The Minstrel ; Or, The Progress Of Genius - Book Ii. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBCCDCDD AEFEFFBFBB AGHGAHIHJI K LMLLNLNN KOPOPPQPQQ KRSRSSTSTT KBUBUUTUTT KKTKTTKTKK KTVTVVWVWW KTKTKKKKKK KPTPTTXTYX KTZT ZA2ZA2A2 KBTBTTKTKK KHB2HB2B2BB2BB BC2TC2TTD2TD2D2 BTKTKKKKE2E2 BF2BG2BBBBBB BC2HC2HHZHZZ KH2BH2BBTBTT KKBKBK

IA
Of chance or change O let not man complainB
Else shall he never never cease to wailC
For from the imperial dome to where the swainB
Rears the lone cottage in the silent daleC
All feel the assault of fortune's fickle galeC
Art empire earth itself to change are doom'dD
Earthquakes have raised to heaven the humble valeC
And gulphs the mountain's mighty mass entomb'dD
And where the Atlantic rolls wide continents have bloom'dD
-
IIA
But sure to foreign climes we need not rangeE
Nor search the ancient records of our raceF
To learn the dire effects of time and changeE
Which in ourselves alas we daily traceF
Yet at the darken'd eye the wither'd faceF
Or hoary hair I never will repineB
But spare O Time whate'er of mental graceF
Of candour love or sympathy divineB
Whate'er of fancy's ray of friendship's flame is mineB
-
IIIA
So I obsequious to Truth's dread commandG
Shall here without reluctance change my layH
And smile to the Gothic lyre with harsher handG
Now when I leave that flowery path for ayeA
Of childhood where I sported many a dayH
Warbling and sauntering carelessly alongI
Where every face was innocent and gayH
Each vale romantic tuneful every tongueJ
Sweet wild and artless all as Edwin's infant songI
-
IVK
'Perish the lore that deadens young desire '-
Is the soft tenor of my song no moreL
Edwin though loved of Heaven must not aspireM
To bliss which mortals never knew beforeL
On trembling wings let youthful fancy soarL
Nor always haunt the sunny realms of joyN
But now and then the shades of life exploreL
Though many a sound and sight of wo annoyN
And many a qualm of care his rising hopes destroyN
-
VK
Vigour from toil from trouble patience growsO
The weakly bosom warm in summer bowerP
Some tints of transient beauty may discloseO
But soon it withers in the chilling hourP
Mark yonder oak Superior to the powerP
Of all the warring winds of heaven they riseQ
And from the stormy promontory towerP
And toss their giant arms amid the skiesQ
While each assailing blast increase the strength suppliesQ
-
VIK
And now the downy cheek and deepen'd voiceR
Gave dignity to Edwin's blooming primeS
And walks of wider circuit were his choiceR
And vales more wild and mountains more sublimeS
One evening as he framed the careless rhymeS
It was his chance to wander far abroadT
And o'er a lonely eminence to climbS
Which heretofore his foot had never trodeT
A vale appear'd below a deep retired abodeT
-
VIIK
Thither he hied enamour'd of the sceneB
For rocks on rocks piled as by magic spellU
Here scorch'd with lightning there with ivy greenB
Fenced from the north and east this savage delU
Southward a mountain rose with easy swellU
Whose long long groves eternal murmur madeT
And toward the western sun a streamlet fellU
Where through the cliffs the eye remote survey'dT
Blue hills and glittering waves and skies in gold array'dT
-
VIIIK
Along this narrow valley you might seeK
The wild deer sporting on the meadow groundT
And here and there a solitary treeK
Or mossy stone or rock with woodbine crown'dT
Oft did the cliffs reverberate the soundT
Of parted fragments tumbling from on highK
And from the summit of that craggy moundT
The perching eagle oft was heard to cryK
Or on resounding wings to shoot athwart the skyK
-
IXK
One cultivated spot there was that spreadT
Its flowery bosom to the noonday beamV
Where many a rose bud rears its blushing headT
And herbs for food with future plenty teemV
Sooth'd by the lulling sound of grove and streamV
Romantic visions swarm on Edwin's soulW
He minded not the sun's last trembling gleamV
Nor heard from afar the twilight curfew tollW
When slowly on his ear these moving accents stoleW
-
XK
'Hail awful scenes that calm the troubled breastT
And woo the weary to profound reposeK
Can passion's wildest uproar lay to restT
And whisper comfort to the man of woesK
Here Innocence may wander safe from foesK
And Contemplation soar on seraph wingsK
