The Shepheardes Calender: October Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBABA ACDDCEC FGGFGF FFCCFCF HIIHIH ACGGCGC FCAFCFC JAAJAJ FJJAJA GGAAGAG GAAKAG LFFLFL FCCGCA FFAAFAF ACAACAC FMGGJGG AFNNFNA FAAFAF OCCOCO HAAH FAH NJ

OCTOBER AElig gloga DecimaPIERCE CUDDIEA
Cuddie for shame hold up thy heavye headA
And let us cast with what delight to chaceB
And weary thys long lingring Phoebus raceB
Whilome thou wont the shepheards laddes to leadeA
In rymes in ridles and in bydding baseB
Now they in thee and thou in sleepe art deadA
-
CUDDYA
Piers I have pyped erst so long with payneC
That all mine Oten reedes bene rent and woreD
And my poore Muse hath spent her spared storeD
Yet little good hath got and much lesse gayneC
Such pleasaunce makes the Grashopper so pooreE
And ligge so layd when Winter doth her straineC
-
The dapper ditties that I wont deviseF
To feede youthes fancie and the flocking fryG
Delighten much what I the bett for thyG
They han the pleasure I a sclender priseF
I beate the bush the byrds to them doe flyeG
What good thereof to Cuddie can ariseF
-
PIERSF
Cuddie the prayse is better then the priceF
The glory eke much greater then the gayneC
O what an honor is it to restraineC
The lust of lawlesse youth with good adviceF
Or pricke them forth with pleasaunce of thy vaineC
Whereto thou list their trayned willes enticeF
-
Soone as thou gynst to sette thy notes in frameH
O how the rurall routes to thee doe cleaveI
Seemeth thou dost their soule of sence bereaveI
All as the shepheard that did fetch his dameH
From Plutoes balefull bowre withouten leaveI
His musicks might the hellish hound did tameH
-
CUDDIEA
So praysen babes the Peacoks spotted traineC
And wondren at bright Argus blazing eyeG
But who rewards him ere the more for thyG
Or feedes him once the fuller by a graineC
Sike prayse is smoke that sheddeth in the skyeG
Sike words bene wynd and wasten soone in vayneC
-
PIERSF
Abandon then the base and viler clowneC
Lyft up thy selfe out of the lowly dustA
And sing of bloody Mars of wars of giustsF
Turne thee to those that weld the awful crowneC
To doubted Knights whose woundlesse armour rustsF
And helmes unbruzed wexen dayly browneC
-
There may thy Muse display her fluttryng wingJ
And stretch her selfe at large from East to WestA
Whither thou list in fayre Elisa restA
Or if thee please in bigger notes to singJ
Advaunce the worthy whome shee loveth bestA
That first the white beare to the stake did bringJ
-
And when the stubborne stroke of stronger stoundsF
Has somewhat slackt the tenor of thy stringJ
Of love and lustihed tho mayst thou singJ
And carrol lowde and leade the Myllers rowndeA
All were Elisa one of thilke same ringJ
So mought our Cuddies name to Heaven sowndeA
-
CUDDYEG
Indeed the Romish Tityrus I heareG
Through his Mec oe nas left his Oaten reedeA
Whereon he earst had taught his flocks to feedeA
And laboured lands to yield the timely eareG
And eft did sing of warres and deadly dredeA
So as the Heavens did quake his verse to hereG
-
But ah Mec oe nas is yclad in clayeG
And great Augustus long ygoe is deadA
And all the worthies liggen wrapt in leadeA
That matter made for Poets on to playK
For ever who in derring doe were dreadeA
The loftie verse of hem was loved ayeG
-
But after vertue gan for age to stoupeL
And mighty manhode brought a bedde of easeF
The vaunting Poets found nought worth a peaseF
To put in preace emong the learned troupeL
Tho gan the streames of flowing wittes to ceaseF
And sonnebright honour pend in shamefull coupeL
-
And if that any buddes of PoesieF
Yet of the old stocke gan to shoote agayneC
Or it mens follies mote be forst to fayneC
And rolle with rest in rymes of rybaudryeG
Or as it sprong it wither must agayneC
Tom Piper makes us better melodieA
-
PIERSF
O pierlesse Poesye where is then thy placeF
If nor in Princes pallace thou doe sittA
And yet is Princes pallace the most fittA
Ne brest of baser birth doth thee embraceF
Then make thee winges of thine aspyring witA
And whence thou camst flye backe to heaven apaceF
-
CUDDIEA
Ah Percy it is all to weake and wanneC
So high to sore and make so large a flightA
Her peeced pyneons bene not so in plightA
For Colin fittes such famous flight to scanneC
He were he not with love so ill bedightA
Would mount as high and sing as soote as SwanneC
-
PIERSF
Ah fon for love does teach him climbe so hieM
And lyftes him up out of the loathsome myreG
Such immortall mirrhor as he doth admireG
Would rayse ones mynd above the starry skieJ
And cause a caytive corage to aspireG
For lofty love doth loath a lowly eyeG
-
CUDDIEA
All otherwise the state of Poet standsF
For lordly love is such a Tyranne fellN
That where he rules all power he doth expellN
The vaunted verse a vacant head demaundesF
Ne wont with crabbed care the Muses dwellN
Unwisely weaves that takes two webbes in handA
-
Who ever casts to compasse weightye priseF
And thinks to throwe out thondring words of threateA
Let powre in lavish cups and thriftie bitts of meateA
For Bacchus fruite is frend to Phoebus wiseF
And when with Wine the braine begins to sweateA
The nombers flowe as fast as spring doth ryseF
-
Thou kenst not Percie howe the ryme should rageO
O if my temples were distaind with wineC
And girt in girlonds of wild Yvie twineC
How I could reare the Muse on stately stageO
And teache her tread aloft in buskin fineC
With queint Bellona in her equipageO
-
But ah my corage cooles ere it be warmeH
For thy content us in thys humble shadeA
Where no such troublous tydes han us assaydeA
Here we our slender pipes may safely charmeH
-
PIERSF
And when my Gates shall han their bellies laydA
Cuddie shall have a Kidde to store his farme CUDDIES EMBLEMEH
-
-
Agitante calescimus illoN
cJ

Edmund Spenser



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