Peruvian Tales: Alzira, Tale I Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCD EEEEEEEEFFGGHHEEIIJJ EEKKDD FFFFEELLEELLMMLLNNLL OOPPQREEIILLRRSSLLNN GGLLTTLLEEEEGGFFLL UUGGVVWWEELXRRBBLLLL FFEESSLLLLFFFFLLGGYY RZLLOO| Description of Peru and of its Productions Virtues of the People | A |
| and of their Monarch ATALIBA His love for ALZIRA Their Nup | B |
| tials celebrated Character of ZORAI her Father Descent of the | C |
| Genius of Peru Prediction of the Fall of that Empire | D |
| - | |
| - | |
| Where the Pacific deep in silence laves | E |
| The western shore with slow and languid waves | E |
| There lost PERUVlA bloom'd thy cultur'd bowers | E |
| Thy vallies fragrant with perennial flowers | E |
| There far above the Pine unbending rose | E |
| Along the pathway of thy mountain snows | E |
| The Palms fling high in air their feather'd heads | E |
| While each broad leaf an ample shadow spreads | E |
| The Orange and the rich Ananas bloom | F |
| And humid Balsams ever shed perfume | F |
| The Bark reviving shrub Ah not in vain | G |
| Thy rosy blossoms tinge PERUVIA'S plain | G |
| Ye fost'ring gales around those blossoms blow | H |
| Ye balmy dew drops o'er the tendrils flow | H |
| Lo as the health diffusing plant aspires | E |
| Disease relents and hov'ring death retires | E |
| Affection sees new lustre light the eye | I |
| And feels her vanish'd peace again is nigh | I |
| The Pacas and Vicunnas sport around | J |
| And the meek Lamas burden'd press the ground | J |
| The Mocking bird his varying note essays | E |
| And charms the grove with imitative lays | E |
| The plaintive Humming bird unfolds his wing | K |
| Of vivid plumage to the ray of spring | K |
| Then sinks soft burthen on the humid flower | D |
| His food the dewdrops of the morning hour | D |
| - | |
| Nor less PERUVIA for thy favour'd clime | F |
| The Virtues rose unsullied and sublime | F |
| There melting Charity with ardour warm | F |
| Spreads her wide mantle o'er the shiv'ring form | F |
| Cheer'd with the festal song her rural toils | E |
| While in the lap of age she pour'd the spoils | E |
| There the mild Inca ATALIBA sway'd | L |
| His high behest the willing heart obey'd | L |
| Descendant of a scepter'd sacred race | E |
| Whose origin from glowing suns they trace | E |
| Love's soft emotions now his soul possest | L |
| And fix'd ALZIRA'S image in his breast | L |
| In that blest clime affection never knew | M |
| A selfish purpose or a thought untrue | M |
| Not as on Europe's shore where wealth and pride | L |
| From mourning love the venal breast divide | L |
| Yet Love if there from sordid shackles free | N |
| One faithful bosom yet belongs to thee | N |
| On that fond heart the purest bliss bestow | L |
| Or give for thou canst give a charm to woe | L |
| Ah never may that heart in vain deplore | O |
| The pang that tortures when belov'd no more | O |
| And from that agony the spirit save | P |
| When unrelenting yawns th' untimely grave | P |
| When death dissolves the ties for ever dear | Q |
| When frantic passion pours her parting tear | R |
| With all the wasting pains she only feels | E |
| Hangs on the quiv'ring lip that silence seals | E |
| Views fondness struggling in the closing eye | I |
| And marks it mingling in the falt'ring sigh | I |
| As the lov'd form while folded to her breast | L |
| Breathes the last moan that gives its struggles rest | L |
| Leaves her to pine in grief that none can share | R |
| And find the world a desert to despair | R |
| Bright was the lustre of the orient ray | S |
| That joyful wak'd ALZIRA'S nuptial day | S |
| Her auburn hair spread loosely on the wind | L |
| The virgin train with rosy chaplets bind | L |
| While the fresh flowers that form her bridal wreathe | N |
| Seem deeper hues and richer scents to breathe | N |
| The gentle tribe now sought the hallow'd fane | G |
| Where warbling vestals pour'd the choral strain | G |
| There aged ZORAI his ALZIRA prest | L |
| With love parental to his anxious breast | L |
| Priest of the Sun within the sacred shrine | T |
| His fervent spirit breath'd the strain divine | T |
| With careful hand the guiltless off'ring spread | L |
| With pious zeal the clear libation shed | L |
| Nor vain the incense of erroneous praise | E |
| When meek devotion's soul the tribute pays | E |
| On wings of purity behold it rise | E |
| While bending mercy wafts it to the skies | E |
| PERUVIA O delightful land in vain | G |
| The virtues flourish'd on thy beauteous plain | G |
| For soon shall burst the unrelenting storm | F |
| O'er thy mild head and crush thy prostrate form | F |
| Recording Fame shall mark thy desp'rate fate | L |
| And distant ages weep for ills so great | L |
| - | |
| Now o'er the deep dull Night her mantle flung | U |
| Dim on the wave the moon's faint crescent hung | U |
| PERUVIA'S Genius sought the liquid plain | G |
| Sooth'd by the languid murmurs of the main | G |
| When sudden clamour the illusion broke | V |
| Wild on the surface of the deep it spoke | V |
| A rising breeze expands her flowing veil | W |
| Aghast with fear she spies a flying sail | W |
| The lofty mast impends the banner waves | E |
| The ruffled surge th' incumbent vessel laves | E |
| With eager eye she views her destin'd foe | L |
| Lead to her peaceful shores th' advent'rous prow | X |
| Trembling she knelt with wild disorder'd air | R |
| And pour'd with frantic energy her prayer | R |
| O ye avenging spirits of the deep | B |
| Mount the blue lightning's wing o'er ocean sweep | B |
| Loud from your central caves the shell resound | L |
| That summons death to your abyss profound | L |
| Call the pale spectre from his dark abode | L |
| To print the billow swell the black'ning flood | L |
| Rush o'er the waves the rough'ning deep deform | F |
| Howl in the blast and animate the storm | F |
| Relentless powers for not one quiv'ring breeze | E |
| Has ruffled yet the surface of the seas | E |
| Swift from your rocky steeps ye Condors stray | S |
| Wave your black plumes and cleave th' aerial way | S |
| Proud in terrific force your wings expand | L |
| Press the firm earth and darken all the strand | L |
| Bid the stern foe retire with wild affright | L |
| And shun the region veil'd in partial night | L |
| Vain hope devoted land I read thy doom | F |
| My sad prophetic soul can pierce the gloom | F |
| I see I see my lov'd my favour'd clime | F |
| Consum'd and wasted in its early prime | F |
| But not in vain this beauteous land shall bleed | L |
| Too late shall Europe's race deplore the deed | L |
| Region abhorr'd be gold the tempting bane | G |
| The curse that desolates thy hostile plain | G |
| May pleasure tinge with venom'd drops the bowl | Y |
| And luxury unnerve the sick'ning soul | Y |
| Ah not in vain she pour'd th' impassion'd tear | R |
| Ah not in vain she call'd the powers to hear | Z |
| When borne from lost PERUVIA'S bleeding land | L |
| The guilty treasures beam'd on Europe's strand | L |
| Each sweet affection fled the tainted shore | O |
| And virtue wander'd to return no more | O |
Helen Maria Williams
(1)
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