The Hares, A Fable. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEFGGHHIIJJKK LL MM NNOOOO OOPPQRSTDDUUVVWXYYZZ OOA2A2OOCCOOB2 C2C2D2D2 E2F2OOG2G2H2H2I2I2J2 J2OOK2K2OOL2L2L2L2M2 M2OOL2L2L2L2M2M2 H2H2OON2N2L2L2O2O2P2 P2H2H2 L2L2Q2DD2D2OOH2I2XWR 2R2OOO L2L2S2S2L2L2L2L2OO H2H2S2S2L2L2L2L2OOT2 T2 L2L2L2L2L2L2YYD2D2OO M2M2OOL2L2 L2L2L2L2L2L2U2U2L2L2 OOOOOOL2L2OOXWYY I2I2L2L2OOS2S2OOZZV2 I2IW2X2O2OOT2U2

Yes yes I grant the sons of earthA
Are doom'd to trouble from their birthA
We all of sorrow have our shareB
But say is yours without compareB
Look round the world perhaps you'll findC
Each individual of our kindC
Press'd with an equal load of illD
Equal at least Look further stillD
And own your lamentable caseE
Is little short of happinessF
In yonder hut that stands aloneG
Attend to Famine's feeble moanG
Or view the couch where Sickness liesH
Mark his pale cheek and languid eyesH
His frame by strong convulsion tornI
His struggling sighs and looks forlornI
Or see transfix'd with keener pangsJ
Where o'er his hoard the miser hangsJ
Whistles the wind he starts he staresK
Nor Slumber's balmy blessing sharesK
Despair Remorse and Terror rollL
Their tempests on his harass'd soulL
-
But here perhaps it may availM
T'enforce our reasoning with a taleM
-
Mild was the morn the sky sereneN
The jolly hunting band conveneN
The beagle's breast with ardour burnsO
The bounding steed the champaign spurnsO
And Fancy oft the game descriesO
Through the hound's nose and huntsman's eyesO
-
Just then a council of the haresO
Had met on national affairsO
The chiefs were set while o'er their headP
The furze its frizzled covering spreadP
Long lists of grievances were heardQ
And general discontent appear'dR
'Our harmless race shall every savageS
Both quadruped and biped ravageT
Shall horses hounds and hunters stillD
Unite their wits to work us illD
The youth his parent's sole delightU
Whose tooth the dewy lawns inviteU
Whose pulse in every vein beats strongV
Whose limbs leap light the vales alongV
May yet ere noontide meet his deathW
And lie dismember'd on the heathX
For youth alas nor cautious ageY
Nor strength nor speed eludes their rageY
In every field we meet the foeZ
Each gale comes fraught with sounds of woZ
The morning but awakes our fearsO
The evening sees us bathed in tearsO
But must we ever idly grieveA2
Nor strive our fortunes to relieveA2
Small is each individual's forceO
To stratagem be our recourseO
And then from all our tribes combinedC
The murderer to his cost may findC
No foes are weak whom Justice armsO
Whom Concord leads and Hatred warmsO
Be roused or liberty acquireB2
Or in the great attempt expire '-
He said no more for in his breastC2
Conflicting thoughts the voice suppress'dC2
The fire of vengeance seem'd to streamD2
From his swoln eyeball's yellow gleamD2
-
And now the tumults of the warE2
Mingling confusedly from afarF2
Swell in the wind Now louder criesO
Distinct of hounds and men ariseO
Forth from the brake with beating heartG2
Th' assembled hares tumultuous startG2
And every straining nerve on wingH2
Away precipitately springH2
The hunting band a signal givenI2
Thick thundering o'er the plain are drivenI2
O'er cliff abrupt and shrubby moundJ2
And river broad impetuous boundJ2
Now plunge amid the forest shadesO
Glance through the openings of the gladesO
Now o'er the level valley sweepK2
Now with short steps strain up the steepK2
While backward from the hunter's eyesO
The landscape like a torrent fliesO
At last an ancient wood they gain'dL2
By pruner's axe yet unprofanedL2
High o'er the rest by Nature rear'dL2
The oak's majestic boughs appear'dL2
Beneath a copse of various hueM2
In barbarous luxuriance grewM2
No knife had curb'd the rambling spraysO
No hand had wove th' implicit mazeO
The flowering thorn self taught to windL2
The hazle's stubborn stem entwinedL2
And bramble twigs were wreathed aroundL2
And rough furze crept along the groundL2
Here sheltering from the sons of murtherM2
The hares drag their tired limbs no furtherM2
-
But lo the western wind erelongH2
Was loud and roar'd the woods amongH2
From rustling leaves and crashing boughsO
The sound of wo and war aroseO
The hares distracted scour the groveN2
As terror and amazement droveN2
But danger wheresoe'er they fledL2
