Hero And Leander. The Sixth Sestiad Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCBADEFFGGHHIIJKLL MMNNOOKKPPQQGGLKBABR RSSTTUVKKWWXXLLKKBBK JKKLLLLKKWWLLLLLLLLL LYZA2A2LLB2B2LLC2D2L LLLLLE2E2E2F2G2WWLLH 2H2I2I2J2J2LLLLKKK2K 2WJLLL2L2M2M2KWLLKKL LN2N2AHKKLLO2O2WWLLP 2Q2R2R2LLS2S2LLLLT2T 2LLKKU2V2LLT2T2LLL

No longer could the Day nor DestiniesA
Delay the Night who now did frowning riseB
Into her throne and at her humorous breastsC
Visions and Dreams lay sucking all men's restsC
Fell like the mists of death upon their eyesB
Day's too long darts so kill'd their facultiesA
The Winds yet like the flowers to cease beganD
For bright Leucote Venus' whitest swanE
That held sweet Hero dear spread her fair wingsF
Like to a field of snow and message bringsF
From Venus to the Fates t'entreat them layG
Their charge upon the Winds their rage to stayG
That the stern battle of the seas might ceaseH
And guard Leander to his love in peaceH
The Fates consent ay me dissembling FatesI
They showed their favours to conceal their hatesI
And draw Leander on lest seas too highJ
Should stay his too obsequious destinyK
Who like a fleering slavish parasiteL
In warping profit or a traitorous sleightL
Hoops round his rotten body with devotesM
And pricks his descant face full of false notesM
Praising with open throat and oaths as foulN
As his false heart the beauty of an owlN
Kissing his skipping hand with charmed skipsO
That cannot leave but leaps upon his lipsO
Like a cock sparrow or a shameless queanK
Sharp at a red lipp'd youth and naught doth meanK
Of all his antic shows but doth repairP
More tender fawns and takes a scatter'd hairP
From his tame subject's shoulder whips and callsQ
For everything he lacks creeps 'gainst the wallsQ
With backward humbless to give needless wayG
Thus his false fate did with Leander playG
First to black Eurus flies the white LeucoteL
Born 'mongst the negroes in the Levant seaK
On whose curl'd heads the glowing sun doth riseB
And shows the sovereign will of DestiniesA
To have him cease his blasts and down he liesB
Next to the fenny Notus course she holdsR
And found him leaning with his arms in foldsR
Upon a rock his white hair full of showersS
And him she chargeth by the fatal powersS
To hold in his wet cheeks his cloudy voiceT
To Zephyr then that doth in flowers rejoiceT
To snake foot Boreas next she did removeU
And found him tossing of his ravished loveV
To heat his frosty bosom hid in snowK
Who with Leucote's sight did cease to blowK
Thus all were still to Hero's heart's desireW
Who with all speed did consecrate a fireW
Of flaming gums and comfortable spiceX
To light her torch which in such curious priceX
She held being object to Leander's sightL
That naught but fires perfumed must give it lightL
She loved it so she griev'd to see it burnK
Since it would waste and soon to ashes turnK
Yet if it burned not 'twere not worth her eyesB
What made it nothing gave it all the prizeB
Sweet torch true glass of our societyK
What man does good but he consumes therebyJ
But thou wert loved for good held high given showK
Poor virtue loathed for good obscured held lowK
Do good be pined be deedless good disgracedL
Unless we feed on men we let them fastL
Yet Hero with these thoughts her torch did spendL
When bees make wax Nature doth not intendL
It should be made a torch but we that knowK
The proper virtue of it make it soK
And when 'tis made we light it nor did NatureW
Propose one life to maids but each such creatureW
Makes by her soul the best of her free stateL
Which without love is rude disconsolateL
And wants love's fire to make it mild and brightL
Till when maids are but torches wanting lightL
Thus 'gainst our grief not cause of grief we fightL
The right of naught is glean'd but the delightL
Up went she but to tell how she descendedL
Would God she were dead or my verse endedL
She was the rule of wishes sum and endL
For all the parts that did on love dependL
Yet cast the torch his brightness further forthY
But what shines nearest best holds truest worthZ
Leander did not through such tempests swimA2
To kiss the torch although it lighted himA2
But all his powers in her desires awakedL
Her love and virtues clothed him richly nakedL
Men kiss but fire that only shows pursueB2
Her torch and Hero figure show and virtueB2
Now at opposed Abydos naught was heardL
But bleating flocks and many a bellowing herdL
Slain for the nuptials cracks of falling woodsC2
Blows of broad axes pourings out of floodsD2
The guilty Hellespont was mix'd and stainedL
With bloody torrents that the shambles rainedL
Not arguments of feast but shows that bledL
Foretelling that red night that followedL
More blood was spilt more honours were addrestL
Than could have graced any happy feastL
Rich banquets triumphs every pomp employsE2
His sumptuous hand no miser's nuptial joysE2
Air felt continual thunder with the noiseE2
Made in the general marriage violenceF2
And no man knew the cause of this expenseG2
But the two hapless lords Leander's sireW
And poor Leander poorest where the fireW
Of credulous love made him most rich surmis'dL
As short was he of that himself he prizedL
As is an empty gallant full of formH2
That thinks each look an act each drop a stormH2
That falls from his brave breathings most brought upI2
In our metropolis and hath his cupI2
Brought after him to feasts and much palm bearsJ2
For his rare judgment in th' attire he wearsJ2
Hath seen the hot Low Countries not their heatL
Observes their rampires and their buildings yetL
And for your sweet discourse with mouths is heardL
Giving instructions with his very beardL
Hath gone with an ambassador and beenK
A great man's mate in travelling even to RheneK
And then puts all his worth in such a faceK2
As he saw brave men make and strives for graceK2
To get his news forth as when you descryW
A ship with all her sail contends to flyJ
Out of the narrow Thames with winds unaptL
Now crosseth here then there then this way raptL
And then hath one point reach'd then alters allL2
And to another crooked reach doth fallL2
Of half a bird bolt's shoot keeping more coilM2
Than if she danc'd upon the ocean's toilM2
So serious is his trifling companyK
In all his swelling ship of vacantryW
And so short of himself in his high thoughtL
Was our Leander in his fortunes broughtL
And in his fort of love that he thought wonK
But otherwise he scorns comparisonK
O sweet Leander thy large worth I hideL
In a short grave ill favour'd storms must chideL
Thy sacred favour I in floods of inkN2
Must drown thy graces which white papers drinkN2
Even as thy beauties did the foul black seasA
I must describe the hell of thy deceaseH
That heaven did merit yet I needs must seeK
Our painted fools and cockhorse peasantryK
Still still usurp with long lives loves and lustL
The seats of Virtue cutting short as dustL
Her dear bought issue ill to worse convertsO2
And tramples in the blood of all desertsO2
Night close and silent now goes fast beforeW
The captains and the soldiers to the shoreW
On whom attended the appointed fleetL
At Sestos' bay that should Leander meetL
Who feigned he in another ship would passP2
Which must not be for no one mean there wasQ2
To get his love home but the course he tookR2
Forth did his beauty for his beauty lookR2
And saw her through her torch as you beholdL
Sometimes within the sun a face of goldL
Formed in strong thoughts by that tradition's forceS2
That says a god sits there and guides his courseS2
His sister was with him to whom he show'dL
His guide by sea and said 'Oft have you view'dL
In one heaven many stars but never yetL
In one star many heavens till now were metL
See lovely sister see now Hero shinesT2
No heaven but her appears each star repinesT2
And all are clad in clouds as if they mournedL
To be by influence of earth out burnedL
Yet doth she shine and teacheth Virtue's trainK
Still to be constant in hell's blackest reignK
Though even the gods themselves do so entreat themU2
As they did hate and earth as she would eat them 'V2
Off went his silken robe and in he leaptL
Whom the kind waves so licorously cleaptL
Thickening for haste one in another soT2
To kiss his skin that he might almost goT2
To Hero's tower had that kind minute lastedL
But now the cruel Fates with Ate hastedL
To all the winds and madeL

George Chapman



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about Hero And Leander. The Sixth Sestiad poem by George Chapman


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 16 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets