A Poem On The Last Day - Book Iii Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDDEEFFGGHHII JJKKEEHHLMNN OOPPOOFF NNOO QQRRSSTUVVWWNN VVXYZZA2A2B2B2OOOO EEC2C2B2B2OO OONN VVOOCCC2C2OO EEOOOOOOO D2D2E2E2OOF2F2OOD2D2 G2S VVOONNCCOO H2H2OOC2C2OO EI2CCF2F2C2C2E2E2ZZ F2J2K2K2OORROOB2B2 OOC2C2L2L2M2M2 N2N2OOO2O2 P2P2C2C2D2D2Q2R2RROOThe book unfolding the resplendent seat | A |
Of saints and angels the tremendous fate | B |
Of guilty souls the gloomy realms of woe | C |
And all the horrors of the world below | C |
I next presume to sing What yet remains | D |
Demands my last but most exalted strains | D |
And let the Muse or now affect the sky | E |
Or in inglorious shades for ever lie | E |
She kindles she's inflamed so near the goal | F |
She mounts she gains upon the starry pole | F |
The world grows less as she pursues her flight | G |
And the sun darkens to her distant sight | G |
Heaven opening all its sacred pomp displays | H |
And overwhelms her with the rushing blaze | H |
The triumph rings archangels shout around | I |
And echoing Nature lengthens out the sound | I |
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Ten thousand trumpets now at once advance | J |
Now deepest silence lulls the vast expanse | J |
So deep the silence and so strong the blast | K |
As Nature died when she had groan'd her last | K |
Nor man nor angel moves the Judge on high | E |
Looks round and with His glory fills the sky | E |
Then on the fatal book His hand He lays | H |
Which high to view supporting seraphs raise | H |
In solemn form the rituals are prepared | L |
The seal is broken and a groan is heard | M |
And thou my soul O fall to sudden prayer | N |
And let the thought sink deep shalt thou be there | N |
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See on the left for by the great command | O |
The throng divided falls on either hand | O |
How weak how pale how haggard how obscene | P |
What more than death in every face and mien | P |
With what distress and glarings of affright | O |
They shock the heart and turn away the sight | O |
In gloomy orbs their trembling eye balls roll | F |
And tell the horrid secrets of the soul | F |
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Each gesture mourns each look is black with care | N |
And every groan is loaden with despair | N |
Reader if guilty spare the Muse and find | O |
A truer image pictured in thy mind | O |
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Shouldst thou behold thy brother father wife | Q |
And all the soft companions of thy life | Q |
Whose blended interests levell'd at one aim | R |
Whose mix'd desires sent up one common flame | R |
Divided far thy wretched self alone | S |
Cast on the left of all whom thou hast known | S |
How would it wound What millions wouldst thou give | T |
For one more trial one day more to live | U |
Flung back in time an hour a moment's space | V |
To grasp with eagerness the means of grace | V |
Contend for mercy with a pious rage | W |
And in that moment to redeem an age | W |
Drive back the tide suspend a storm in air | N |
Arrest the sun but still of this despair | N |
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Mark on the right how amiable a grace | V |
Their Maker's image fresh in every face | V |
What purple bloom my ravish'd soul admires | X |
And their eyes sparkling with immortal fires | Y |
Triumphant beauty charms that rise above | Z |
This world and in bless'd angels kindle love | Z |
To the great Judge with holy pride they turn | A2 |
And dare behold the' Almighty's anger burn | A2 |
Its flash sustain against its terror rise | B2 |
And on the dread tribunal fix their eyes | B2 |
Are these the forms that moulder'd in the dust | O |
O the transcendent glory of the just | O |
Yet still some thin remains of fear and doubt | O |
The' infected brightness of their joy pollute | O |
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Thus the chaste bridegroom when the priest draws nigh | E |
Beholds his blessing with a trembling eye | E |
Feels doubtful passions throb in every vein | C2 |
And in his cheeks are mingled joy and pain | C2 |
Lest still some intervening chance should rise | B2 |
Leap forth at once and snatch the golden prize | B2 |
Inflame his woe by bringing it so late | O |
And stab him in the crisis of his fate | O |
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Since Adam's family from first to last | O |
Now into one distinct survey is cast | O |
Look round vain glorious Muse and you whoe'er | N |
Devote yourselves to Fame and think her fair | N |
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Look round and seek the lights of human race | V |
Whose shining acts Time's brightest annals grace | V |
Who founded sects crowns conquer'd or resign'd | O |
Gave names to nations or famed empires join'd | O |
Who raised the vale and laid the mountain low | C |
And taught obedient rivers where to flow | C |
Who with vast fleets as with a mighty chain | C2 |
Could bind the madness of the roaring main | C2 |
All lost all undistinguish'd nowhere found | O |
