A Farewell To Tobacco Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFGBBHH IIJKLLLMMNN OOOOPPQQQ QQQQQQKK RRGGSTQQUU KKVVQQRRUUQQ WWKKSSQQXX CCKKYC YCCBBQQZZQQA2A2QQB2K TTZZFFFQQCC CCCCC2C2ZZQQ BBD2D2QQKKCCCCKKQQKK E2E2F2F2QQCC

May the Babylonish curseA
Straight confound my stammering verseA
If I can a passage seeB
In this word perplexityB
Or a fit expression findC
Or a language to my mindC
Still the phrase is wide or scantD
To take leave of thee great plantD
Or in any terms relateE
Half my love or half my hateE
For I hate yet love thee soF
That whichever thing I shewG
The plain truth will seem to beB
A constrain'd hyperboleB
And the passion to proceedH
More from a mistress than a weedH
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Sooty retainer to the vineI
Bacchus' black servant negro fineI
Sorcerer that mak'st us dote uponJ
Thy begrimed complexionK
And for thy pernicious sakeL
More and greater oaths to breakL
Than reclaimed lovers takeL
'Gainst women thou thy siege dost layM
Much too in the female wayM
While thou suck'st the lab'ring breathN
Faster than kisses or than deathN
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Thou in such a cloud dost bind usO
That our worst foes cannot find usO
And ill fortune that would thwart usO
Shoots at rovers shooting at usO
While each man thro' thy height'ning steamP
Does like a smoking Etna seemP
And all about us does expressQ
Fancy and wit in richest dressQ
A Sicilian fruitfulnessQ
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Thou through such a mist dost shew usQ
That our best friends do not know usQ
And for those allowed featuresQ
Due to reasonable creaturesQ
Liken'st us to fell ChimerasQ
Monsters that who see us fear usQ
Worse than Cerberus or GeryonK
Or who first lov'd a cloud IxionK
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Bacchus we know and we allowR
His tipsy rites But what art thouR
That but by reflex canst shewG
What his deity can doG
As the false Egyptian spellS
Aped the true Hebrew miracleT
Some few vapours thou may'st raiseQ
The weak brain may serve to amazeQ
But to the reins and nobler heartU
Canst nor life nor heat impartU
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Brother of Bacchus later bornK
The old world was sure forlornK
Wanting thee that aidest moreV
The god's victories than beforeV
All his panthers and the brawlsQ
Of his piping BacchanalsQ
These as stale we disallowR
Or judge of thee meant only thouR
His true Indian conquest artU
And for ivy round his dartU
The reformed god now weavesQ
A finer thyrsus of thy leavesQ
-
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Scent to match thy rich perfumeW
Chemic art did ne'er presumeW
Through her quaint alembic strainK
None so sov'reign to the brainK
Nature that did in thee excelS
Fram'd again no second smellS
Roses violets but toysQ
For the smaller sort of boysQ
Or for greener damsels meantX
Thou art the only manly scentX
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Stinking'st of the stinking kindC
Filth of the mouth and fog of the mindC
Africa that brags her foysonK
Breeds no such prodigious poisonK
Henbane nightshade both togetherY
Hemlock aconiteC
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Nay ratherY
Plant divine of rarest virtueC
Blisters on the tongue would hurt youC
'Twas but in a sort I blam'd theeB
None e'er prosper'd who defam'd theeB
Irony all and feign'd abuseQ
Such as perplext lovers useQ
At a need when in despairZ
To paint forth their fairest fairZ
Or in part but to expressQ
That exceeding comelinessQ
Which their fancies doth so strikeA2
They borrow language of dislikeA2
And instead of Dearest MissQ
Jewel Honey Sweetheart BlissQ
And those forms of old admiringB2
Call her Cockatrice and SirenK
Basilisk and all that's evilT
Witch Hyena Mermaid DevilT
Ethiop Wench and BlackamoorZ
Monkey Ape and twenty moreZ
Friendly Trait'ress loving FoeF
Not that she is truly soF
But no other way they knowF
A contentment to expressQ
Borders so upon excessQ
That they do not rightly wotC
Whether it be pain or notC
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Or as men constrain'd to partC
With what's nearest to their heartC
While their sorrow's at the heightC
Lose discrimination quiteC
And their hasty wrath let fallC2
To appease their frantic gallC2
On the darling thing whateverZ
Whence they feel it death to severZ
Though it be as they perforceQ
Guiltless of the sad divorceQ
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For I must nor let it grieve theeB
Friendliest of plants that I must leave theeB
For thy sake tobacco ID2
Would do any thing but dieD2
And but seek to extend my daysQ
Long enough to sing thy praiseQ
But as she who once hath beenK
A king's consort is a queenK
Ever after nor will bateC
Any tittle of her stateC
Though a widow or divorcedC
So I from thy converse forcedC
The old name and style retainK
A right Katherine of SpainK
And a seat too 'mongst the joysQ
Of the blest Tobacco BoysQ
Where though I by sour physicianK
Am debarr'd the full fruitionK
Of thy favours I may catchE2
Some collateral sweets and snatchE2
Sidelong odours that give lifeF2
Like glances from a neighbour's wifeF2
And still live in the by placesQ
And the suburbs of thy gracesQ
And in thy borders take delightC
An unconquer'd CanaaniteC

Charles Lamb



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