To The King Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCD EFGGHHIJKKLLMN GGOOPQRRSTUVBBWWXX YYPPZZPPA2A2B2B2C2C2 D2D2E2E2 F2F2G2G2H2I2J2J2K2K2 L2H2M2M2NNRR N2N2O2O2 P2P2Q2Q2R2R2 SSCCS2S2 T2T2U2U2V2W2 X2X2Y2Y2 Z2Z2Y2Y2Z2Z2A3A3ZZ PQB3B3C3C3D3D3 PQE3F3Upon His Majesty's Happy Return | A |
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The rising sun complies with our weak sight | B |
First gilds the clouds then shows his globe of light | B |
At such a distance from our eyes as though | C |
He knew what harm his hasty beams would do | D |
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But your full majesty at once breaks forth | E |
In the meridian of your reign Your worth | F |
Your youth and all the splendour of your state | G |
Wrapped up till now in clouds of adverse fate | G |
With such a flood of light invade our eyes | H |
And our spread hearts with so great joy surprise | H |
That if your grace incline that we should live | I |
You must not sir too hastily forgive | J |
Our guilt preserves us from the excess of joy | K |
Which scatters spirits and would life destroy | K |
All are obnoxious and this faulty land | L |
Like fainting Esther does before you stand | L |
Watching your sceptre The revolted sea | M |
Trembles to think she did your foes obey | N |
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Great Britain like blind Polypheme of late | G |
In a wild rage became the scorn and hate | G |
Of her proud neighbours who began to think | O |
She with the weight of her own force would sink | O |
But you are come and all their hopes are vain | P |
This giant isle has got her eye again | Q |
Now she might spare the ocean and oppose | R |
Your conduct to the fiercest of her foes | R |
Naked the Graces guarded you from all | S |
Dangers abroad and now your thunder shall | T |
Princes that saw you different passions prove | U |
For now they dread the object of their love | V |
Nor without envy can behold his height | B |
Whose conversation was their late delight | B |
So Semele contented with the rape | W |
Of Jove disguised in a mortal shape | W |
When she beheld his hands with lightning filled | X |
And his bright rays was with amazement killed | X |
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And though it be our sorrow and our crime | Y |
To have accepted life so long a time | Y |
Without you here yet does this absence gain | P |
No small advantage to your present reign | P |
For having viewed the persons and the things | Z |
The councils state and strength of Europe's kings | Z |
You know your work ambition to restrain | P |
And set them bounds as Heaven does to the main | P |
We have you now with ruling wisdom fraught | A2 |
Not such as books but such as practice taught | A2 |
So the lost sun while least by us enjoyed | B2 |
Is the whole night for our concern employed | B2 |
He ripens spices fruits and precious gums | C2 |
Which from remotest regions hither comes | C2 |
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This seat of yours from the other world removed | D2 |
Had Archimedes known he might have proved | D2 |
His engine's force fixed here Your power and skill | E2 |
Make the world's motion wait upon your will | E2 |
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Much suffering monarch the first English born | F2 |
That has the crown of these three nations worn | F2 |
How has your patience with the barbarous rage | G2 |
Of your own soil contended half an age | G2 |
Till your tried virtue and your sacred word | H2 |
At last preventing your unwilling sword | I2 |
Armies and fleets which kept you out so long | J2 |
Owned their great sovereign and redressed his wrong | J2 |
When straight the people by no force compelled | K2 |
Nor longer from their inclination held | K2 |
Break forth at once like powder set on fire | L2 |
And with a noble rage their King required | H2 |
So the injured sea which from her wonted course | M2 |
To gain some acres avarice did force | M2 |
If the new banks neglected once decay | N |
No longer will from her old channel stay | N |
Raging the late got land she overflows | R |
And all that's built upon't to ruin goes | R |
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Offenders now the chiefest do begin | N2 |
To strive for grace and expiate their sin | N2 |
All winds blow fair that did the world embroil | O2 |
Your vipers treacle yield and scorpions oil | O2 |
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If then such praise the Macedonian got | P2 |
For having rudely cut the Gordian knot | P2 |
What glory's due to him that could divide | Q2 |
Such ravelled interests has the knot untied | Q2 |
And without stroke so smooth a passage made | R2 |
Where craft and malice such impeachments laid | R2 |
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But while we praise you you ascribe it all | S |
To His high hand which threw the untouched wall | S |
Of self demolished Jericho so low | C |
His angel 'twas that did before you go | C |
Tamed savage hearts and made affections yield | S2 |
Like ears of corn when wind salutes the field | S2 |
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Thus patience crowned like Jobs's your trouble ends | T2 |
Having your foes to pardon and your friends | T2 |
For though your courage were so firm a rock | U2 |
What private virtue could endure the shock | U2 |
Like your Great Master you the storm withstood | V2 |
And pitied those who love with frailty showed | W2 |
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Rude Indians torturing all the royal race | X2 |
Him with the throne and dear bought sceptre grace | X2 |
That suffers best What region could be found | Y2 |
Where your herioc head had not been crowned | Y2 |
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The next experience of your mighty mind | Z2 |
Is how you combat fortune now she's kind | Z2 |
And this way too you are victorious found | Y2 |
She flatters with the same success she frowned | Y2 |
While to yourself severe to others kind | Z2 |
With power unbounded and a will confined | Z2 |
Of this vast empire you possess the care | A3 |
The softer part falls to the people's share | A3 |
Safety and equal government are things | Z |
Which subjects make as happy as their kings | Z |
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Faith law and piety that banished train | P |
Justice and truth with you return again | Q |
The city's trade and country's easy life | B3 |
Once more shall flourish without fraud or strife | B3 |
Your reign no less assures the ploughman's peace | C3 |
Than the warm sun advances his increase | C3 |
And does the shepherds as securely keep | D3 |
From all their fears as they preserve their sheep | D3 |
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But above all the Muse inspired train | P |
Triumph and raise their drooping heads again | Q |
Kind Heaven at once has in your person sent | E3 |
Their sacred judge their guard and argument | F3 |
Edmund Waller
(1)
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