The Waltz Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEDDFF GHIIIIJJDDIIII CCKKLLDDII MMIIDDNOPPIIDDII DDII IIQQIIDDIIRRIIIIDDDD DDDDSSDDDDTTUU IIVVDDRRIIWWDDJJ UUMMIIDDXXSSII YYDDZZUUII HHA2A2DDB2B2C2C2DDII HHDDD2E2IIIIIIIIDUII DDIID2D2UUIIUUUUURRI IIIUURRKKDDRRF2F2G2G 2DDH2H2DDDDMMI2I2YYU U HHJ2J2DDIIIIYYDD DDQQDDYYUUDDDDHHMM YYE2K2L2GKKII

Muse of the many twinkling feet whose charmsA
Are now extended up from legs to armsA
Terpsichore too long misdeemed a maidB
Reproachful term bestowed but to upbraidB
Henceforth in all the bronze of brightness shineC
The least a Vestal of the Virgin NineC
Far be from thee and thine the name of PrudeD
Mocked yet triumphant sneered at unsubduedD
Thy legs must move to conquer as they flyE
If but thy coats are reasonably highE
Thy breast if bare enough requires no shieldD
Dance forth sans armour thou shalt take the fieldD
And own impregnable to most assaultsF
Thy not too lawfully begotten WaltzF
-
Hail nimble Nymph to whom the young hussarG
The whiskered votary of Waltz and WarH
His night devotes despite of spur and bootsI
A sight unmatched since Orpheus and his brutesI
Hail spirit stirring Waltz beneath whose bannersI
A modern hero fought for modish mannersI
On Hounslow's heath to rival Wellesley's fameJ
Cocked fired and missed his man but gained his aimJ
Hail moving muse to whom the fair one's breastD
Gives all it can and bids us take the restD
Oh for the flow of Busby or of FitzI
The latter's loyalty the former's witsI
To energise the object I pursueI
And give both Belial and his Dance their dueI
-
Imperial Waltz imported from the RhineC
Famed for the growth of pedigrees and wineC
Long be thine import from all duty freeK
And Hock itself be less esteemed than theeK
In some few qualities alike for HockL
Improves our cellar thou our living stockL
The head to Hock belongs thy subtler artD
Intoxicates alone the heedless heartD
Through the full veins thy gentler poison swimsI
And wakes to Wantonness the willing limbsI
-
Oh Germany how much to thee we oweM
As heaven born Pitt can testify belowM
Ere cursed Confederation made thee France'sI
And only left us thy d d debts and dancesI
Of subsidies and Hanover bereftD
We bless thee still George the Third is leftD
Of kings the best and last not least in worthN
For graciously begetting George the FourthO
To Germany and Highnesses sereneP
Who owe us millions don't we owe the QueenP
To Germany what owe we not besidesI
So oft bestowing Brunswickers and bridesI
Who paid for vulgar with her royal bloodD
Drawn from the stem of each Teutonic studD
Who sent us so be pardoned all her faultsI
A dozen dukes some kings a Queen and WaltzI
-
But peace to her her Emperor and DietD
Though now transferred to Buonapart egrave 's fiatD
Back to my theme O muse of Motion sayI
How first to Albion found thy Waltz her wayI
-
Borne on the breath of Hyperborean galesI
From Hamburg's port while Hamburg yet had mailsI
Ere yet unlucky Fame compelled to creepQ
To snowy Gottenburg was chilled to sleepQ
Or starting from her slumbers deigned ariseI
Heligoland to stock thy mart with liesI
While unburnt Moscow yet had news to sendD
Nor owed her fiery Exit to a friendD
She came Waltz came and with her certain setsI
Of true despatches and as true GazettesI
Then flamed of Austerlitz the blest despatchR
Which Moniteur nor Morning Post can matchR
And almost crushed beneath the glorious newsI
Ten plays and forty tales of Kotzebue'sI
One envoy's letters six composer's airsI
And loads from Frankfort and from Leipsic fairsI
Meiners' four volumes upon WomankindD
Like Lapland witches to ensure a windD
Brunck's heaviest tome for ballast and to back itD
Of Heyn egrave such as should not sink the packetD
-
Fraught with this cargo and her fairest freightD
Delightful Waltz on tiptoe for a MateD
The welcome vessel reached the genial strandD
And round her flocked the daughters of the landD
Not decent David when before the arkS
His grand Pas seul excited some remarkS
Not love lorn Quixote when his Sancho thoughtD
The knight's Fandango friskier than it oughtD
Not soft Herodias when with winning treadD
Her nimble feet danced off another's headD
Not Cleopatra on her Galley's DeckT
Displayed so much of leg or more of neckT
Than Thou ambrosial Waltz when first the MoonU
Beheld thee twirling to a Saxon tuneU
-
To You ye husbands of ten years whose browsI
Ache with the annual tributes of a spouseI
To you of nine years less who only bearV
The budding sprouts of those that you shall wearV
With added ornaments around them rolledD
Of native brass or law awarded goldD
To You ye Matrons ever on the watchR
To mar a son's or make a daughter's matchR
To You ye children of whom chance accordsI
Always the Ladies and sometimes their LordsI
To You ye single gentlemen who seekW
Torments for life or pleasures for a weekW
As Love or Hymen your endeavours guideD
To gain your own or snatch another's brideD
To one and all the lovely Stranger cameJ
And every Ball room echoes with her nameJ
-
Endearing Waltz to thy more melting tuneU
Bow Irish Jig and ancient RigadoonU
Scotch reels avaunt and Country dance foregoM
Your future claims to each fantastic toeM
Waltz Waltz alone both legs and arms demandsI
Liberal of feet and lavish of her handsI
Hands which may freely range in public sightD
Where ne'er before but pray put out the lightD
Methinks the glare of yonder chandelierX
Shines much too far or I am much too nearX
And true though strange Waltz whispers this remarkS
My slippery steps are safest in the darkS
But here the Muse with due decorum haltsI
And lends her longest petticoat to WaltzI
-
Observant Travellers of every timeY
Ye Quartos published upon every climeY
say shall dull Romaika's heavy roundD
Fandango's wriggle or Bolero's boundD
Can Egypt's Almas tantalising groupZ
Columbia's caperers to the warlike WhoopZ
Can aught from cold Kamschatka to Cape HornU
With Waltz compare or after Waltz be bornU
Ah no from Morier's pages down to Galt'sI
Each tourist pens a paragraph for WaltzI
-
Shades of those Belles whose reign began of yoreH
With George the Third's and ended long beforeH
Though in your daughters' daughters yet you thriveA2
Burst from your lead and be yourselves aliveA2
Back to the Ball room speed your spectred hostD
Fool's Paradise is dull to that you lostD
No treacherous powder bids Conjecture quakeB2
No stiff starched stays make meddling fingers acheB2
Transferred to those ambiguous things that apeC2
Goats in their visage women in their shapeC2
No damsel faints when rather closely pressedD
But more caressing seems when most caressedD
Superfluous Hartshorn and reviving SaltsI
Both banished by the sovereign cordial WaltzI
-
Seductive Waltz though on thy native shoreH
Even Werter's self proclaimed thee half a whoreH
Werter to decent vice though much inclinedD
Yet warm not wanton dazzled but not blindD
Though gentle Genlis in her strife with Sta euml lD2
Would even proscribe thee from a Paris ballE2
The fashion hails from Countesses to QueensI
And maids and valets waltz behind the scenesI
Wide and more wide thy witching circle spreadsI
And turns if nothing else at least our headsI
With thee even clumsy cits attempt to bounceI
And cockney's practise what they can't pronounceI
Gods how the glorious theme my strain exaltsI
And Rhyme finds partner Rhyme in praise of WaltzI
Blest was the time Waltz chose for her d eacute butD
The Court the Regent like herself were newU
New face for friends for foes some new rewardsI
New ornaments for black and royal GuardsI
New laws to hang the rogues that roared for breadD
New coins most new to follow those that fledD
New victories nor can we prize them lessI
Though Jenky wonders at his own successI
New wars because the old succeed so wellD2
That most survivors envy those who fellD2
