Epode Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDEEEFFGGEEHIFF FFFFJJJJEEKLJJMMNNOP NNKLQQRSJJJJEEJJJJNN JJNNNNGGJJJJTTNNEEPP EEJJJJFFJJKKEEJJNNEE NNJJPPJJPPEEJJNNNot to know vice at all and keepe true state | A |
Is vertue and not Fate | A |
Next to that vertue is to know vice well | B |
And her black spight expell | B |
Which to effect since no brest is so sure | C |
Or safe but shee'll procure | C |
Some way of entrance we must plant a guard | D |
Of thoughts to watch and ward | E |
At th'eye and eare the ports unto the minde | E |
That no strange or unkinde | E |
Object arrive there but the heart our spie | F |
Give knowledge instantly | F |
To wakefull Reason our affections king | G |
Who in th'examining | G |
Will quickly taste the reason and commit | E |
Close the close cause of it | E |
'Tis the securest policie we have | H |
To make our sense our slave | I |
But this true course is not embrac'd by many | F |
By many scarce by any | F |
For either our affections doe rebell | F |
Or else the sentinell | F |
That should ring larum to the heart doth sleepe | F |
Or some great thought doth keepe | F |
Back the intelligence and falsely sweares | J |
Th'are base and idle feares | J |
Whereof the loyall conscience so complaines | J |
Thus by these subtill traines | J |
Doe severall passions invade the minde | E |
And strike our reason blinde | E |
Of which usurping ranck some have thought Love | K |
The first as prone to move | L |
Most frequent tumults horrors and unrests | J |
In our enflamed brests | J |
But this doth from the cloud of error grow | M |
Which thus we over blow | M |
The thing they here call Love is blinde Desire | N |
Arm'd with bow shafts and fire | N |
Inconstant like the sea of whence 'tis borne | O |
Rough swelling like a storme | P |
With whom who sailes rides on the surge of feare | N |
And boyles as if he were | N |
In a continuall tempest Now true Love | K |
No such effects doth prove | L |
That is an essence farre more gentle fine | Q |
Pure perfect nay divine | Q |
It is a golden chaine let downe from heaven | R |
Whose linkes are bright and even | S |
That falls like sleepe on Lovers and combines | J |
The soft and sweetest mindes | J |
In equall knots This beares no brands nor darts | J |
To murther different hearts | J |
But in a calme and god like unitie | E |
Preserves communitie | E |
O who is he that in this peace enjoyes | J |
Th Elixir of all joyes | J |
A forme more fresh than are the Eden bowers | J |
And lasting as her flowers | J |
Richer than Time and as Time's vertue rare | N |
Sober as saddest care | N |
A fixed thought an eye un taught to glance | J |
Who blest with such high chance | J |
Would at suggestion of a steep desire | N |
Cast himselfe from the spire | N |
Of all his happinesse But soft I heare | N |
Some vicious foole draw neare | N |
That cryes we dream and swears there's no such thing | G |
As this chaste love we sing | G |
Peace luxury thou art like one of those | J |
Who being at sea suppose | J |
Because they move the Continent doth so | J |
No vice we let thee know | J |
Though thy wild thoughts with sparrows wings do flye | T |
Turtles can chastly dye | T |
And yet in this t'expresse our selves more cleare | N |
We do not number here | N |
Such Spirits as are only continent | E |
Because lust's meanes are spent | E |
Or those who doubt the common mouth of fame | P |
And for their place and name | P |
Cannot so safely sinne Their chastity | E |
Is meere necessity | E |
Nor meane we those whom Vowes and conscience | J |
Have fill'd with abstinence | J |
Though we acknowledge who can so abstayne | J |
Makes a most blessed gaine | J |
He that for love of goodnesse hateth ill | F |
Is more crowne worthy still | F |
Than he which for sins penalty forbeares | J |
His heart sins though he feares | J |
But we propose a person like our Dove | K |
Grac'd with a Phoenix love | K |
A beauty of that cleare and sparkling light | E |
Would make a day of night | E |
And turne the blackest sorrowes to bright joyes | J |
Whose od'rous breath destroyes | J |
All taste of bitternesse and makes the ayre | N |
As sweet as she is faire | N |
A body so harmoniously compos'd | E |
As if Nature disclos'd | E |
All her best symmetrie in that one feature | N |
O so divine a creature | N |
Who could be false to chiefly when he knowes | J |
How only she bestowes | J |
The wealthy treasure of her love on him | P |
Making his fortunes swim | P |
In the full flood of her admir'd perfection | J |
What savage brute affection | J |
Would not be fearefull to offend a dame | P |
Of this excelling frame | P |
Much more a noble and right generous mind | E |
To vertuous moods inclin'd | E |
That knowes the weight of guilt He will refraine | J |
From thoughts of such a straine | J |
And to his sense object this sentence ever | N |
Man may securely sinne but safely never | N |
Ben Jonson
(1)
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