On Happiness Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDEFFGGHHIIJJKK LLMMNNOOAAPPQQRRSSTT UUVWUUCCTTXKKYYUUUUZ ZPPUUA2A2GB2C2C2BBCC D2D2SUPPAAE2E2PPAAUU F2F2PPYYPPCCUUG2H2PP I2I2FFUSJ2K2SUUUKKPP UUUUUUUUPPAAKKTTL2M2 UUB2GYYCCN2N2NNO2P2U UUU

Warm'd by the summer sun's meridian rayA
As underneath a spreading oak I layA
Contemplating the mighty load of woeB
In search of bliss that mortals undergoB
Who while they think they happiness enjoyC
Embrace a curse wrapt in delusive joyC
I reason'd thus Since the Creator GodD
Who in eternal love makes his abodeE
Hath blended with the essence of the soulF
An appetite as fixed as the poleF
That's always eager in pursuit of blissG
And always veering till it points to thisG
There is some object adequate to fillH
This boundless wish of our extended willH
Now while my thought round nature's circle runsI
A bolder journey than the furious sun'sI
This chief and satiating good to findJ
The attracting centre of the human mindJ
My ears they deafen'd to my swimming eyesK
His magic wand the drowsy God appliesK
Bound all my senses in a silken sleepL
While mimic fancy did her vigils keepL
Yet still methinks some condescending powerM
Ranged the ideas in my mind that hourM
Methought I wandering was with thousands moreN
Beneath a high prodigious hill beforeN
Above the clouds whose towering summit roseO
With utmost labour only gained by thoseO
Who groveling prejudices throw awayA
And with incessant straining climb'd their wayA
Where all who stood their failing breath to gainP
With headlong ruin tumbled down amainP
This mountain is through every nation famedQ
And as I learned Contemplation namedQ
O happy me when I had reach'd its topR
Unto my sight a boundless scene did opeR
First sadly I survey'd with downward eyeS
Of restless men below the busy fryS
Who hunted trifles in an endless mazeT
Like foolish boys on sunny summer daysT
Pursuing butterflies with all their mightU
Who can't their troubles in the chase requiteU
The painted insect he who most admiresV
Grieves most when it in his rude hand expiresW
Or should it live with endless fears is toss'dU
Lest it take wing and be for ever lostU
Some men I saw their utmost art employC
How to attain a false deceitful joyC
Which from afar conspicuously did blazeT
And at a distance fix'd their ravish'd gazeT
But nigh at hand it mock'd their fond embraceX
When lo again it flashed in their eyesK
But still as they drew near the fond illusion diesK
Just so I've seen a water dog pursueY
An unflown duck within his greedy viewY
When he has panting at his prey arrivedU
The coxcomb fooling suddenly it divedU
He gripping is almost with water chokedU
And grieves that all his towering hopes are mock'dU
Then it emerges he renews his toilZ
And o'er and o'er again he gets the foilZ
Yea all the joys beneath the conscious sunP
And softer ones that his inspection shunP
Much of their pleasures in fruition fadeU
Enjoyment o'er them throws a sullen shadeU
The reason is we promise vaster thingsA2
And sweeter joys than from their nature springsA2
When they are lost we weep the apparent blissG
And not what really in Fruition isB2
So that our griefs are greater than our joysC2
And real pain springs from fantastic toysC2
Though all terrene delights of men belowB
Are almost nothing but a glaring showB
Yet if there always were a virgin joyC
When t'other fades to soothe the wanton boyC
He somewhat might excuse his heedless courseD2
Some show of reason for the same enforceD2
But frugal nature wisely does denyS
To mankind such profuse varietyU
Has what is needful only to us givenP
To feed and cheer us in the way to HeavenP
And more would but the traveller delayA
Impede and clog him in his upward wayA
I from the mount all mortal pleasures sawE2
Themselves within a narrow compass drawE2
The libertine a nauseous circle runP
And dully acted what he'd often doneP
Just so when Luna darts her silver rayA
And pours on silent earth a paler dayA
From Stygian caves the flitting fairies scudU
And on the margent of some limpid floodU
Which by reflected moonlight darts a glanceF2
In midnight circles range themselves and danceF2
To morrow cries he will us entertainP
Pray what's to morrow but to day againP
Deluded youth no more the chase pursueY
So oft deceived no more the toil renewY
But in a constant and a fix'd designP
Of acting well there is a lasting mineP
Of solid satisfaction purest joyC
For virtue's pleasures never never cloyC
Then hither come climb up the steep ascentU
Your painful labour you will ne'er repentU
From Heaven itself here you're but one removeG2
Here's the pr ludium of the joys aboveH2
Here you'll behold the awful Godhead shineP
And all perfections in the same combineP
You'll see that God who by his powerful callI2
From empty nothing drew this spacious allI2
Made beauteous order the rude mass controlF
And every part subservient to the wholeF
Here you'll behold upon the fatal treeU
The God of nature bleed expire and dieS
For such as 'gainst his holy laws rebelJ2
And such as bid defiance to his hellK2
Through the dark gulf here you may clearly pryS
'Twixt narrow Time and vast EternityU
Behold the Godhead just as well as goodU
And vengeance pour'd on tramplers on his bloodU
But all the tears wiped from his people's eyesK
And for their entrance cleave the parting skiesK
Then sure you will with holy ardours burnP
And to seraphic heats your passion turnP
Then in your eyes all mortal fair will fadeU
And leave of mortal beauties but the shadeU
Yourself to him you'll solemnly devoteU
To him without whose providence you're notU
You'll of his service relish the delightU
And to his praises all your powers exciteU
You'll celebrate his name in heavenly soundU
Which well pleased skies in echoes will reboundU
This is the greatest happiness that canP
Possessed be in this short life by manP
But darkly here the Godhead we surveyA
Confined and cramped in this cage of clayA
What cruel band is this to earth that tiesK
Our souls from soaring to their native skiesK
Upon the bright eternal face to gazeT
And there drink in the beatific raysT
There to behold the good one and the fairL2
A ray from whom all mortal beauties areM2
In beauteous nature all the harmonyU
Is but the echo of the DeityU
Of all perfection who the centre isB2
And boundless ocean of untainted blissG
For ever open to the ravish'd viewY
And full enjoyment of the radiant crewY
Who live in raptures of eternal joyC
Whose flaming love their tuneful harps employC
In solemn hymns Jehovah's praise to singN2
And make all heaven with hallelujahs ringN2
These realms of light no further I'll exploreN
And in these heights I will no longer soarN
Not like our grosser atmosphere beneathO2
The ether here's too thin for me to breatheP2
The region is unsufferable brightU
And flashes on me with too strong a lightU
Then from the mountain lo I now descendU
And to my vision put a hasty endU

James Thomson



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