To Italy (1818) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCDCEFGEHIJJKLKMMN OOPQRRSARTHUAVWVXXYY ZZA2A2B2C2C2D2AE2F2G 2E2FFAAH2I2J2K2TTL2A M2N2SSO2P2Q2Q2R2HS2S 2SST2U2V2W2X2AHX2X2Y 2X2Z2A3X2X2X2X2AX2Z2 X2X2SASX2B3X2ARC3D3L 2C3E3X2X2X2F3X2AX2G3 X2X2X2AH3AI3AOAB2AX2 AAV2V2OX2X2AAX2A2TM2| My country I the walls the arches see | A |
| The columns statues and the towers | B |
| Deserted of our ancestors | B |
| But ah the glory I do not behold | C |
| The laurel and the sword that graced | D |
| Our sires of old | C |
| Now all unarmed a naked brow | E |
| A naked breast dost thou display | F |
| Ah me how many wounds what stains of blood | G |
| Oh what a sight art thou | E |
| Most beautiful of women I | H |
| To heaven cry aloud and to the world | I |
| 'Who hath reduced her to this pass | J |
| Say say ' And worst of all alas | J |
| See both her arms in chains are bound | K |
| With hair dishevelled and without a veil | L |
| She sits disconsolate upon the ground | K |
| And hides her face between her knees | M |
| As she bewails her miseries | M |
| Oh weep my Italy for thou hast cause | N |
| Thou who wast born the nations to subdue | O |
| As victor and as victim too | O |
| Oh if thy eyes two living fountains were | P |
| The volume of their tears could ne'er express | Q |
| Thy utter helplessness thy shame | R |
| Thou who wast once the haughty dame | R |
| And now the wretched slave | S |
| Who speaks or writes of thee | A |
| That must not bitterly exclaim | R |
| 'She once was great but oh behold her now' | T |
| Why hast thou fallen thus oh why | H |
| Where is the ancient force | U |
| Where are the arms the valor constancy | A |
| Who hath deprived thee of thy sword | V |
| What treachery what skill what labor vast | W |
| Or what o'erwhelming horde | V |
| Whose fierce invading tide thou could'st not stem | X |
| Hath robbed thee of thy robe and diadem | X |
| From such a height how couldst thou fall so low | Y |
| Will none defend thee No | Y |
| No son of thine For arms for arms I call | Z |
| Alone I'll fight for thee alone will fall | Z |
| And from my blood a votive offering | A2 |
| May flames of fire in every bosom spring | A2 |
| Where are thy sons The sound of arms I hear | B2 |
| Of chariots of voices and of drums | C2 |
| From foreign lands it comes | C2 |
| For which thy children fight | D2 |
| Oh hearken hearken Italy I see | A |
| Or is it but a dream | E2 |
| A wavering of horse and foot | F2 |
| And smoke and dust and flashing swords | G2 |
| That like the lightning gleam | E2 |
| Art thou not comforted Dost turn away | F |
| Thy eyes in horror from the doubtful fray | F |
| Ye gods ye gods Oh can it be | A |
| The youth of Italy | A |
| Their hireling swords for other lands have bared | H2 |
| Oh wretched he in war who falls | I2 |
| Not for his native shores | J2 |
| His loving wife and children dear | K2 |
| But fighting for another's gain | T |
| And by another's foe is slain | T |
| Nor can he say as his last breath he draws | L2 |
| 'My mother land beloved ah see | A |
| The life thou gav'st I render back to thee ' | M2 |
| Oh fortunate and dear and blessed | N2 |
| The ancient days when rushed to death the brave | S |
| In crowds their country's life to save | S |
| And you forever glorious | O2 |
| Thessalian straits | P2 |
| Where Persia Fate itself could not withstand | Q2 |
| The fiery zeal of that devoted band | Q2 |
| Do not the trees the rocks the waves | R2 |
| The mountains to each passer by | H |
| With low and plaintive voice tell | S2 |
| The wondrous tale of those who fell | S2 |
| Heroes invincible who gave | S |
| Their lives their Greece to save | S |
| Then cowardly as fierce | T2 |
| Xerxes across the Hellespont retired | U2 |
| A laughing stock to all succeeding time | V2 |
| And up Anthela's hill where e'en in death | W2 |
| The sacred Band immortal life obtained | X2 |
| Simonides slow climbing thoughtfully | A |
| Looked forth on sea and shore and sky | H |
| And then his cheeks with tears bedewed | X2 |
| And heaving breast and trembling foot he stood | X2 |
| His lyre in hand and sang | Y2 |
| 'O ye forever blessed | X2 |
| Who bared your breasts unto the foeman's lance | Z2 |
| For love of her who gave you birth | A3 |
| By Greece revered and by the world admired | X2 |
| What ardent love your youthful minds inspired | X2 |
| To rush to arms such perils dire to meet | X2 |
| A fate so hard with loving smiles to greet | X2 |
| Her children why so joyously | A |
| Ran ye that stern and rugged pass to guard | X2 |
| As if unto a dance | Z2 |
| Or to some splendid feast | X2 |
| Each one appeared to haste | X2 |
| And not grim death Death to brave | S |
| But Tartarus awaited ye | A |
| And the cold Stygian wave | S |
| Nor were your wives or children at your side | X2 |
| When on that rugged shore | B3 |
| Without a kiss without a tear ye died | X2 |
| But not without a fearful blow | A |
| To Persians dealt and their undying shame | R |
| As at a herd of bulls a lion glares | C3 |
| Then plunging in upon the back | D3 |
| Of this one leaps and with his claws | L2 |
| A passage all along his chine he tears | C3 |
| And fiercely drives his teeth into his sides | E3 |
| Such havoc Grecian wrath and valor made | X2 |
| Amongst the Persian ranks dismayed | X2 |
| Behold each prostrate rider and his steed | X2 |
| Behold the chariots and the fallen tents | F3 |
| A tangled mass their flight impede | X2 |
| And see among the first to fly | A |
| The tyrant pale and in disorder wild | X2 |
| See how the Grecian youths | G3 |
| With blood barbaric dyed | X2 |
| And dealing death on every side | X2 |
| By slow degrees by their own wounds subdued | X2 |
| The one upon the other fall Farewell | A |
| Ye heroes blessed whose names shall live | H3 |
| While tongue can speak or pen your story tell | A |
| Sooner the stars torn from their spheres shall hiss | I3 |
| Extinguished in the bottom of the sea | A |
| Than the dear memory and love of you | O |
| Shall suffer loss or injury | A |
| Your tomb an altar is the mothers here | B2 |
| Shall come unto their little ones to show | A |
| The lovely traces of your blood Behold | X2 |
| Ye blessed myself upon the ground I throw | A |
| And kiss these stones these clods | A |
| Whose fame unto the end of time | V2 |
| Shall sacred be in every clime | V2 |
| Oh had I too been here with you | O |
| And this dear earth had moistened with my blood | X2 |
| But since stern Fate would not consent | X2 |
| That I for Greece my dying eyes should close | A |
| In conflict with her foes | A |
| Still may the gracious gods accept | X2 |
| The offering I bring | A2 |
| And grant to me the precious boon | T |
| Your Hymn of Praise to sing ' | M2 |
Count Giacomo Leopardi
(1)
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To Italy (1818) is a poem by Count Giacomo Leopardi. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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