Peruvian Tales: Zilia, Tale Iii Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDE FFGGHHFF IIJJKKLLFFMMNNOOPQRR FFFFSTFFUUNNFFVVWWXX FFYYOOZNA2A2WWB2B2EE C2C2WWB2B2FFKKFFPQD2 D2NNOOJJEEWWE2YFFHHZ NWWF2F2G2G2D2D2H2H2F FI2I2FFB2B2FFZZA2A2U U FFG2G2A2A2NNFFFFG2G2 J2J2A2A2BBPQJJFFRRA2 A2G2G2FFNNK2NOOEEG2G 2FFA2M

PIZARRO takes possession of Cuzco The fanaticism of VALVERDA aA
Spanish priest Its dreadful effects A Peruvian priest put to the torB
ture His Daughter's distress He is rescued by LAS CASAS a SpaC
nish ecclesiastic And led to a place of safety where he dies HisD
Daughter's narration of her sufferings Her deathE
-
-
Now stern PIZARRO seeks the distant plainsF
Where beauteous Cuzco lifts her golden fanesF
The meek Peruvians gaz'd in wild dismayG
Nor barr'd the dark Oppressor's sanguine wayG
And soon on Cuzco where the dawning lightH
Of glory shone foretelling day more brightH
Where the young arts had shed unfolding flowersF
A scene of spreading desolation lowersF
-
While buried deep in everlasting shadeI
That lustre sickens and those blossoms fadeI
And yet devoted land not gold aloneJ
Or dire ambition wak'd thy rising groanJ
For lo a fiercer fiend with joy elateK
Feasts on thy suff'rings and impels thy fateK
Fanatic Fury rears her sullen shrineL
Where vultures prey where venom'd adders twineL
Her savage arm with purple torrents stainsF
Thy rocking temples and thy falling fanesF
Her blazing torches flash the mounting fireM
She grasps the sabre and she lights the pyreM
Her voice is thunder rending the still airN
Her glance the baleful lightning's lurid glareN
Her lips unhallow'd breathe their impious strainO
And pure Religion's sacred voice profaneO
Whose precepts pity's mildest deeds approveP
Whose law is mercy and whose soul is loveQ
And see fanatic Fury wakes the stormR
She wears the stern VALVERDA'S hideous formR
His bosom never felt another's woesF
No shriek of anguish breaks its dark reposeF
The temple nods an aged form appearsF
He beats his breast he rends his silver hairsF
VALVERDA drags him from the blest abodeS
Where his meek spirit humbly sought its GodT
See to his aid his child soft ZILIA springsF
And steeps in tears the robe to which she clingsF
Now bursting from PERUVIA'S frighted throngU
Two warlike youths impetuous rush'd alongU
One grasp'd his twanging bow with furious airN
While in his troubled eye sat fierce despairN
But all in vain his erring weapon fliesF
Pierc'd by a thousand wounds on earth he liesF
His drooping head the trembling ZILIA rais'dV
And on the youth in speechless anguish gaz'dV
While he who fondly shared his danger flewW
And from his bleeding breast a poignard drewW
Deep in my faithful bosom let me hideX
The fatal steel that would our souls divideX
He quick exclaims the dying warrior criesF
Ah yet forbear by all the sacred tiesF
That bind our hearts forbear in vain he spokeY
Friendship with frantic zeal impels the strokeY
Thyself for ever lost thou hop'st in vainO
The youth replied my spirit to detainO
From thee my soul in childhood's earliest yearZ
Caught the light pleasure and the passing tearN
Thy friendship then my young affections blestA2
The first pure passion of my infant breastA2
And still in death I feel its strong controulW
Its sacred impulse wings my fleeting soulW
That only lingers here till thou departB2
Whose image lives upon my fainting heartB2
In vain the gen'rous youth with panting breathE
Pour'd these last murmurs in the ear of deathE
He reads the fatal truth in ZILIA'S eyeC2
And gives to friendship his expiring sighC2
But now with rage VALVERDA'S glances rollW
And mark the vengeance rankling in his soulW
He bends his gloomy brow his lips impartB2
The brooding purpose of his venom'd heartB2
He bids the hoary priest in mutter'd strainsF
Abjure his faith forsake his native fanesF
While yet the ling'ring pangs of torture waitK
While yet VALVERDA'S power suspends his fateK
Vain man the victim cried to hoary yearsF
Know death is mild and virtue feels no fearsF
Cruel of spirit come let tortures proveP
The power I serv'd in life in death I loveQ
He ceas'd with rugged cords his limbs they boundD2
And drag the aged suff'rer on the groundD2
They grasp his feeble frame his tresses tearN
His robe they rend his shrivell'd bosom bareN
Ah see his uncomplaining soul sustainO
The sting of insult and the dart of painO
His stedfast spirit feels one pang aloneJ
A child's despair awakes one bitter groanJ
The mourner kneels to catch his parting breathE
To soothe the agony of ling'ring deathE
No moan she breath'd no tear had power to flowW
Still on her lip expir'd th' unutter'd woeW
Yet ah her livid cheek her stedfast lookE2
The desolated soul's deep anguish spokeY
Mild victim close not yet thy languid eyesF
Pure spirit claim not yet thy kindred skiesF
A pitying angel comes to stay thy flightH
LAS CASAS bids thee view returning lightH
Ah let that sacred drop to virtue dearZ
Efface thy wrongs receive his precious tearN
See his flush'd cheek with indignation glowW
While from his lips the tones of pity flowW
Oh suff'ring Lord he cried whose streaming bloodF2
Was pour'd for man earth drank the sacred floodF2
Whose mercy in the mortal pang forgaveG2
The murd'rous band Thy love alone could saveG2
Forgive thy goodness bursts each narrow boundD2
Which feeble thought and human hope surroundD2
Forgive the guilty wretch whose impious handH2
From thy pure altar flings the flaming brandH2
In human blood that hallow'd altar steepsF
Libation dire while groaning nature weepsF
The limits of thy mercy dares to scanI2
The object of thy love his victim manI2
While yet I linger lo the suff'rer diesF
I see his frame convuls'd I hear his sighsF
Whoe'er controuls the purpose of my heartB2
First in this breast shall plunge his guilty dartB2
With hurried step he flew with eager handsF
He broke the fetters burst the cruel bandsF
As the fall'n angel heard with awful fearZ
The cherub's grave rebuke in grace severeZ
And fled while horror plum'd his impious crestA2
The form of virtue as she stood confestA2
So fierce VALVERDA sullen mov'd alongU
Abash'd and follow'd by the hostile throngU
-
At length the hoary victim freed from chainsF
LAS CASAS gently leads to safer plainsF
His searching eye explores a secret caveG2
Whose shaggy sides the languid billows laveG2
There rest secure he cried the Christian's GodA2
Will hover near will guard the lone abodeA2
Oft to the gloomy cell his steps repairN
While night's chill breezes wave his silver'd hairN
Oft in the tones of love the words of peaceF
He bids the bitter tears of anguish ceaseF
Bids drooping hope uplift her languid eyesF
And points to bliss that dwells beyond the skiesF
Yet ah in vain his pious cares would saveG2
The aged suff'rer from the op'ning graveG2
For deep the pangs of torture pierc'd his frameJ2
And sunk his wasted life's expiring flameJ2
To his cold lip LAS CASAS ' hand he prestA2
He faintly clasp'd his ZILIA to his breastA2
Then cried the God whom now my vows adoreB
My heart through life obey'd unknowing moreB
His mild forgiveness then my soul shall proveP
His mercy share LAS CASAS ' God is loveQ
He spoke no more his ZILIA'S hopeless moanJ
Was heard responsive to his dying groanJ
Victim of impious zeal LAS CASAS criesF
Accept departed shade a Christian's sighsF
And thou soft mourner tender drooping formR
What power shall guard thee from the fearful stormR
Weep not for me she cried for ZILIA'S breastA2
Soon in the shelt'ring earth shall find its restA2
Seek not the victim of despair to saveG2
I ask but death I only wish a graveG2
Witness thou mangled form that earth retainsF
Witness a murder'd lover's cold remainsF
I liv'd my father's pangs to soothe to shareN
I bore to live though life was all despairN
Ah still my lover's dying moan I hearK2
In every pulse I feel his parting tearN
I faint an icy coldness chills each veinO
No more these feeble limbs their load sustainO
Spirit of pity catch my fleeting breathE
A moment stay and close my eyes in deathE
LAS CASAS thee thy God in mercy gaveG2
To soothe my pangs to find the wretch a graveG2
She ceas'd her spirit fled to purer spheresF
LAS CASAS bathes the pallid corse with tearsF
Fly minister of good nor ling'ring shedA2
Those fruitless sorrows o'erM

Helen Maria Williams



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