro' crusting Frosts and penetrating Dew | C |
Till wondring Jesse saw six Brothers past | K |
And Thou Elected Thou the Least and Last | K |
A Sceptre to thy Rural Hand convey'd | K |
And in thy Bosom Royal Beauties laid | K |
A lovely Princess made thy Prize that Day | K |
When on the shaken Ground the Giant lay | K |
Stupid in Death beyond the Reach of Cries | A |
That bore thy shouted Fame to list'ning Skies | A |
And drove the flying Foe as fast away | K |
As Winds of old Locusts to Egypt's Sea | A |
Thy Heart with Love thy Temples with Renown | N2 |
Th' All giving Hand of Heav'n did largely crown | N2 |
Whilst yet thy Cheek was spread with youthful Down | N2 |
What more cou'd craving Man of God implore | O2 |
Or what for favour'd Man cou'd God do more | O2 |
Yet cou'd not These nor Israel's Throne suffice | A |
Intemp'rate Wishes drawn thro' wand'ring Eyes | A |
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One Beauty not thy own and seen by chance | A |
Melts down the Work of Grace with an alluring Glance | A |
Chafes the Spirit fed by sacred Art | K |
And blots the Title AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART | K |
Black Murder breeds to level at his Head | K |
Who boasts so fair a Part'ner of his Bed | K |
Nor longer must possess those envy'd Charms | A |
The single Treasure of his House and Arms | A |
Giving by this thy Fall cause to Blaspheme | M2 |
To all the Heathen the Almighty Name | M2 |
For which the Sword shall still thy Race pursue | C |
And in revolted Israel's scornful View | C |
Thy captiv'd Wives shall be in Triumph led | K |
Unto a bold Usurper's shameful Bed | K |
Who from thy Bowels sprung shall seize thy Throne | V |
And scourge thee by a Sin beyond thy own | V |
Thou hast thy Fault in secret Darkness done | P2 |
But this the World shall see before the Noonday's Sun | P2 |
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Enough the King enough the Saint replies | A |
And pours his swift Repentance from his Eyes | A |
Falls on the Ground and tears the Nuptial Vest | K |
By which his Crime's Completion was exprest | K |
Then with a Sigh blasting to Carnal Love | Q2 |
Drawn deep as Hell and piercing Heaven above | Q2 |
Let Me he cries let Me attend his Rod | K |
For I have sinn'd for I have lost my God | K |
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Hold says the Prophet of that Speech beware | U |
God ne'er was lost unless by Man's Despair | U |
The Wound that is thus willingly reveal'd | K |
Th' Almighty is as willing should be heal'd | K |
Thus wash'd in Tears thy Soul as fair does show | R2 |
As the first Fleece which on the Lamb does grow | R2 |
Or on the Mountain's top the lately fallen Snow | R2 |
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Yet to the World that Justice may appear | S2 |
Acting her Part imp | T2 |
Anne Kingsmill Finch
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