The Origin Of Flattery Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCCCCCDDCCEECCFG HHCCIICCBJCCKKLLMM DDNNCCMMOOPPQQRRCCCC SSDTNNTS PUVSSWWVUCCCCXXYY BBCCSSSDDPPZA2DDCCCC SSCCHHCCDDCCSSCCLB2C 2C2WHEN Jove in anger to the sons of the earth | A |
Bid artful Vulcan give Pandora birth | A |
And sent the fatal gift which spread below | B |
O'er all the wretched race contagious woe | B |
Unhappy man by vice and folly tost | C |
Found in the storms of life his quiet lost | C |
While Envy Avarice and Ambition hurl'd | C |
Discord and death around the warring world | C |
Then the blest peasant left his fields and fold | C |
And barter'd love and peace for power and gold | C |
Left his calm cottage and his native plain | D |
In search of wealth to tempt the faithless main | D |
Or braving danger in the battle stood | C |
And bathed his savage hands in human blood | C |
No longer then his woodland walks among | E |
The shepherd lad his genuine passion sung | E |
Or sought at early morn his soul's delight | C |
Or graved her name upon the bark at night | C |
To deck her flowing hair no more he wove | F |
The simple wreath or with ambitious love | G |
Bound his own brow with myrtle or with bay | H |
But broke his pipe or threw his crook away | H |
The nymphs forsaken other pleasures sought | C |
Then first for gold their venal hearts were bought | C |
And nature's blush to sickly art gave place | I |
And affectation seized the seat of grace | I |
No more simplicity by sense refined | C |
Or generous sentiment possess'd the mind | C |
No more they felt each other's joy and woe | B |
And Cupid fled and hid his useless bow | J |
But with deep grief propitious Venus pined | C |
To see the ills which threaten'd womankind | C |
Ills that she knew her empire would disarm | K |
And rob her subjects of their sweetest charm | K |
Good humour's potent influence destroy | L |
And change for lowering frowns the smile of joy | L |
Then deeply sighing at the mournful view | M |
She tried at length what heavenly art could do | M |
- | |
To bring back Pleasure to her pensive train | D |
And vindicate the glories of her reign | D |
A thousand little loves attend the task | N |
And bear from Mars's head his radiant casque | N |
The fair enchantress on its silver bound | C |
Weaved with soft spells her magic cestus round | C |
Then shaking from her hair ambrosial dew | M |
Infused fair hope and expectation new | M |
And stifled wishes and persuasive sighs | O |
And fond belief and 'eloquence of eyes | O |
And falt'ring accents which explain so well | P |
What studied speeches vainly try to tell | P |
And more pathetic silence which imparts | Q |
Infectious tenderness to feeling hearts | Q |
Soft tones of pity fascinating smiles | R |
And Maia's son assisted her with wiles | R |
And brought gay dreams fantastic visions brought | C |
And waved his wand o'er the seducing draught | C |
Then Zephyr came to him the goddess cried | C |
'Go fetch from Flora all her flowery pride | C |
To fill my charm each scented bud that blows | S |
And bind my myrtles with her thornless rose | S |
Then speed thy flight to Gallia's smiling plain | D |
Where rolls the Loire the Garonne and the Seine | T |
Dip in their waters thy celestial wing | N |
And the soft dew to fill my chalice bring | N |
But chiefly tell thy Flora that to me | T |
She send a bouquet of her fleurs de lys | S |
That poignant spirit will complete my spell ' | - |
'Tis done the lovely sorceress says 'tis well | P |
And now Apollo lends a ray of fire | U |
The caldron bubbles and the flames aspire | V |
The watchful Graces round the circle dance | S |
With arms entwined to mark the work's advance | S |
And with full quiver sportive Cupid came | W |
Temp'ring his favourite arrows in the flame | W |
Then Venus speaks the wavering flames retire | V |
And Zephyr's breath extinguishes the fire | U |
At length the goddess in the helmet's round | C |
A sweet and subtile spirit duly found | C |
More soft than oil than ether more refined | C |
Of power to cure the woes of womankind | C |
And call'd it Flattery balm of female life | X |
It charms alike the widow maid and wife | X |
Clears the sad brow of virgins in despair | Y |
And smooths the cruel traces left by care | Y |
- | |
Bids palsied age with youthful spirit glow | B |
And hangs May's garlands on December's snow | B |
Delicious essence howsoe'er applied | C |
By what rude nature is thy charm denied | C |
Some form seducing still thy whisper wears | S |
Stern Wisdom turns to thee her willing ears | S |
And Prudery listens and forgets her fears | S |
The rustic nymph whom rigid aunts restrain | D |
Condemn'd to dress and practise airs in vain | D |
At thy first summons finds her bosom swell | P |
And bids her crabbed gouvernantes farewell | P |
While fired by thee with spirit not her own | Z |
She grows a toast and rises into ton | A2 |
The faded beauty who with secret pain | D |
Sees younger charms usurp her envied reign | D |
By thee assisted can with smiles behold | C |
The record where her conquests are enroll'd | C |
And dwelling yet on scenes by memory nursed | C |
When George the Second reign'd or George the First | C |
She sees the shades of ancient beaux arise | S |
Who swear her eyes exceeded modern eyes | S |
When poets sung for her and lovers bled | C |
And giddy fashion follow'd as she led | C |
Departed modes appear in long array | H |
The flowers and flounces of her happier day | H |
Again her locks the decent fillets bind | C |
The waving lappet flutters in the wind | C |
And then comparing with a proud disdain | D |
The more fantastic tastes that now obtain | D |
She deems ungraceful trifling and absurd | C |
The gayer world that moves round George the Third | C |
Nor thy soft influence will the train refuse | S |
Who court in distant shades the modest Muse | S |
Though in a form more pure and more refined | C |
Thy soothing spirit meets the letter'd mind | C |
Not death itself thine empire can destroy | L |
Tow'rds thee even then we turn the languid eye | B2 |
Still trust in thee to bid our memory bloom | C2 |
And scatter roses round the silent tomb | C2 |
Charlotte Smith
(1)
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