New mistresses no old and yet 'tis trueU
Though they be old the thing is something newU
Each new quite new except some ancient tricksI
New white sticks gold sticks broom sticks all new sticksI
With vests or ribands decked alike in hueU
New troopers strut new turncoats blush in blueU
So saith the Muse my what say youU
Such was the time when Waltz might best maintainU
Her new preferments in this novel reignU
Such was the time nor ever yet was suchR
Hoops are more and petticoats not muchR
Morals and Minuets Virtue and her staysI
And tell tale powder all have had their daysI
The Ball begins the honours of the houseI
First duly done by daughter or by spouseI
Some Potentate or royal or sereneU
With Kent's gay grace or sapient Gloster's mienU
Leads forth the ready dame whose rising flushR
Might once have been mistaken for a blushR
From where the garb just leaves the bosom freeK
That spot where hearts were once supposed to beK
Round all the confines of the yielded waistD
The strangest hand may wander undisplacedD
The lady's in return may grasp as muchR
As princely paunches offer to her touchR
Pleased round the chalky floor how well they tripF2
One hand reposing on the royal hipF2
The other to the shoulder no less royalG2
Ascending with affection truly loyalG2
Thus front to front the partners move or standD
The foot may rest but none withdraw the handD
And all in turn may follow in their rankH2
The Earl of Asterisk and Lady BlankH2
Sir Such a one with those of fashion's hostD
For whose blest surnames vide Morning PostD
Or if for that impartial print too lateD
Search Doctors' Commons six months from my dateD
Thus all and each in movement swift or slowM
The genial contact gently undergoM
Till some might marvel with the modest TurkI2
If nothing follows all this palming workI2
True honest Mirza you may trust my rhymeY
Something does follow at a fitter timeY
The breast thus publicly resigned to manU
In private may resist him if it canU
-
O ye who loved our Grandmothers of yoreH
Fitzpatrick Sheridan and many moreH
And thou my Prince whose sovereign taste and willJ2
It is to love the lovely beldames stillJ2
Thou Ghost of Queensberry whose judging SpriteD
Satan may spare to peep a single nightD
Pronounce if ever in your days of blissI
Asmodeus struck so bright a stroke as thisI
To teach the young ideas how to riseI
Flush in the cheek and languish in the eyesI
Rush to the heart and lighten through the frameY
With half told wish and ill dissembled flameY
For prurient Nature still will storm the breastD
Who tempted thus can answer for the restD
-
But ye who never felt a single thoughtD
For what our Morals are to be or oughtD
Who wisely wish the charms you view to reapQ
Say would you make those beauties quite so cheapQ
Hot from the hands promiscuously appliedD
Round the slight waist or down the glowing sideD
Where were the rapture then to clasp the formY
From this lewd grasp and lawless contact warmY
At once Love's most endearing thought resignU
To press the hand so pressed by none but thineU
To gaze upon that eye which never metD
Another's ardent look without regretD
Approach the lip which all without restraintD
Come near enough if not to touch to taintD
If such thou lovest love her then no moreH
Or give like her caresses to a scoreH
Her Mind with these is gone and with it goM
The little left behind it to bestowM
-
Voluptuous Waltz and dare I thus blasphemeY
Thy bard forgot thy praises were his themeY
Terpsichore forgive at every BallE2
My wife now waltzes and my daughters shallK2
My son or stop 'tis needless to inquireL2
These little accidents should ne'er transpireG
Some ages hence our genealogic treeK
Will wear as green a bough for him as meK
Waltzing shall rear to make our name amendsI
Grandsons for me in heirs to all his friendsI

George Gordon Lord Byron



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