O Solitude the man who thee forgoesK
When lucre lures him or ambition stingsK
Shall never know the source whence real grandeur springsK
-
XIK
'Vain man is grandeur given to gay attireP
Then let the butterfly thy pride upbraidT
To friends attendant armies bought with hireP
It is thy weakness that requires their aidT
To palaces with gold and gems inlay'dT
They fear the thief and tremble in the stormX
To hosts through carnage who to conquests wadeT
Behold the victor vanquish'd by the wormY
Behold what deeds of wo the locust can performX
-
XIIK
'True dignity is his whose tranquil mindT
Virtue has raised above the things belowZ
Who every hope and fear to heaven resign'dT
Shrinks not though Fortune aim her deadliest blow '-
This strain from 'midst the rocks was heard to flowZ
In solemn sounds Now beam'd the evening starA2
And from embattled clouds emerging slowZ
Cynthia came riding on her silver carA2
And hoary mountain cliffs shone faintly from afarA2
-
XIIIK
Soon did the solemn voice its theme renewB
While Edwin wrapp'd in wonder listening stoodT
'Ye tools and toys of tyranny adieuB
Scorn'd by the wise and hated by the goodT
Ye only can engage the service broodT
Of Levity and Lust who all their daysK
Ashamed of truth and liberty have woo'dT
And hugg'd the chain that glittering on their gazeK
Seems to outshine the pomp of heaven's empyreal blazeK
-
XIVK
'Like them abandon'd to ambition's swayH
I sought for glory in the paths of guileB2
And fawn'd and smiled to plunder and betrayH
Myself betray'd and plunder'd all the whileB2
So gnaw'd the viper the corroding fileB2
But now with pangs of keen remorse I rueB
Those years of trouble and debasement vileB2
Yet why should I this cruel theme pursueB
Fly fly detested thoughts for ever from my viewB
-
XVB
'The gusts of appetite the clouds of careC2
And storms of disappointment all o'erpass'dT
Henceforth no earthly hope with heaven shall shareC2
This heart where peace serenely shines at lastT
And if for me no treasure be amass'dT
And if no future age shall hear my nameD2
I lurk the more secure from fortune's blastT
And with more leisure feed this pious flameD2
Whose rapture far transcends the fairest hopes of fameD2
-
XVIB
'The end and the reward of toil is restT
Be all my prayer for virtue and for peaceK
Of wealth and fame of pomp and power possess'dT
Who ever felt his weight of wo decreaseK
Ah what avails the lore of Rome and GreeceK
The lay heaven prompted and harmoniousK
The dust of Ophir or the Tyrian fleeceK
All that art fortune enterprise can bringE2
If envy scorn remorse or pride the bosom wringE2
-
XVIIB
'Let Vanity adorn the marble tombF2
With trophies rhymes and scutcheons of renownB
In the deep dungeon of some Gothic domeG2
Where night and desolation ever frownB
Mine be the breezy hill that skirts the downB
Where a green grassy turf is all I craveB
With here and there a violet bestrownB
Fast by a brook or fountain's murmuring waveB
And many an evening sun shine sweetly on my graveB
-
XVIIIB
'And thither let the village swain repairC2
And light of heart the village maiden gayH
To deck with flowers her half dishevel'd hairC2
And celebrate the merry morn of MayH
There let the shepherd's pipe the livelong dayH
Fill all the grove with love's bewitching woZ
And when mild Evening comes with mantle grayH
Let not the blooming band make haste to goZ
No ghosts nor spell my long and last abode shall knowZ
-
XIXK
'For though I fly to 'scape from fortune's rageH2
And bear the scars of envy spite and scornB
Yet with mankind no horrid war I wageH2
Yet with no impious spleen my breast is tornB
For virtue lost and ruin'd man I mournB
O man creation's pride heaven's darling childT
Whom nature's best divinest gifts adornB
Why from thy home are truth and joy exiledT
And all thy favourite haunts with blood and tears defiledT
-
XXK
'Along yon glittering sky what glory streamsK
What majesty attends night's lovely queenB
Fair laugh our valleys in the vernal beamsK
And mountains rise and oceans roll betweenB
And all conspire to beautify the sceK

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 Minstrel ; Or, The Progress Of Genius - Book Ii. poem by James Beattie


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 10 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