The Ruling Thought Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEE FGHIJJ DKKLMFNN OOPQQNEE RSTTUVDD WXXYZA2A2 B2C2B2D2E2D2ESS F2G2H2I2I2I2J2I2EEEP K2B2L2M2 I2N2O2I2P2Q2Q2I2LR2R 2 S2T2P2U2EV2I2I2 L2W2NNVI2I2X2I2Y2I2I 2 Y2Y2Z2WA2Y2Y2I2A3Y2Y 2Y2B3C3C3Y2Y2Y2I2Y2Y 2D3AY2E3VEF3G3E I2I2EEG3G3 Y2B3Q2FB3B3EEI2H3Y2Y 2Most sweet most powerful | A |
Controller of my inmost soul | B |
The terrible yet precious gift | C |
Of heaven companion kind | D |
Of all my days of misery | E |
O thought that ever dost recur to me | E |
- | |
Of thy mysterious power | F |
Who speaketh not Who hath not felt | G |
Its subtle influence | H |
Yet when one is by feeling deep impelled | I |
Its secret joys and sorrows to unfold | J |
The theme seems ever new however old | J |
- | |
How isolated is my mind | D |
Since thou in it hast come to dwell | K |
As by some magic spell | K |
My other thoughts have all | L |
Like lightning disappeared | M |
And thou alone like some huge tower | F |
In a deserted plain | N |
Gigantic solitary dost remain | N |
- | |
How worthless quite | O |
Save but for thee have in my sight | O |
All earthly things and life itself become | P |
How wearisome its days | Q |
And all its works and all its plays | Q |
A vain pursuit of pleasures vain | N |
Compared with the felicity | E |
The heavenly joy that springs from thee | E |
- | |
As from the naked rocks | R |
Of the rough Apennine | S |
The weary pilgrim turns his longing eyes | T |
To the bright plain that in the distance lies | T |
So from the rough and barren intercourse | U |
Of worldly men to thee I gladly turn | V |
As to a Paradise my weary mind | D |
And sweet refreshment for my senses find | D |
- | |
It seems to me incredible that I | W |
This dreary world this wretched life | X |
So full of folly and of strife | X |
Without thy aid could have so long endured | Y |
Nor can I well conceive | Z |
How one's desires could cling | A2 |
To other joys than those which thou dost bring | A2 |
- | |
Never since first I knew | B2 |
By hard experience what life is | C2 |
Could fear of death my soul subdue | B2 |
To day a jest to me appears | D2 |
That which the silly world | E2 |
Praising at times yet ever hates and fears | D2 |
The last extremity | E |
If danger comes I with undaunted mien | S |
Its threats encounter with a smile serene | S |
- | |
I always hated coward souls | F2 |
And meanness held in scorn | G2 |
Now each unworthy act | H2 |
At once through all my senses thrills | I2 |
Each instance vile of human worthlessness | I2 |
My soul with holy anger fills | I2 |
This arrogant this foolish age | J2 |
Which feeds itself on empty hopes | I2 |
Absorbed in trifles virtue's enemy | E |
Which idly clamors for utility | E |
And has not sense enough to see | E |
How useless all life thenceforth must become | P |
I feel beneath me and its judgments laugh | K2 |
To scorn The motley crew | B2 |
The foes of every lofty thought | L2 |
Who laugh at thee I trample under foot | M2 |
- | |
To that which thee inspires | I2 |
What passion yieldeth not | N2 |
What other save this one | O2 |
Controls our hearts' desires | I2 |
Ambition avarice disdain and hate | P2 |
The love of power love of fame | Q2 |
What are they but an empty name | Q2 |
Compared with it And this | I2 |
The source the spring of all | L |
That sovereign reigns within the breast | R2 |
Eternal laws have on our hearts impressed | R2 |
- | |
Life hath no value meaning hath | S2 |
Save but for thee our only hope and stay | T2 |
The sole excuse for Fate | P2 |
That cruelly hath placed us here | U2 |
To undergo such useless misery | E |
For thee alone the wise man not the fool | V2 |
To life still fondly clings | I2 |
Nor calls on death to end his sufferings | I2 |
- | |
Thy joys to gather thou sweet thought | L2 |
Long years of sorrow I endure | W2 |
And bear of weary life the strain | N |
But not in vain | N |
And I would still return | V |
In spite of all my sad experience | I2 |
Towards such a goal my course to recommence | I2 |
For through the sands and through the viper brood | X2 |
Of this our mortal wilderness | I2 |
My steps I ne'er so wearily have dragged | Y2 |
To thee that all the danger and distress | I2 |
Were not repaid by such pure happiness | I2 |
- | |
O what a world what new immensity | Y2 |
What paradise is that | Y2 |
To which so oft by thy stupendous charm | Z2 |
Impelled I seem to soar Where I | W |
Beneath a brighter light am wandering | A2 |
And my poor earthly state | Y2 |
And all life's bitter truths forget | Y2 |
Such are I ween the dreams | I2 |
Of the Immortals Ah what but a dream | A3 |
Art thou sweet thought | Y2 |
The truth that thus embellished | Y2 |
A dream an error manifest | Y2 |
But of a nature still divine | B3 |
An error brave and strong | C3 |
That will with truth the fight prolong | C3 |
And oft for truth doth compensate | Y2 |
Nor leave us e'er till summoned hence by Fate | Y2 |
And surely thou my thought | Y2 |
Thou sole sustainer of my days | I2 |
The cause beloved of sorrows infinite | Y2 |
In Death alone wilt be extinguished quite | Y2 |
For by sure signs within my soul I feel | D3 |
Thy sovereign sway perpetual | A |
All other fancies sweet | Y2 |
The aspect of the truth | E3 |
Hath weakened ever But whene'er I turn | V |
To gaze again on her of whom with thee | E |
To speak is all I live for ah | F3 |
That great delight increases still | G3 |
That frenzy fine the breath of life to me | E |
- | |
Angelic beauty Every lovely face | I2 |
On which I gaze | I2 |
A phantom seems to me | E |
That vainly strives to copy thee | E |
Of all the graces that our souls inthral | G3 |
Sole fount divine original | G3 |
- | |
Since first I thee beheld | Y2 |
Of what most anxious care of mine | B3 |
Hast thou not been the end and aim | Q2 |
What day has ever passed what hour | F |
When I thought not of thee What dream of mine | B3 |
Has not been haunted by thy face divine | B3 |
Angelic countenance that we | E |
In dreams alas alone may see | E |
What else on earth what in the universe | I2 |
Do I e'er ask or hope for more | H3 |
Than those dear eyes forever to behold | Y2 |
Than thy sweet thought still in my heart to hold | Y2 |
Giacomo Leopardi
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Ruling Thought poem by Giacomo Leopardi
Best Poems of Giacomo Leopardi