The Prophecy Of Famine Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B CCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJIIKK IILLIIMMNOPQIIRRSSTT UUVVWWEJXXIIXYZZIIII A2A2IIVVAAIIB2B2IIA2 A2C2C2IID2D2IITTE2E2 F2F2IIQPIIB2B2VVWWII G2G2H2H2MMA2A2III2I2 VVJ2J2K2K2 L2L2M2M2VVN2N2J2J2O2 O2P2P2IILLQ2Q2IIR2R2 L2L2S2S2N2N2EEEEVVC2 C2TTT2T2U2U2IIN2N2II H2H2F2F2V2

A SCOTS PASTORAL INSCRIBED TO JOHN WILKES ESQA
-
Nos patriam fugimus VIRGILB
-
When Cupid first instructs his darts to flyC
From the sly corner of some cook maid's eyeC
The stripling raw just enter'd in his teensD
Receives the wound and wonders what it meansD
His heart like dripping melts and new desireE
Within him stirs each time she stirs the fireE
Trembling and blushing he the fair one viewsF
And fain would speak but can't without a MuseF
So to the sacred mount he takes his wayG
Prunes his young wings and tunes his infant layG
His oaten reed to rural ditties framesH
To flocks and rocks to hills and rills proclaimsH
In simplest notes and all unpolish'd strainsI
The loves of nymphs and eke the loves of swainsI
Clad as your nymphs were always clad of yoreJ
In rustic weeds a cook maid now no moreJ
Beneath an aged oak Lardella liesI
Green moss her couch her canopy the skiesI
From aromatic shrubs the roguish galeK
Steals young perfumes and wafts them through the valeK
The youth turn'd swain and skill'd in rustic laysI
Fast by her side his amorous descant playsI
Herds low flocks bleat pies chatter ravens screamL
And the full chorus dies a down the streamL
The streams with music freighted as they passI
Present the fair Lardella with a glassI
And Zephyr to complete the love sick planM
Waves his light wings and serves her for a fanM
But when maturer Judgment takes the leadN
These childish toys on Reason's altar bleedO
Form'd after some great man whose name breeds aweP
Whose every sentence Fashion makes a lawQ
Who on mere credit his vain trophies rearsI
And founds his merit on our servile fearsI
Then we discard the workings of the heartR
And nature's banish'd by mechanic artR
Then deeply read our reading must be shownS
Vain is that knowledge which remains unknownS
Then Ostentation marches to our aidT
And letter'd Pride stalks forth in full paradeT
Beneath their care behold the work refineU
Pointed each sentence polish'd every lineU
Trifles are dignified and taught to wearV
The robes of ancients with a modern airV
Nonsense with classic ornaments is gracedW
And passes current with the stamp of tasteW
Then the rude Theocrite is ransack'd o'erE
And courtly Maro call'd from Mincio's shoreJ
Sicilian Muses on our mountains roamX
Easy and free as if they were at homeX
Nymphs naiads nereids dryads satyrs faunsI
Sport in our floods and trip it o'er our lawnsI
Flowers which once flourish'd fair in Greece and RomeX
More fair revive in England's meads to bloomY
Skies without cloud exotic suns adornZ
And roses blush but blush without a thornZ
Landscapes unknown to dowdy Nature riseI
And new creations strike our wondering eyesI
For bards like these who neither sing nor sayI
Grave without thought and without feeling gayI
Whose numbers in one even tenor flowA2
Attuned to pleasure and attuned to woeA2
Who if plain Common Sense her visit paysI
And mars one couplet in their happy laysI
As at some ghost affrighted start and stareV
And ask the meaning of her coming thereV
For bards like these a wreath shall Mason bringA
Lined with the softest down of Folly's wingA
In Love's pagoda shall they ever dozeI
And Gisbal kindly rock them to reposeI
My Lord to letters as to faith most trueB2
At once their patron and example tooB2
Shall quaintly fashion his love labour'd dreamsI
Sigh with sad winds and weep with weeping streamsI
Curious in grief for real grief we knowA2
Is curious to dress up the tale of woeA2
From the green umbrage of some Druid's seatC2
Shall his own works in his own way repeatC2
Me whom no Muse of heavenly birth inspiresI
No judgment tempers when rash genius firesI
Who boast no merit but mere knack of rhymeD2
Short gleams of sense and satire out of timeD2
Who cannot follow where trim fancy leadsI
By prattling streams o'er flower empurpled meadsI
Who often but without success have pray'dT
For apt Alliteration's artful aidT
Who would but cannot with a master's skillE2
Coin fine new epithets which mean no illE2
Me thus uncouth thus every way unfitF2
For pacing poesy and ambling witF2
Taste with contempt beholds nor deigns to placeI
Amongst the lowest of her favour'd raceI
Thou Nature art my goddess to thy lawQ
Myself I dedicate Hence slavish aweP
Which bends to fashion and obeys the rulesI
Imposed at first and since observed by foolsI
Hence those vile tricks which mar fair Nature's hueB2
And bring the sober matron forth to viewB2
With all that artificial tawdry glareV
Which virtue scorns and none but strumpets wearV
Sick of those pomps those vanities that wasteW
Of toil which critics now mistake for tasteW
Of false refinements sick and labour'd easeI
Which art too thinly veil'd forbids to pleaseI
By Nature's charms inglorious truth subduedG2
However plain her dress and 'haviour rudeG2
To northern climes my happier course I steerH2
Climes where the goddess reigns throughout the yearH2
Where undisturb'd by Art's rebellious planM
She rules the loyal laird and faithful clanM
To that rare soil where virtues clustering growA2
What mighty blessings doth not England oweA2
What waggon loads of courage wealth and senseI
Doth each revolving day import from thenceI
To us she gives disinterested friendI2
Faith without fraud and Stuarts without endI2
When we prosperity's rich trappings wearV
Come not her generous sons and take a shareV
And if by some disastrous turn of fateJ2
Change should ensue and ruin seize the stateJ2
Shall we not find safe in that hallow'd groundK2
Such refuge as the holy martyr foundK2
-
Nor less our debt in science though deniedL2
By the weak slaves of prejudice and prideL2
Thence came the Ramsays names of worthy noteM2
Of whom one paints as well as t'other wroteM2
Thence Home disbanded from the sons of prayerV
For loving plays though no dull Dean was thereV
Thence issued forth at great Macpherson's callN2
That old new epic pastoral FingalN2
Thence Malloch friend alike to Church and StateJ2
Of Christ and Liberty by grateful FateJ2
Raised to rewards which in a pious reignO2
All daring infidels should seek in vainO2
Thence simple bards by simple prudence taughtP2
To this wise town by simple patrons broughtP2
In simple manner utter simple laysI
And take with simple pensions simple praiseI
Waft me some Muse to Tweed's inspiring streamL
Where all the little Loves and Graces dreamL
Where slowly winding the dull waters creepQ2
And seem themselves to own the power of sleepQ2
Where on the surface lead like feathers swimsI
There let me bathe my yet unhallow'd limbsI
As once a Syrian bathed in Jordan's floodR2
Wash off my native stains correct that bloodR2
Which mutinies at call of English prideL2
And deaf to prudence rolls a patriot tideL2
From solemn thought which overhangs the browS2
Of patriot care when things are God knows howS2
From nice trim points where Honour slave to RuleN2
In compliment to Folly plays the foolN2
From those gay scenes where Mirth exalts his powerE
And easy Humour wings the laughing hourE
From those soft better moments when desireE
Beats high and all the world of man's on fireE
When mutual ardours of the melting fairV
More than repay us for whole years of careV
At Friendship's summons will my Wilkes retreatC2
And see once seen before that ancient seatC2
That ancient seat where majesty display'dT
Her ensigns long before the world was madeT
Mean narrow maxims which enslave mankindT2
Ne'er from its bias warp thy settled mindT2
Not duped by party nor opinion's slaveU2
Those faculties which bounteous nature gaveU2
Thy honest spirit into practice bringsI
Nor courts the smile nor dreads the frown of kingsI
Let rude licentious Englishmen complyN2
With tumult's voice and curse they know not whyN2
Unwilling to condemn thy soul disdainsI
To wear vile faction's arbitrary chainsI
And strictly weighs in apprehension clearH2
Things as they are and not as they appearH2
With thee good humour tempers lively witF2
Enthroned with Judgment Candour loves to sitF2
And nature gave thee opV2

Charles Churchill



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Prophecy Of Famine poem by Charles Churchill


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 5 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets