Don Juan: Canto The Ninth Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABABCD EFEFEFGG HIHIHIJJ KLKKKKMM FJFJFJKK KCKCKCNN CNCNCNOO CKCKCKCC FIFIFJCC CPCPCPKK NQNQRQST UVUVUWXX KYKYKYCC NNNNNAA ZKNKNKKK KQKQKQTT NCNCNCNQ KNKNKNCC A2B2A2C2A2C2KK NFNFNFNN KD2KD2KD2CC E2KE2KE2KKN

Oh Wellington or 'Villainton' for FameA
Sounds the heroic syllables both waysB
France could not even conquer your great nameA
But punn'd it down to this facetious phraseB
Beating or beaten she will laugh the sameA
You have obtain'd great pensions and much praiseB
Glory like yours should any dare gainsayC
Humanity would rise and thunder 'Nay 'D
-
I don't think that you used Kinnaird quite wellE
In Marinet's affair in fact 'twas shabbyF
And like some other things won't do to tellE
Upon your tomb in Westminster's old abbeyF
Upon the rest 'tis not worth while to dwellE
Such tales being for the tea hours of some tabbyF
But though your years as man tend fast to zeroG
In fact your grace is still but a young heroG
-
Though Britain owes and pays you too so muchH
Yet Europe doubtless owes you greatly moreI
You have repair'd Legitimacy's crutchH
A prop not quite so certain as beforeI
The Spanish and the French as well as DutchH
Have seen and felt how strongly you restoreI
And Waterloo has made the world your debtorJ
I wish your bards would sing it rather betterJ
-
You are 'the best of cut throats ' do not startK
The phrase is Shakspeare's and not misappliedL
War's a brain spattering windpipe slitting artK
Unless her cause by right be sanctifiedK
If you have acted once a generous partK
The world not the world's masters will decideK
And I shall be delighted to learn whoM
Save you and yours have gain'd by WaterlooM
-
I am no flatterer you 've supp'd full of flatteryF
They say you like it too 't is no great wonderJ
He whose whole life has been assault and batteryF
At last may get a little tired of thunderJ
And swallowing eulogy much more than satire heF
May like being praised for every lucky blunderJ
Call'd 'Saviour of the Nations' not yet savedK
And 'Europe's Liberator' still enslavedK
-
I've done Now go and dine from off the plateK
Presented by the Prince of the BrazilsC
And send the sentinel before your gateK
A slice or two from your luxurious mealsC
He fought but has not fed so well of lateK
Some hunger too they say the people feelsC
There is no doubt that you deserve your rationN
But pray give back a little to the nationN
-
I don't mean to reflect a man so great asC
You my lord duke is far above reflectionN
The high Roman fashion too of CincinnatusC
With modern history has but small connectionN
Though as an Irishman you love potatoesC
You need not take them under your directionN
And half a million for your Sabine farmO
Is rather dear I'm sure I mean no harmO
-
Great men have always scorn'd great recompensesC
Epaminondas saved his Thebes and diedK
Not leaving even his funeral expensesC
George Washington had thanks and nought besideK
Except the all cloudless glory which few men's isC
To free his country Pitt too had his prideK
And as a high soul'd minister of state isC
Renown'd for ruining Great Britain gratisC
-
Never had mortal man such opportunityF
Except Napoleon or abused it moreI
You might have freed fallen Europe from the unityF
Of tyrants and been blest from shore to shoreI
And now what is your fame Shall the Muse tune it yeF
Now that the rabble's first vain shouts are o'erJ
Go hear it in your famish'd country's criesC
Behold the world and curse your victoriesC
-
As these new cantos touch on warlike featsC
To you the unflattering Muse deigns to inscribeP
Truths that you will not read in the GazettesC
But which 'tis time to teach the hireling tribeP
Who fatten on their country's gore and debtsC
Must be recited and without a bribeP
You did great things but not being great in mindK
Have left undone the greatest and mankindK
-
Death laughs Go ponder o'er the skeletonN
With which men image out the unknown thingQ
That hides the past world like to a set sunN
Which still elsewhere may rouse a brighter springQ
Death laughs at all you weep for look uponR
This hourly dread of all whose threaten'd stingQ
Turns life to terror even though in its sheathS
Mark how its lipless mouth grins without breathT
-
Mark how it laughs and scorns at all you areU
And yet was what you are from ear to earV
It laughs not there is now no fleshy barU
So call'd the Antic long hath ceased to hearV
But still he smiles and whether near or farU
He strips from man that mantle far more dearW
Than even the tailor's his incarnate skinX
White black or copper the dead bones will grinX
-
And thus Death laughs it is sad merrimentK
But still it is so and with such exampleY
Why should not Life be equally contentK
With his superior in a smile to trampleY
Upon the nothings which are daily spentK
Like bubbles on an ocean much less ampleY
Than the eternal deluge which devoursC
Suns as rays worlds like atoms years like hoursC
-
'To be or not to be that is the question '-
Says Shakspeare who just now is much in fashionN
I am neither Alexander nor HephaestionN
Nor ever had for abstract fame much passionN
But would much rather have a sound digestionN
Than Buonaparte's cancer could I dash onN
Through fifty victories to shame or fameA
Without a stomach what were a good nameA
-
'O dura ilia messorum ' 'OhZ
Ye rigid guts of reapers ' I translateK
For the great benefit of those who knowN
What indigestion is that inward fateK
Which makes all Styx through one small liver flowN
A peasant's sweat is worth his lord's estateK
Let this one toil for bread that rack for rentK
He who sleeps best may be the most contentK
-
'To be or not to be ' Ere I decideK
I should be glad to know that which is beingQ
'T is true we speculate both far and wideK
And deem because we see we are all seeingQ
For my part I 'll enlist on neither sideK
Until I see both sides for once agreeingQ
For me I sometimes think that life is deathT
Rather than life a mere affair of breathT
-
'Que scais je ' was the motto of MontaigneN
As also of the first academiciansC
That all is dubious which man may attainN
Was one of their most favourite positionsC
There's no such thing as certainty that's plainN
As any of Mortality's conditionsC
So little do we know what we're about inN
This world I doubt if doubt itself be doubtingQ
-
It is a pleasant voyage perhaps to floatK
Like Pyrrho on a sea of speculationN
But what if carrying sail capsize the boatK
Your wise men don't know much of navigationN
And swimming long in the abyss of thoughtK
Is apt to tire a calm and shallow stationN
Well nigh the shore where one stoops down and gathersC
Some pretty shell is best for moderate bathersC
-
'But heaven ' as Cassio says 'is above allA2
No more of this then let us pray ' We haveB2
Souls to save since Eve's slip and Adam's fallA2
Which tumbled all mankind into the graveC2
Besides fish beasts and birds 'The sparrow's fallA2
Is special providence ' though how it gaveC2
Offence we know not probably it perch'dK
Upon the tree which Eve so fondly search'dK
-
Oh ye immortal gods what is theogonyN
Oh thou too mortal man what is philanthropyF
Oh world which was and is what is cosmogonyN
Some people have accused me of misanthropyF
And yet I know no more than the mahoganyN
That forms this desk of what they mean lykanthropyF
I comprehend for without transformationN
Men become wolves on any slight occasionN
-
But I the mildest meekest of mankindK
Like Moses or Melancthon who have ne'erD2
Done anything exceedingly unkindK
And though I could not now and then forbearD2
Following the bent of body or of mindK
Have always had a tendency to spareD2
Why do they call me misanthrope BecauseC
They hate me not I them and here we'll pauseC
-
'Tis time we should proceed with our good poemE2
For I maintain that it is really goodK
Not only in the body but the proemE2
However little both are understoodK
Just now but by and by the Truth will show 'emE2
Herself in her sublimest attitudeK
And till she doth I fain must be contentK
To share her bN

George Gordon Byron



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