A Poem On The Last Day - Book Ii Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCD EEFFGH IIJJKKLL MMNNOOPPQQ RRSSTTUUVVAAVVWJFF XXYY ZZTTA2A2QQII FFB2C2D2D2E2E2 F2G2MMAALLRR H2H2D2D2I2J2F2K2L2L2 M2M2 D2D2N2N2O2P2Q2Q2R2R2 S2T2U2U2XX LLV2V2W2X2Y2Y2 Z2Z2FFN2N2SSA3 B3C3C3Q2Q2HH D3D3FFE3E3F3G3S2T2V2 V2H3H3GH VVI3I3 J3K3L3L3R2R2YY LLM3N3XXO3O3HH P3P3Q3Q3D3D3O2P2J

Now man awakes and from his silent bedA
Where he has slept for ages lifts his headA
Shakes off the slumber of ten thousand yearsB
And on the borders of new worlds appearsB
Whate'er the bold the rash adventure costC
In wide Eternity I dare be lostD
-
The Muse is wont in narrow bounds to singE
To teach the swain or celebrate the kingE
I grasp the whole no more to parts confinedF
I lift my voice and sing to human kindF
I sing to men and angels angels joinG
While such the theme their sacred songs with mineH
-
Again the trumpet's intermitted soundI
Rolls the wide circuit of creation roundI
An universal concourse to prepareJ
Of all that ever breathed the vital airJ
In some wide field which active whirlwinds sweepK
Drive cities forests mountains to the deepK
To smooth and lengthen out the' unbounded spaceL
And spread an area for all human raceL
-
Now monuments prove faithful to their trustM
And render back their long committed dustM
Now charnels rattle scatter'd limbs and allN
The various bones obsequious to the callN
Self moved advance the neck perhaps to meetO
The distant head the distant legs the feetO
Dreadful to view see through the dusky skyP
Fragments of bodies in confusion flyP
To distant regions journeying there to claimQ
Deserted members and complete the frameQ
-
When the world bow'd to Rome's almighty swordR
Rome bow'd to Pompey and confess'd her lordR
Yet one day lost this deity belowS
Became the scorn and pity of his foeS
His blood a traitor's sacrifice was madeT
And smoked indignant on a ruffian's bladeT
No trumpet's sound no gasping army's yellU
Bid with due horror his great soul farewellU
Obscure his fall all weltering in his goreV
His trunk was cast to perish on the shoreV
While Julius frown'd the bloody monster deadA
Who brought the world in his great rival's headA
This sever'd head and trunk shall join once moreV
Though realms now rise between and oceans roarV
The trumpet's sound each vagrant mote shall hearW
Or fix'd in earth or if afloat in airJ
Obey the signal wafted in the windF
And not one sleeping atom lag behindF
-
So swarming bees that on a summer's dayX
In airy rings and wild meanders playX
Charm'd with the brasen sound their wanderings endY
And gently circling on a bough descendY
-
The body thus renew'd the conscious soulZ
Which has perhaps been fluttering near the poleZ
Or midst the burning planets wondering stray'dT
Or hover'd o'er where her pale corpse was laidT
Or rather coasted on her final stateA2
And fear'd or wish'd for her appointed fateA2
This soul returning with a constant flameQ
Now weds for ever her immortal frameQ
Life which ran down before so high is woundI
The springs maintain an everlasting roundI
-
Thus a frail model of the work design'dF
First takes a copy of the builder's mindF
Before the structure firm with lasting oakB2
And marble bowels of the solid rockC2
Turns the strong arch and bids the columns riseD2
And bear the lofty palace to the skiesD2
The wrongs of Time enabled to surpassE2
With bars of adamant and ribs of brassE2
-
That ancient sacred and illustrious domeF2
Where soon or late fair Albion's heroes comeG2
From camps and courts though great or wise or justM
To feed the worm and moulder into dustM
That solemn mansion of the royal deadA
Where passing slaves o'er sleeping monarchs treadA
Now populous o'erflows a numerous raceL
Of rising kings fill all the' extended spaceL
A life well spent not the victorious swordR
Awards the crown and styles the greater lordR
-
Nor monuments alone and burial earthH2
Labour with man to this his second birthH2
But where gay palaces in pomp ariseD2
And gilded theatres invade the skiesD2
Nations shall wake whose unrespected bonesI2
Support the pride of their luxurious sonsJ2
The most magnificent and costly domeF2
Is but an upper chamber to a tombK2
No spot on earth but has supplied a graveL2
And human skulls the spacious ocean paveL2
All's full of man and at this dreadful turnM2
The swarm shall issue and the hive shall burnM2
-
Not all at once nor in like manner riseD2
Some lift with pain their slow unwilling eyesD2
Shrink backward from the terror of the lightN2
And bless the grave and call for lasting nightN2
Others whose long attempted virtue stoodO2
Fix'd as a rock and broke the rushing floodP2
Whose firm resolve nor beauty could melt downQ2
Nor raging tyrants from their posture frownQ2
Such in this day of horrors shall be seenR2
To face the thunders with a godlike mienR2
The planets drop their thoughts are fix'd aboveS2
The centre shakes their hearts disdain to moveT2
An earth dissolving and a heaven thrown wideU2
A yawning gulf and fiends on every sideU2
Serene they view impatient of delayX
And bless the dawn of everlasting dayX
-
Here greatness prostrate falls there strength gives placeL
Here lazars smile there beauty hides her faceL
Christians and Jews and Turks and Pagans standV2
A blended throng one undistinguish'd bandV2
Some who perhaps by mutual wounds expiredW2
With zeal for their distinct persuasions firedX2
In mutual friendship their long slumber breakY2
And hand in hand their Saviour's love partakeY2
-
But none are flush'd with brighter joy or warmZ2
With juster confidence enjoy the stormZ2
Than those whose pious bounties unconfinedF
Have made them public fathers of mankindF
In that illustrious rank what shining lightN2
With such distinguish'd glory fills my sightN2
Bend down my grateful Muse that homage showS
Which to such worthies thou art proud to oweS
Wykeham Fox Chicheley hail illustrious namesA3
-
Who to far distant times dispense your beamsB3
Beneath your shades and near your crystal springsC3
I first presumed to touch the trembling stringsC3
All hail thrice honour'd 'Twas your great renownQ2
To bless a people and oblige a crownQ2
And now you rise eternally to shineH
Eternally to drink the rays DivineH
-
Indulgent God O how shall mortal raiseD3
His soul to due returns of grateful praiseD3
For bounty so profuse to human kindF
Thy wondrous gift of an eternal mindF
Shall I who some few years ago was lessE3
Than worm or mite or shadow can expressE3
Was nothing shall I live when every fireF3
And every star shall languish and expireG3
When earth's no more shall I survive aboveS2
And through the radiant files of angels moveT2
Or as before the throne of God I standV2
See new worlds rolling from His spacious handV2
Where our adventures shall perhaps be taughtH3
As we now tell how Michael sung or foughtH3
All that has being in full concert joinG
And celebrate the depths of Love DivineH
-
But O before this blissful state beforeV
The' aspiring soul this wondrous height can soarV
The Judge descending thunders from afarI3
And all mankind is summon'd to the barI3
-
This mighty scene I next presume to drawJ3
Attend great Anna with religious aweK3
Expect not here the known successful artsL3
To win attention and command our heartsL3
Fiction be far away let no machineR2
Descending here no fabled God be seenR2
Behold the God of gods indeed descendY
And worlds unnumber'd His approach attendY
-
Lo the wide theatre whose ample spaceL
Must entertain the whole of human raceL
At Heaven's all powerful edict is preparedM3
And fenced around with an immortal guardN3
Tribes provinces dominions worlds o'erflowX
The mighty plain and deluge all belowX
And every age and nation pours alongO3
Nimrod and Bourbon mingle in the throngO3
Adam salutes his youngest son no signH
Of all those ages which their births disjoinH
-
How empty learning and how vain is artP3
But as it mends the life and guides the heartP3
What volumes have been swell'd what time been spentQ3
To fix a hero's birth day or descentQ3
What joy must it now yield what rapture raiseD3
To see the glorious race of ancient daysD3
To greet those worthies who perhaps have stoodO2
Illustrious on record before the floodP2
Alas a nearer careJ

Edward Young



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