Still seem'd impending o'er their headL2
Now crowded in a grotto's gloomO2
All hope extinct they wait their doomO2
Dire was the silence till at lengthP2
Even from despair deriving strengthP2
With bloody eye and furious lookH2
A daring youth arose and spokeH2
-
'O wretched race the scorn of FateL2
Whom ills of every sort awaitL2
O cursed with keenest sense to feelQ2
The sharpest sting of every illD
Say ye who fraught with mighty schemeD2
Of liberty and vengeance dreamD2
What now remains To what recessO
Shall we our weary steps addressO
Since fate is evermore pursuingH2
All ways and means to work our ruinI2
Are we alone of all beneathX
Condemn'd to misery worse than deathW
Must we with fruitless labour striveR2
In misery worse than death to liveR2
No Be the smaller ill our choiceO
So dictates Nature's powerful voiceO
Death's pang will in a moment ceaseO
And then All hail eternal peace '-
Thus while he spoke his words impartL2
The dire resolve to every heartL2
A distant lake in prospect layS2
That glittering in the solar rayS2
Gleam'd through the dusky trees and shotL2
A trembling light along the grottL2
Thither with one consent they bendL2
Their sorrows with their lives to endL2
While each in thought already hearsO
The water hissing in his earsO
-
Fast by the margin of the lakeH2
Conceal'd within a thorny brakeH2
A Linnet sat whose careless layS2
Amused the solitary dayS2
Careless he sung for on his breastL2
Sorrow no lasting trace impress'dL2
When suddenly he heard a soundL2
Of swift feet traversing the groundL2
Quick to the neighbouring tree he fliesO
Thence trembling cast around his eyesO
No foe appear'd his fears were vainT2
Pleased he renews the sprightly strainT2
-
The hares whose noise had caused his frightL2
Saw with surprise the linnet's flightL2
Is there on earth a wretch they saidL2
Whom our approach can strike with dreadL2
An instantaneous change of thoughtL2
To tumult every bosom wroughtL2
So fares the system building sageY
Who plodding on from youth to ageY
At last on some foundation dreamD2
Has rear'd aloft his goodly schemeD2
And proved his predecessors foolsO
And bound all nature by his rulesO
So fares he in that dreadful hourM2
When injured Truth exerts her powerM2
Some new phenomenon to raiseO
Which bursting on his frighted gazeO
From its proud summit to the groundL2
Proves the whole edifice unsoundL2
-
'Children ' thus spoke a hare sedateL2
Who oft had known th' extremes of fateL2
'In slight events docile mindL2
May hints of good instruction findL2
That our condition is the worstL2
And we with such misfortunes cursedL2
As all comparison defyU2
Was late the universal cryU2
When lo an accident so slightL2
As yonder little linnet's flightL2
Has made your stubborn heart confessO
So your amazement bids me guessO
That all our load of woes and fearsO
Is but a part of what he bearsO
Where can he rest secure from harmsO
Whom even a helpless hare alarmsO
Yet he repines not at his lotL2
When pass'd the danger is forgotL2
On yonder bough he trims his wingsO
And with unusual rapture stingsO
While we less wretched sink beneathX
Our lighter ills and rush to deathW
No more of this unmeaning rageY
But hear my friends the words of ageY
-
'When by the winds of autumn drivenI2
The scatter'd clouds fly cross the heavenI2
Oft have we from some mountain's headL2
Beheld th' alternate light and shadeL2
Sweep the long vale Here hovering loursO
The shadowy cloud there downward poursO
Streaming direct a flood of dayS2
Which from the view flies swift awayS2
It flies while other shades advanceO
And other streaks of sunshine glanceO
Thus checker'd is the life belowZ
With gleams of joy and clouds of woZ
Then hope not while we journey onV2
Still to be basking in the sunI2
Nor fear though now in shades ye mournI
That sunshine will no more returnW2
If by your terrors overcomeX2
Ye fly before th' approaching gloomO2
The rapid clouds your flight pursueO
And darkness still o'ercasts your viewO
Who longs to reach the radiant plainT2
Must onward urge hiU2

James Beattie



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Hares, A Fable. poem by James Beattie


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 1 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets