English Bards And Scotch Reviewers: A Satire Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AB AC DDEEFF GGHHIIJJKKLLHHMMNNOO PPQQRRSSTU FFVVWWQQDDQQQQXMYYQQ LLAAMA ZZA2A2B2B2C2C2D2D2E2 E2 F2F2G2G2H2H2E2E2E2E2 TUI2I2J2J2K2K2 L2H2E2E2E2 E2 M2M2 AAE2E2AAOOQQFFE2E2AA E2E2N2N2O2O2AAAAJ2J2 AAI2I2AARRP2P2E2E2 AAAAE2E2FFE2E2E2E2AA E2E2M2M2RRYY P2J2E2

'I had rather be a kitten and cry mewA
Than one of these same metre ballad mongers' ShakespeareB
-
'Such shameless bards we have and yet 'tis trueA
There are as mad abandon'd critics too ' PopeC
-
-
Still must I hear shall hoarse Fitzgerald bawlD
His creaking couplets in a tavern hallD
And I not sing lest haply Scotch reviewsE
Should dub me scribbler and denounce my museE
Prepare for rhyme I'll publish right or wrongF
Fools are my theme let satire be my songF
-
O nature's noblest gift my grey goose quillG
Slave of my thoughts obedient to my willG
Torn from thy parent bird to form a penH
That mighty instrument of little menH
The pen foredoom'd to aid the mental throesI
Of brains that labour big with verse or proseI
Though nymphs forsake and critics may derideJ
The lover's solace and the author's prideJ
What wits what poets dost thou daily raiseK
How frequent is thy use how small thy praiseK
Condemn'd at length to be forgotten quiteL
With all the pages which 'twas thine to writeL
But thou at least mine own especial penH
Once laid aside but now assumed againH
Our task complete like Hamet's shall be freeM
Though spurn'd by others yet beloved by meM
Then let us soar today no common themeN
No eastern vision no distemper'd dreamN
Inspires our path though full of thorns is plainO
Smooth be the verse and easy be the strainO
-
When Vice triumphant holds her sov'reign swayP
Obey'd by all who nought beside obeyP
When Folly frequent harbinger of crimeQ
Bedecks her cap with bells of every climeQ
When knaves and fools combined o'er all prevailR
And weigh their justice in a golden scaleR
E'en then the boldest start from public sneersS
Afraid of shame unknown to other fearsS
More darkly sin by satire kept in aweT
And shrink from ridicule though not from lawU
-
Such is the force of wit but not belongF
To me the arrows of satiric songF
The royal vices of our age demandV
A keener weapon and a mightier handV
Still there are follies e'en for me to chaseW
And yield at least amusement in the raceW
Laugh when I laugh I seek no other fameQ
The cry is up and scribblers are my gameQ
Speed Pegasus ye strains of great and smallD
Ode epic elegy have at you allD
I too can scrawl and once upon a timeQ
I pour'd along the town a flood of rhymeQ
A schoolboy freak unworthy praise or blameQ
I printed older children do the sameQ
'Tis pleasant sure to see one's name in printX
A book's a book although there's nothing in'tM
Not that a title's sounding charm can saveY
Or scrawl or scribbler from an equal graveY
This Lambe must own since his patrician nameQ
Fail'd to preserve the spurious farce from shameQ
No matter George continues still to writeL
Though now the name is veil'd from public sightL
Moved by the great example I pursueA
The self same road but make my own reviewA
Not seek great Jeffrey's yet like him will beM
Self constituted judge of poesyA
-
A man must serve his time to every tradeZ
Save censure critics all are ready madeZ
Take hackney'd jokes from Miller got by roteA2
With just enough of learning to misquoteA2
A mind well skill'd to find or forge a faultB2
A turn for punning call it Attic saltB2
To Jeffrey go be silent and discreetC2
His pay is just ten sterling pounds per sheetC2
Fear not to lie 'twill seem a sharper hitD2
Shrink not from blasphemy 'twill pass for witD2
Care not for feeling pass you proper jestE2
And stand a critic hated yet carress'dE2
-
And shall we own such judgment no as soonF2
Seek roses in December ice in JuneF2
Hope constancy in wind or corn in chaffG2
Believe a woman or an epitaphG2
Or any other thing that's false beforeH2
You trust in critics who themselves are soreH2
Or yield one single thought to be misledE2
By Jeffrey's heart or Lambe's Boeotian headE2
To these young tyrants by themselves misplacedE2
Combined usurpers on the throne of tasteE2
To these when authors bend in humble aweT
And hail their voice as truth their word as lawU
While these are censors 't would be sin to spareI2
While such are critics why should I forebearI2
But yet so near all modern worthies runJ2
'Tis doubtful whom to seek or whom to shunJ2
Nor know we when to spare or where to strikeK2
Our bards and censors are so much alikeK2
-
Then should you ask me why I venture o'erL2
The path which Pope and Gifford trod beforeH2
If not yet sicken'd you can still proceedE2
Go on my rhyme will tell you as you readE2
'But hold ' exclaims a friend 'here's come neglectE2
This that and t'other line seem incorrect '-
What then the self same blunder Pope has gotE2
And careless Dryden 'Ay but Pye has not '-
Indeed 'tis granted faith but what care IM2
Better to err with Pope than shine with PyeM2
-
Time was ere yet in these degenerate daysA
Ignoble themes obtain'd mistaken praiseA
When sense and wit with poesy alliedE2
No fabl'd graces flourish'd side by sideE2
From the same fount their inspiration drewA
And rear'd by taste bloom'd fairer as they grewA
Then in this happy isle a Pope's pure strainO
Sought the rapt soul to charm nor sought in vainO
A polish'd nation's praise aspir'd to claimQ
And rais'd the people's as the poet's fameQ
Like him great Dryden pour'd the tide of songF
In stream less smooth indeed yet doubly strongF
Then Congreve's scenes could cheer or Otway's meltE2
For nature then an English audience feltE2
But why these names or greater still retraceA
When all to feebler bards resign their placeA
Yet to such times our lingering looks are castE2
When taste and reason with those times are pastE2
Now look around and turn each trifling pageN2
Survey the precious works that please the ageN2
This truth at least let satire's self allowO2
No dearth of bards can be complain'd of nowO2
The loaded press beneath her labour groansA
And printers' devils shake their weary bonesA
While Southey's epics cram the creaking shelvesA
And Little's lyrics shine in hot press'd twelvesA
Thus saith the Preacher 'Nought beneath the sunJ2
Is new' yet still from change to change we runJ2
What varied wonders tempt us as they passA
The cow pox tractors galvanism and gasA
In turns appear to make the vulgar stareI2
Till the swoll'n bubble bursts and all is airI2
Nor less new schools of Poetry ariseA
Where dull pretenders grapple for the prizeA
O'er taste awhile these pseudo bards prevailR
Each country book club bows the knee to BaalR
And hurling lawful genius from the throneP2
Erects a shrine and idol of its ownP2
Some leaden calf but whom it matters notE2
From soaring Southey down to grovelling StottE2
-
Behold in various throngs the scribbling crewA
For notice eager pass in long reviewA
Each spurs his jaded Pegasus apaceA
And rhyme and blank maintain an equal raceA
Sonnets on sonnets crowd and ode on odeE2
And tales of terror jostle on the roadE2
Immeasurable measures move alongF
For simpering folly loves a varied songF
To strange mysterious dullness still the friendE2
Admires the strain she cannot comprehendE2
Thus Lays of Minstrels may they be the lastE2
On half strung harps whine mournful to the blastE2
While mountain spirits prate to river spritesA
That dames may listen to the sound at nightsA
And goblin brats of Gilpin Horner's broodE2
Decoy young border nobles through the woodE2
And skip at every step Lord knows how highM2
And frighten foolish babes the Lord knows whyM2
While highborn ladies in their magic cellR
Forbidding knights to read who cannot spellR
Despatch a courier to a wizard's graveY
And fight with honest men to shield a knaveY
-
Next view in state proud prancing on his roanP2
The golden crested haughty MarmionJ2
Now forging scrolls now foremost in the fightE2
Not quite a felon y-

George Gordon Byron



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about English Bards And Scotch Reviewers: A Satire poem by George Gordon Byron


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 2 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