How will this truth in Bourbon's palace sound | O |
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That hour on which the' Almighty King on high | E |
From all eternity has fix'd His eye | E |
Whether His right hand favour'd or annoy'd | O |
Continued alter'd threaten'd or destroy'd | O |
Southern or eastern sceptre downward hurl'd | O |
Gave north or west dominion o'er the world | O |
The point of time for which the world was built | O |
For which the blood of God Himself was spilt | O |
That dreadful moment is arrived | O |
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Aloft the seats of bliss their pomp display | D2 |
Brighter than brightness this distinguish'd day | D2 |
Less glorious when of old the' eternal Son | E2 |
From realms of night return'd with trophies won | E2 |
Through heaven's high gates when He triumphant rode | O |
And shouting angels hail'd the victor God | O |
Horrors beneath darkness in darkness hell | F2 |
Of hell where torments behind torments dwell | F2 |
A furnace formidable deep and wide | O |
O'er boiling with a mad sulphureous tide | O |
Expands its jaws most dreadful to survey | D2 |
And roars outrageous for the destined prey | D2 |
The sons of light scarce unappall'd look down | G2 |
And nearer press Heaven's everlasting throne | S |
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Such is the scene and one short moment's space | V |
Concludes the hopes and fears of human race | V |
Proceed who dares I tremble as I write | O |
The whole creation swims before my sight | O |
I see I see the Judge's frowning brow | N |
Say not 'tis distant I behold it now | N |
I faint my tardy blood forgets to flow | C |
My soul recoils at the stupendous woe | C |
That woe those pangs which from the guilty breast | O |
In these or words like these shall be express'd | O |
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Who burst the barriers of my peaceful grave | H2 |
Ah cruel Death that would no longer save | H2 |
But grudged me e'en that narrow dark abode | O |
And cast me out into the wrath of God | O |
Where shrieks the roaring flame the rattling chain | C2 |
And all the dreadful eloquence of pain | C2 |
Our only song black fire's malignant light | O |
The sole refreshment of the blasted sight | O |
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Must all those powers Heaven gave me to supply | E |
My soul with pleasure and bring in my joy | I2 |
Rise up in arms against me join the foe | C |
Sense Reason Memory increase my woe | C |
And shall my voice ordain'd on hymns to dwell | F2 |
Corrupt to groans and blow the fires of hell | F2 |
O must I look with terror on my gain | C2 |
And with existence only measure pain | C2 |
What no reprieve no least indulgence given | E2 |
No beam of hope from any point of heaven | E2 |
Ah Mercy Mercy art thou dead above | Z |
Is love extinguish'd in the Source of Love | Z |
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Bold that I am did Heaven stoop down to hell | F2 |
The' expiring Lord of Life my ransom seal | J2 |
Have not I been industrious to provoke | K2 |
From His embraces obstinately broke | K2 |
Pursued and panted for His mortal hate | O |
Earn'd my destruction labour'd out my fate | O |
And dare I on extinguish'd love exclaim | R |
Take take full vengeance rouse the slackening flame | R |
Just is my lot but O must it transcend | O |
The reach of time despair a distant end | O |
With dreadful growth shoot forward and arise | B2 |
Where Thought can't follow and bold Fancy dies | B2 |
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NEVER Where falls the soul at that dread sound | O |
Down an abyss how dark and how profound | O |
Down down I still am falling horrid pain | C2 |
Ten thousand thousand fathoms still remain | C2 |
My plunge but still begun And this for sin | L2 |
Could I offend if I had never been | L2 |
But still increased the senseless happy mass | M2 |
Flow'd in the stream or shiver'd in the grass | M2 |
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Father of Mercies why from silent earth | N2 |
Didst Thou awake and curse me into birth | N2 |
Tear me from quiet ravish me from night | O |
And make a thankless present of Thy light | O |
Push into being a reverse of Thee | O2 |
And animate a clod with misery | O2 |
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The beasts are happy they come forth and keep | P2 |
Short watch on earth and then lie down to sleep | P2 |
Pain is for man and O how vast a pain | C2 |
For crimes which made the Godhead bleed in vain | C2 |
Annull'd His groans as far as in them lay | D2 |
And flung His agonies and death away | D2 |
As our dire punishment for ever strong | Q2 |
Our constitution too for ever young | R2 |
Cursed with returns of vigour still the same | R |
Powerful to bear and satisfy the flame | R |
Still to be caught and still to be pursued | O |
To perish still and still to be renew'd | O |
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Edward Young
(1)
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