The Morai Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCACDEDEFFGHGHIEIE JJEKEKLLGGGGMGMGEEEE NGNGEEOOGPGPEMEMGGGG GGGHHG LLNNGGEEQRLLSSEEGGGG NNQRGGTTHHUUGGVVMMQN GGMMGGNNIIGGBBSSNNEE JJWWXYHZGGMIIMEEGVGG VGA2GGGGGA2GMMA2MA2M EMEM GGMGGMBGGGMGBEB2EEB2 EDDSEGGESA2C2C2A2GD2 D2G

FAIR OTAHEITE fondly blestA
By him who long was doom'd to braveB
The fury of the Polar waveB
That fiercely mounts the frozen rockC
Where the harsh sea bird rears her nestA
And learns the raging surge to mockC
There Night that loves eternal stormD
Deep and lengthened darkness throwsE
And untried danger's doubtful formD
Its half seen horror shewsE
While Nature with a look so wildF
Leans on the cliffs in chaos pil'dF
That here the aw'd astonish'd mindG
Forgets in that o'erwhelming hourH
When her rude hands the storms unbindG
In all the madness of her powerH
That she who spreads the savage gloomI
That she can dress in melting graceE
In sportive Summer's lavish bloomI
The awful terrors of her faceE
And wear the sweet perennial smileJ
That charms in OTAHEITE'S isleJ
Yet amid her fragrant bowersE
Where Spring whose dewy fingers strewK
O'er other lands some fleeting flowersE
Lives in blossoms ever newK
Whence arose that shriek of painL
Whence the tear that flows in vainL
Death thy unrelenting handG
Bursts some transient human bandG
What art thou Death terrific shadeG
In unpierc'd gloom array'dG
Oft will daring Fancy strayM
Far in the central wastes where nightG
Divides no cheering hour with dayM
And unnam'd horrors meet her sightG
There thy form she dimly seesE
And round the shape unfinish'd throwsE
All her frantic vision shewsE
When numbing fears her spirit freezeE
But can mortal voice declareN
If Fancy paints thee as thou artG
Thy aspect may a terror wearN
Her pencil never shall impartG
The eye that once on thee shall gazeE
No more its stiffen'd orb can raiseE
The lips that could thy power revealO
Shall lasting silence instant sealO
In vain the icy hand we foldG
In vain the breast with tears we steepP
The heart that shar'd each pang is coldG
The vacant eye no more can weepP
Yet from the shore where Ganges rollsE
His waves beneath the torrid rayM
To earth's chill verge where o'er the polesE
Falls the last beam of ling'ring dayM
For ever sacred are the deadG
Sweet Fancy comes in sorrow's aidG
And bids the mourner lightly treadG
Where th' insensate clay is laidG
Bids partial gloom the sod investG
By the mould'ring relics prestG
There lavish strews with sad delightG
Whate'er her consecrating powerH
Reveres of herb or fruit or flowerH
And fondly weaves the various riteG
-
See o'er OTAHEITE'S plainL
Moves the long funereal trainL
Slow the pallid corse they bearN
Oft they breathe the solemn prayerN
Where the Ocean bathes the landG
Thrice and thrice with pious handG
The priest where high the billow springsE
From the wave unsullied flingsE
Waters pure that sprinkled nearQ
Sanctify the hallow'd bierR
But never may one drop profaneL
The relics with forbidden stainL
Now around the fun'ral shrineS
Led in mystic mazes twineS
Garlands where the plantain weavesE
With the palm's luxuriant leavesE
And o'er each sacred knot is spreadG
The plant devoted to the deadG
Five pale moons with trembling lightG
Shall gaze upon the lengthen'd riteG
Shall see distracted beauty tearN
The tresses of her flowing hairN
Those graceful locks no longer dearQ
She wildly scatters o'er the bierR
And frantic gives the frequent woundG
That purples with her blood the groundG
Where along the western skyT
Day's reflected colours dieT
And twilight rules the doubtful hourH
Ere slow pac'd night resumes her powerH
Mark the cloud that lingers stillU
Darkly on the hanging hillU
There the disembodied mindG
Hears upon the hollow windG
Low in mournful cadence thrownV
Sorrow's oft repeated moanV
Still some human passions swayM
The spirit late immers'd in clayM
Still the hopeless sigh is dearQ
Still belov'd the fruitless tearN
-
Five waning moons with wand'ring lightG
Have past the shadowy bound of nightG
And mingled their departing rayM
With the soft fires of early dayM
Let the last sad rites be paidG
Grateful to the conscious shadeG
Let the priest with pious careN
Now the wasted relics bearN
Where the MORAI'S awful gloomI
Shrouds the consecrated tombI
Let the plantain lift its headG
Cherish'd emblem of the deadG
Slow and solemn o'er the graveB
Let the twisted plumage waveB
Symbol hallow'd and divineS
Of the god who guards the shrineS
Hark that shriek of strange despairN
Never shall disturb the airN
Never never shall it riseE
But for Nature's broken tiesE
Bright Crescent that with lucid smileJ
Gild'st the MORAI'S lofty pileJ
Whose broad lines of shadow throwW
A gloomy horror far belowW
Witness O recording moonX
All the rites are duly doneY
Be the faithful tribute o'erH
The hov'ring spirit asks no moreZ
Mortals cease the pile to treadG
Leave to silence leave the deadG
But where may she who loves to strayM
'Mid shadows of funereal gloomI
And courts the sadness of the tombI
Where may she seek that proud MORAIM
Whose dear memorial points the placeE
Where fell the friend of human raceE
Ye lonely Isles on Ocean's boundG
Ye bloom'd thro' Time's long flight unknownV
Till Cook the untrack'd billow pastG
Till he along the surges castG
Philanthropy's connecting zoneV
And spread her loveliest blessings roundG
Not like that murd'rous band he cameA2
Who stain'd with blood the new found WestG
Nor as with unrelenting breastG
From BRITAIN'S free enlightened landG
Her sons now seek ANGOLA'S strandG
The ties most sacred to unbindG
To load with chains a brother's frameA2
And plunge a dagger in the mindG
Mock the sharp anguish bleeding thereM
Of nature in her last despairM
Great COOK Ambition's lofty flameA2
So oft directed to destroyM
Led thee to circle with thy nameA2
The smile of love and hope and joyM
Those fires that lend the dang'rous blazeE
The devious comet trails afarM
Might form the pure benignant raysE
That gild the morning's gentle starM
-
Sure where the hero's ashes restG
The nations late emerg'd from nightG
Still haste with love's unwearied careM
That spot in lavish flowers is drestG
And fancy's dear inventive riteG
Still paid with fond observance thereM
Ah no around his fatal graveB
No lavish flowers were ever strew'dG
No votive gift was ever laidG
His blood a savage shore bedew'dG
His mangled limbs one hasty prayerM
One pious tear by friendship paidG
Were cast upon the raging waveB
Deep in the wild abyss he liesE
Far from the cherish'd scene of homeB2
Far far from her whose faithful sighsE
A husband's trackless course pursueE
Whose tender fancy loves to roamB2
With him o'er lands and oceans newE
And gilds with hope's deluding formD
The gloomy pathway of the stormD
Yet Cook immortal wreathes are thineS
While Albion's grateful toil shall raiseE
The marble tomb the trophied bustG
For ages faithful to its trustG
While eager to record thy praiseE
She bids the muse of history twineS
The chaplet of undying fameA2
And tell each polish'd land thy worthC2
The ruder natives of the earthC2
Shall oft repeat thy honour'd nameA2
While infants catch the frequent soundG
And learn to lisp the oral taleD2
Whose fond remembrance shall prevailD2
Till Time has reach'd her destin'd boundG

Helen Maria Williams



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