The Morai Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCACDEDEFFGHGHIEIE JJEKEKLLGGGGMGMGEEEE NGNGEEOOGPGPEMEMGGGG GGGHHG LLNNGGEEQRLLSSEEGGGG NNQRGGTTHHUUGGVVMMQN GGMMGGNNIIGGBBSSNNEE JJWWXYHZGGMIIMEEGVGG VGA2GGGGGA2GMMA2MA2M EMEM GGMGGMBGGGMGBEB2EEB2 EDDSEGGESA2C2C2A2GD2 D2GFAIR OTAHEITE fondly blest | A |
By him who long was doom'd to brave | B |
The fury of the Polar wave | B |
That fiercely mounts the frozen rock | C |
Where the harsh sea bird rears her nest | A |
And learns the raging surge to mock | C |
There Night that loves eternal storm | D |
Deep and lengthened darkness throws | E |
And untried danger's doubtful form | D |
Its half seen horror shews | E |
While Nature with a look so wild | F |
Leans on the cliffs in chaos pil'd | F |
That here the aw'd astonish'd mind | G |
Forgets in that o'erwhelming hour | H |
When her rude hands the storms unbind | G |
In all the madness of her power | H |
That she who spreads the savage gloom | I |
That she can dress in melting grace | E |
In sportive Summer's lavish bloom | I |
The awful terrors of her face | E |
And wear the sweet perennial smile | J |
That charms in OTAHEITE'S isle | J |
Yet amid her fragrant bowers | E |
Where Spring whose dewy fingers strew | K |
O'er other lands some fleeting flowers | E |
Lives in blossoms ever new | K |
Whence arose that shriek of pain | L |
Whence the tear that flows in vain | L |
Death thy unrelenting hand | G |
Bursts some transient human band | G |
What art thou Death terrific shade | G |
In unpierc'd gloom array'd | G |
Oft will daring Fancy stray | M |
Far in the central wastes where night | G |
Divides no cheering hour with day | M |
And unnam'd horrors meet her sight | G |
There thy form she dimly sees | E |
And round the shape unfinish'd throws | E |
All her frantic vision shews | E |
When numbing fears her spirit freeze | E |
But can mortal voice declare | N |
If Fancy paints thee as thou art | G |
Thy aspect may a terror wear | N |
Her pencil never shall impart | G |
The eye that once on thee shall gaze | E |
No more its stiffen'd orb can raise | E |
The lips that could thy power reveal | O |
Shall lasting silence instant seal | O |
In vain the icy hand we fold | G |
In vain the breast with tears we steep | P |
The heart that shar'd each pang is cold | G |
The vacant eye no more can weep | P |
Yet from the shore where Ganges rolls | E |
His waves beneath the torrid ray | M |
To earth's chill verge where o'er the poles | E |
Falls the last beam of ling'ring day | M |
For ever sacred are the dead | G |
Sweet Fancy comes in sorrow's aid | G |
And bids the mourner lightly tread | G |
Where th' insensate clay is laid | G |
Bids partial gloom the sod invest | G |
By the mould'ring relics prest | G |
There lavish strews with sad delight | G |
Whate'er her consecrating power | H |
Reveres of herb or fruit or flower | H |
And fondly weaves the various rite | G |
- | |
See o'er OTAHEITE'S plain | L |
Moves the long funereal train | L |
Slow the pallid corse they bear | N |
Oft they breathe the solemn prayer | N |
Where the Ocean bathes the land | G |
Thrice and thrice with pious hand | G |
The priest where high the billow springs | E |
From the wave unsullied flings | E |
Waters pure that sprinkled near | Q |
Sanctify the hallow'd bier | R |
But never may one drop profane | L |
The relics with forbidden stain | L |
Now around the fun'ral shrine | S |
Led in mystic mazes twine | S |
Garlands where the plantain weaves | E |
With the palm's luxuriant leaves | E |
And o'er each sacred knot is spread | G |
The plant devoted to the dead | G |
Five pale moons with trembling light | G |
Shall gaze upon the lengthen'd rite | G |
Shall see distracted beauty tear | N |
The tresses of her flowing hair | N |
Those graceful locks no longer dear | Q |
She wildly scatters o'er the bier | R |
And frantic gives the frequent wound | G |
That purples with her blood the ground | G |
Where along the western sky | T |
Day's reflected colours die | T |
And twilight rules the doubtful hour | H |
Ere slow pac'd night resumes her power | H |
Mark the cloud that lingers still | U |
Darkly on the hanging hill | U |
There the disembodied mind | G |
Hears upon the hollow wind | G |
Low in mournful cadence thrown | V |
Sorrow's oft repeated moan | V |
Still some human passions sway | M |
The spirit late immers'd in clay | M |
Still the hopeless sigh is dear | Q |
Still belov'd the fruitless tear | N |
- | |
Five waning moons with wand'ring light | G |
Have past the shadowy bound of night | G |
And mingled their departing ray | M |
With the soft fires of early day | M |
Let the last sad rites be paid | G |
Grateful to the conscious shade | G |
Let the priest with pious care | N |
Now the wasted relics bear | N |
Where the MORAI'S awful gloom | I |
Shrouds the consecrated tomb | I |
Let the plantain lift its head | G |
Cherish'd emblem of the dead | G |
Slow and solemn o'er the grave | B |
Let the twisted plumage wave | B |
Symbol hallow'd and divine | S |
Of the god who guards the shrine | S |
Hark that shriek of strange despair | N |
Never shall disturb the air | N |
Never never shall it rise | E |
But for Nature's broken ties | E |
Bright Crescent that with lucid smile | J |
Gild'st the MORAI'S lofty pile | J |
Whose broad lines of shadow throw | W |
A gloomy horror far below | W |
Witness O recording moon | X |
All the rites are duly done | Y |
Be the faithful tribute o'er | H |
The hov'ring spirit asks no more | Z |
Mortals cease the pile to tread | G |
Leave to silence leave the dead | G |
But where may she who loves to stray | M |
'Mid shadows of funereal gloom | I |
And courts the sadness of the tomb | I |
Where may she seek that proud MORAI | M |
Whose dear memorial points the place | E |
Where fell the friend of human race | E |
Ye lonely Isles on Ocean's bound | G |
Ye bloom'd thro' Time's long flight unknown | V |
Till Cook the untrack'd billow past | G |
Till he along the surges cast | G |
Philanthropy's connecting zone | V |
And spread her loveliest blessings round | G |
Not like that murd'rous band he came | A2 |
Who stain'd with blood the new found West | G |
Nor as with unrelenting breast | G |
From BRITAIN'S free enlightened land | G |
Her sons now seek ANGOLA'S strand | G |
The ties most sacred to unbind | G |
To load with chains a brother's frame | A2 |
And plunge a dagger in the mind | G |
Mock the sharp anguish bleeding there | M |
Of nature in her last despair | M |
Great COOK Ambition's lofty flame | A2 |
So oft directed to destroy | M |
Led thee to circle with thy name | A2 |
The smile of love and hope and joy | M |
Those fires that lend the dang'rous blaze | E |
The devious comet trails afar | M |
Might form the pure benignant rays | E |
That gild the morning's gentle star | M |
- | |
Sure where the hero's ashes rest | G |
The nations late emerg'd from night | G |
Still haste with love's unwearied care | M |
That spot in lavish flowers is drest | G |
And fancy's dear inventive rite | G |
Still paid with fond observance there | M |
Ah no around his fatal grave | B |
No lavish flowers were ever strew'd | G |
No votive gift was ever laid | G |
His blood a savage shore bedew'd | G |
His mangled limbs one hasty prayer | M |
One pious tear by friendship paid | G |
Were cast upon the raging wave | B |
Deep in the wild abyss he lies | E |
Far from the cherish'd scene of home | B2 |
Far far from her whose faithful sighs | E |
A husband's trackless course pursue | E |
Whose tender fancy loves to roam | B2 |
With him o'er lands and oceans new | E |
And gilds with hope's deluding form | D |
The gloomy pathway of the storm | D |
Yet Cook immortal wreathes are thine | S |
While Albion's grateful toil shall raise | E |
The marble tomb the trophied bust | G |
For ages faithful to its trust | G |
While eager to record thy praise | E |
She bids the muse of history twine | S |
The chaplet of undying fame | A2 |
And tell each polish'd land thy worth | C2 |
The ruder natives of the earth | C2 |
Shall oft repeat thy honour'd name | A2 |
While infants catch the frequent sound | G |
And learn to lisp the oral tale | D2 |
Whose fond remembrance shall prevail | D2 |
Till Time has reach'd her destin'd bound | G |
Helen Maria Williams
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Morai poem by Helen Maria Williams
Best Poems of Helen Maria Williams