The Last Day. Book Iii Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABC C CCDDAAEEFFCCAACCAACC EEAACCGHCCIICCFFHHCC JJKKLLMNAAOOHHAAAAPP QQAACCCCEERRAACCCCHH AACCDDRRCCEECCCCCCCS STTCCUUCCSSVLAACCHHD DCCWWCCRRCCEXDDUURRT TPPUYZZCCKKCCAACCRRA 2A2AAB2B2CCBBC2C2RRS SD2E2KKCCBBAAHHKKDDS SOOKKF2F2AACCSSHHFG2 AARRHHCCH2PEEAAI2I2J 2J2AARRCCK2KL2M2N2N2 HHZZCCAAEECCO2O2AAZP 2UUCCCCN2N2AACCAACCH HDDCCAAKKHHSSF2IHHHH FFAACCQ2Q2AAEECCCCCC CCCCR2B2KKCCCCEESSEsse quoque in fatis reminiscitur affore tempus | A |
Quo mare quo tellus correptaque regia c li | B |
Ardeat et mundi moles operosa laboret | C |
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OVID MET | C |
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The book unfolding the resplendent seat | C |
Of saints and angels the tremendous fate | C |
Of guilty souls the gloomy realms of woe | D |
And all the horrors of the world below | D |
I next presume to sing what yet remains | A |
Demands my last but most exalted strains | A |
And let the muse or now affect the sky | E |
Or in inglorious shades for ever lie | E |
She kindles she's inflam'd so near the goal | F |
She mounts she gains upon the starry pole | F |
The world grows less as she pursues her flight | C |
And the sun darkens to her distant sight | C |
Heaven op'ning all its sacred pomp displays | A |
And overwhelms her with the rushing blaze | A |
The triumph rings archangels shout around | C |
And echoing nature lengthens out the sound | C |
Ten thousand trumpets now at once advance | A |
Now deepest silence lulls the vast expanse | A |
So deep the silence and so strong the blast | C |
As nature died when she had groan'd her last | C |
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 | A |
Which high to view supporting seraphs raise | A |
In solemn form the rituals are prepar'd | C |
The seal is broken and a groan is heard | C |
And thou my soul oh fall to sudden pray'r | G |
And let the thought sink deep shalt thou be there | H |
See on the left for by the great command | C |
The throng divided falls on either hand | C |
How weak how pale how haggard how obscene | I |
What more than death in ev'ry face and mien | I |
With what distress and glarings of affright | C |
They shock the heart and turn away the sight | C |
In gloomy orbs their trembling eye balls roll | F |
And tell the horrid secrets of the soul | F |
Each gesture mourns each look is black with care | H |
And ev'ry groan is loaden with despair | H |
Reader if guilty spare the muse and find | C |
A truer image pictur'd in thy mind | C |
Shouldst thou behold thy brother father wife | J |
And all the soft companions of thy life | J |
Whose blended int'rests levell'd at one aim | K |
Whose mix'd desires sent up one common flame | K |
Divided far thy wretched self alone | L |
Cast on the left of all whom thou hast known | L |
How would it wound what millions wouldst thou give | M |
For one more trial one more day to live | N |
Flung back in time an hour a moment's space | A |
To grasp with eagerness the means of grace | A |
Contend for mercy with a pious rage | O |
And in that moment to redeem an age | O |
Drive back the tide suspend a storm in air | H |
Arrest the sun but still of this despair | H |
Mark on the right how amiable a grace | A |
Their Maker's image fresh in ev'ry face | A |
What purple bloom my ravish'd soul admires | A |
And their eyes sparkling with immortal fires | A |
Triumphant beauty charms that rise above | P |
This world and in blest angels kindle love | P |
To the great Judge with holy pride they turn | Q |
And dare behold th' Almighty's anger burn | Q |
Its flash sustain against its terror rise | A |
And on the dread tribunal fix their eyes | A |
Are these the forms that moulder'd in the dust | C |
Oh the transcendent glory of the just | C |
Yet still some thin remains of fear and doubt | C |
Th' infected brightness of their joy pollute | C |
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 | R |
And in his cheeks are mingled joy and pain | R |
Lest still some intervening chance should rise | A |
Leap forth at once and snatch the golden prize | A |
Inflame his woe by bringing it so late | C |
And stab him in the crisis of his fate | C |
Since Adam's family from first to last | C |
Now into one distinct survey is cast | C |
Look round vainglorious muse and you whoe'er | H |
Devote yourselves to fame and think her fair | H |
Look round and seek the lights of human race | A |
Whose shining acts time's brightest annals grace | A |
Who founded sects crowns conquer'd or resign'd | C |
Gave names to nations or fam'd empires join'd | C |
Who raised the vale and laid the mountain low | D |
And taught obedient rivers where to flow | D |
Who with vast fleets as with a mighty chain | R |
Could bind the madness of the roaring main | R |
All lost all undistinguish'd nowhere found | C |
How will this truth in Bourbon's palace sound | C |
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 | C |
Continu'd alter'd threaten'd or destroy'd | C |
Southern or eastern sceptre downward hurl'd | C |
Gave north or west dominion o'er the world | C |
The point of time for which the world was built | C |
For which the blood of God himself was spilt | C |
That dreadful moment is arriv'd | C |
Aloft the seats of bliss their pomp display | S |
Brighter than brightness this distinguish'd day | S |
Less glorious when of old th' eternal Son | T |
From realms of night return'd with trophies won | T |
Thro' heaven's high gates when he triumphant rode | C |
And shouting angels hail'd the victor God | C |
Horrors beneath darkness in darkness hell | U |
Of hell where torments behind torments dwell | U |
A furnace formidable deep and wide | C |
O'erboiling with a mad sulphureous tide | C |
Expands its jaws most dreadful to survey | S |
And roars outrageous for the destin'd prey | S |
The sons of light scarce unappall'd look down | V |
And nearer press heaven's everlasting throne | L |
Such is the scene and one short moment's space | A |
Concludes the hopes and fears of human race | A |
Proceed who dares I tremble as I write | C |
The whole creation swims before my sight | C |
I see I see the Judge's frowning brow | H |
Say not 'tis distant I behold it now | H |
I faint my tardy blood forgets to flow | D |
My soul recoils at the stupendous woe | D |
That woe those pangs which from the guilty breast | C |
In these or words like these shall be exprest | C |
Who burst the barriers of my peaceful grave | W |
Ah cruel death that would no longer save | W |
But grudg'd me e'en that narrow dark abode | C |
And cast me out into the wrath of God | C |
Where shrieks the roaring flame the rattling chain | R |
And all the dreadful eloquence of pain | R |
Our only song black fire's malignant light | C |
The sole refreshment of the blasted sight | C |
Must all those pow'rs heaven gave me to supply | E |
My soul with pleasure and bring in my joy | X |
Rise up in arms against me join the foe | D |
Sense reason memory increase my woe | D |
And shall my voice ordain'd on hymns to dwell | U |
Corrupt to groans and blow the fires of hell | U |
Oh must I look with terror on my gain | R |
And with existence only measure pain | R |
What no reprieve no least indulgence given | T |
No beam of hope from any point of heaven | T |
Ah mercy mercy art thou dead above | P |
Is love extinguish'd in the source of love | P |
Bold that I am did heaven stoop down to hell | U |
Th' expiring Lord of life my ransom seal | Y |
Have I not been industrious to provoke | Z |
From his embraces obstinately broke | Z |
Pursu'd and panted for his mortal hate | C |
Earn'd my destruction labour'd out my fate | C |
And dare I on extinguish'd love exclaim | K |
Take take full vengeance rouse the slack'ning flame | K |
Just is my lot but oh must it transcend | C |
The reach of time despair a distant end | C |
With dreadful growth shoot forward and arise | A |
Where thought can't follow and bold fancy dies | A |
Never where falls the soul at that dread sound | C |
Down an abyss how dark and how profound | C |
Down down I still am falling horrid pain | R |
Ten thousand thousand fathoms still remain | R |
My plunge but still begun And this for sin | A2 |
Could I offend if I had never been | A2 |
But still increas'd the senseless happy mass | A |
Flow'd in the stream or shiver'd in the grass | A |
Father of mercies why from silent earth | B2 |
Didst thou awake and curse me into birth | B2 |
Tear me from quiet ravish me from night | C |
And make a thankless present of thy light | C |
Push into being a reverse of thee | B |
And animate a clod with misery | B |
The beasts are happy they come forth and keep | C2 |
Short watch on earth and then lie down to sleep | C2 |
Pain is for man and oh how vast a pain | R |
For crimes which made the Godhead bleed in vain | R |
Annull'd his groans as far as in them lay | S |
And flung his agonies and death away | S |
As our dire punishment for ever strong | D2 |
Our constitution too for ever young | E2 |
Curs'd with returns of vigour still the same | K |
Powerful to bear and satisfy the flame | K |
Still to be caught and still to be pursu'd | C |
To perish still and still to be renew'd | C |
And this my help my God at thy decree | B |
Nature is chang'd and hell should succour me | B |
And canst thou then look down from perfect bliss | A |
And see me plunging in the dark abyss | A |
Calling thee Father in a sea of fire | H |
Or pouring blasphemies at thy desire | H |
With mortals' anguish wilt thou raise thy name | K |
And by my pangs omnipotence proclaim | K |
Thou who canst toss the planets to and fro | D |
Contract not thy great vengeance to my woe | D |
Crush worlds in hotter flames fall'n angels lay | S |
On me Almighty wrath is cast away | S |
Call back thy thunders Lord hold in thy rage | O |
Nor with a speck of wretchedness engage | O |
Forget me quite nor stoop a worm to blame | K |
But lose me in the greatness of thy name | K |
Thou art all love all mercy all divine | F2 |
And shall I make these glories cease to shine | F2 |
Shall sinful man grow great by his offence | A |
And from its course turn back Omnipotence | A |
Forbid it and oh grant great God at least | C |
This one this slender almost no request | C |
When I have wept a thousand lives away | S |
When torment is grown weary of its prey | S |
When I have rav'd ten thousand years in fire | H |
Ten thousand thousand let me then expire | H |
Deep anguish but too late the hopeless soul | F |
Bound to the bottom of the burning pool | G2 |
Though loth and ever loud blaspheming owns | A |
He's justly doom'd to pour eternal groans | A |
Enclos'd with horrors and transfix'd with pain | R |
Rolling in vengeance struggling with his chain | R |
To talk to fiery tempests to implore | H |
The raging flame to give its burnings o'er | H |
To toss to writhe to pant beneath his load | C |
And bear the weight of an offended God | C |
The favour'd of their Judge in triumph move | H2 |
To take possession of their thrones above | P |
Satan's accurs'd desertion to supply | E |
And fill the vacant stations of the sky | E |
Again to kindle long extinguish'd rays | A |
And with new lights dilate the heavenly blaze | A |
To crop the roses of immortal youth | I2 |
And drink the fountain head of sacred truth | I2 |
To swim in seas of bliss to strike the string | J2 |
And lift the voice to their Almighty King | J2 |
To lose eternity in grateful lays | A |
And fill heaven's wide circumference with praise | A |
But I attempt the wondrous height in vain | R |
And leave unfinish'd the too lofty strain | R |
What boldly I begin let others end | C |
My strength exhausted fainting I descend | C |
And choose a less but no ignoble theme | K2 |
Dissolving elements and worlds in flame | K |
The fatal period the great hour is come | L2 |
And nature shrinks at her approaching doom | M2 |
Loud peals of thunder give the sign and all | N2 |
Heaven's terrors in array surround the ball | N2 |
Sharp lightnings with the meteor's blaze conspire | H |
And darted downward set the world on fire | H |
Black rising clouds the thicken'd ether choke | Z |
And spiry flames dart through the rolling smoke | Z |
With keen vibrations cut the sullen night | C |
And strike the darken'd sky with dreadful light | C |
From heaven's four regions with immortal force | A |
Angels drive on the wind's impetuous course | A |
T' enrage the flame It spreads it soars on high | E |
Swells in the storm and billows through the sky | E |
Here winding pyramids of fire ascend | C |
Cities and deserts in one ruin blend | C |
Here blazing volumes wafted overwhelm | O2 |
The spacious face of a far distant realm | O2 |
There undermin'd down rush eternal hills | A |
The neighb'ring vales the vast destruction fills | A |
Hear'st thou that dreadful crack that sound which broke | Z |
Like peals of thunder and the centre shook | P2 |
What wonders must that groan of nature tell | U |
Olympus there and mightier Atlas fell | U |
Which seem'd above the reach of fate to stand | C |
A tow'ring monument of God's right hand | C |
Now dust and smoke whose brow so lately spread | C |
O'er shelter'd countries its diffusive shade | C |
Show me that celebrated spot where all | N2 |
The various rulers of the sever'd ball | N2 |
Have humbly sought wealth honour and redress | A |
That land which heaven seem'd diligent to bless | A |
Once call'd Britannia can her glories end | C |
And can't surrounding seas her realms defend | C |
Alas in flames behold surrounding seas | A |
Like oil their waters but augment the blaze | A |
Some angel say where ran proud Asia's bound | C |
Or where with fruits was fair Europa crown'd | C |
Where stretch'd waste Lybia Where did India's shore | H |
Sparkle in diamonds and her golden ore | H |
Each lost in each their mingling kingdoms glow | D |
And all dissolv'd one fiery deluge flow | D |
Thus earth's contending monarchies are join'd | C |
And a full period of ambition find | C |
And now whate'er or swims or walks or flies | A |
Inhabitants of sea or earth or skies | A |
All on whom Adam's wisdom fix'd a name | K |
All plunge and perish in the conquering flame | K |
This globe alone would but defraud the fire | H |
Starve its devouring rage the flakes aspire | H |
And catch the clouds and make the heavens their prey | S |
The sun the moon the stars all melt away | S |
All all is lost no monument no sign | F2 |
Where once so proudly blaz'd the gay machine | I |
So bubbles on the foaming stream expire | H |
So sparks that scatter from the kindling fire | H |
The devastations of one dreadful hour | H |
The great Creator's six days' work devour | H |
A mighty mighty ruin yet one soul | F |
Has more to boast and far outweighs the whole | F |
Exalted in superior excellence | A |
Casts down to nothing such a vast expense | A |
Have you not seen th' eternal mountains nod | C |
An earth dissolving a descending God | C |
What strange surprises through all nature ran | Q2 |
For whom these revolutions but for man | Q2 |
For him Omnipotence new measures takes | A |
For him through all eternity awakes | A |
Pours on him gifts sufficient to supply | E |
Heaven's loss and with fresh glories fill the sky | E |
Think deeply then O man how great thou art | C |
Pay thyself homage with a trembling heart | C |
What angels guard no longer dare neglect | C |
Slighting thyself affront not God's respect | C |
Enter the sacred temple of thy breast | C |
And gaze and wander there a ravish'd guest | C |
Gaze on those hidden treasures thou shalt find | C |
Wander through all the glories of thy mind | C |
Of perfect knowledge see the dawning light | C |
Foretells a noon most exquisitely bright | C |
Here springs of endless joy are breaking forth | R2 |
There buds the promise of celestial worth | B2 |
Worth which must ripen in a happier clime | K |
And brighter sun beyond the bounds of time | K |
Thou minor canst not guess thy vast estate | C |
What stores on foreign coasts thy landing wait | C |
Lose not thy claim let virtue's path be trod | C |
Thus glad all heaven and please that bounteous God | C |
Who to light thee to pleasures hung on high | E |
Yon radiant orb proud regent of the sky | E |
That service done its beams shall fade away | S |
And God shine forth in one eternal day | S |
Edward Young
(1)
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