The Castle Of Indolence Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABAC CDCDDCDCCEFEFFGFGGFH FHHFHFFGCGCCICIIJFKF FLFLLGMGMLFMFFGFGFFF FFFLMLMMNFNNFGFGGMGM MOPOJJLJLLLQLQQRQRRJ IJIIJIJJSJSJJGJGGLTL UTFUFFJVJVVJVJJFWFWX GWGGJGJGGYGYYJUJTTMU MJFVFVVVVVVF

The castle hight of IndolenceA
And its false luxuryB
Where for a little time alasA
We lived right jollilyC
-
O mortal man who livest here by toilC
Do not complain of this thy hard estateD
That like an emmet thou must ever moilC
Is a sad sentence of an ancient dateD
And certes there is for it reason greatD
For though sometimes it makes thee weep and wailC
And curse thy star and early drudge and lateD
Withouten that would come a heavier baleC
Loose life unruly passions and diseases paleC
In lowly dale fast by a river's sideE
With woody hill o'er hill encompass'd roundF
A most enchanting wizard did abideE
Than whom a fiend more fell is no where foundF
It was I ween a lovely spot of groundF
And there a season atween June and MayG
Half prankt with spring with summer half imbrown'dF
A listless climate made where sooth to sayG
No living wight could work ne cared even for playG
Was nought around but images of restF
Sleep soothing groves and quiet lawns betweenH
And flowery beds that slumbrous influence kestF
From poppies breathed and beds of pleasant greenH
Where never yet was creeping creature seenH
Meantime unnumber'd glittering streamlets play'dF
And hurled every where their waters sheenH
That as they bicker'd through the sunny gladeF
Though restless still themselves a lulling murmur madeF
Join'd to the prattle of the purling rillsG
Were heard the lowing herds along the valeC
And flocks loud bleating from the distant hillsG
And vacant shepherds piping in the daleC
And now and then sweet Philomel would wailC
Or stock doves plain amid the forest deepI
That drowsy rustled to the sighing galeC
And still a coil the grasshopper did keepI
Yet all these sounds yblent inclined all to sleepI
Full in the passage of the vale aboveJ
A sable silent solemn forest stoodF
Where nought but shadowy forms was seen to moveK
As Idless fancied in her dreaming moodF
And up the hills on either side a woodF
Of blackening pines aye waving to and froL
Sent forth a sleepy horror through the bloodF
And where this valley winded out belowL
The murmuring main was heard and scarcely heard to flowL
A pleasing land of drowsy head it wasG
Of dreams that wave before the half shut eyeM
And of gay castles in the clouds that passG
For ever flushing round a summer skyM
There eke the soft delights that witchinglyL
Instil a wanton sweetness through the breastF
And the calm pleasures always hover'd nighM
But whate'er smack'd of noyance or unrestF
Was far far off expell'd from this delicious nestF
The landscape such inspiring perfect easeG
Where Indolence for so the wizard hightF
Close hid his castle mid embowering treesG
That half shut out the beams of Ph bus brightF
And made a kind of checker'd day and nightF
Meanwhile unceasing at the massy gateF
Beneath a spacious palm the wicked wightF
Was placed and to his lute of cruel fateF
And labour harsh complain'd lamenting man's estateF
Thither continual pilgrims crowded stillL
From all the roads of earth that pass there byM
For as they chaunced to breathe on neighbouring hillL
The freshness of this valley smote their eyeM
And drew them ever and anon more nighM
Till clustering round the enchanter false they hungN
Ymolten with his syren melodyF
While o'er the enfeebling lute his hand he flungN
And to the trembling chords these tempting verses sungN
Behold ye pilgrims of this earth beholdF
See all but man with unearn'd pleasure gayG
See her bright robes the butterfly unfoldF
Broke from her wintry tomb in prime of MayG
What youthful bride can equal her arrayG
Who can with her for easy pleasure vieM
From mead to mead with gentle wing to strayG
From flower to flower on balmy gales to flyM
Is all she has to do beneath the radiant skyM
Behold the merry minstrels of the mornO
The swarming songsters of the careless groveP
Ten thousand throats that from the flowering thornO
Hymn their good God and carol sweet of loveJ
Such grateful kindly raptures them emoveJ
They neither plough nor sow ne fit for flailL
E'er to the barn the nodden sheaves they droveJ
Yet theirs each harvest dancing in the galeL
Whatever crowns the hill or smiles along the valeL
Outcast of nature man the wretched thrallL
Of bitter dropping sweat of sweltry painQ
Of cares that eat away the heart with gallL
And of the vices an inhuman trainQ
That all proceed from savage thirst of gainQ
For when hard hearted interest first beganR
To poison earth Astr a left the plainQ
Guile violence and murder seized on manR
And for soft milky streams with blood the rivers ranR
Come ye who still the cumbrous load of lifeJ
Push hard up hill but as the furthest steepI
You trust to gain and put an end to strifeJ
Down thunders back the stone with mighty sweepI
And hurls your labours to the valley deepI
For ever vain come and withouten feeJ
I in oblivion will your sorrows steepI
Your cares your toils will steep you in a seaJ
Of full delight O come ye weary wights to meJ
With me you need not rise at early dawnS
To pass the joyless day in various stoundsJ
Or louting low on upstart fortune fawnS
And sell fair honour for some paltry poundsJ
Or through the city take your dirty roundsJ
To cheat and dun and lie and visit payG
Now flattering base now giving secret woundsJ
Or prowl in courts of law for human preyG
In venal senate thieve or rob on broad highwayG
No cocks with me to rustic labour callL
From village on to village sounding clearT
To tardy swain no shrill voiced matrons squallL
No dogs no babes no wives to stun your earU
No hammers thump no horrid blacksmith searT
Ne noisy tradesman your sweet slumbers startF
With sounds that are a misery to hearU
But all is calm as would delight the heartF
Of Sybarite of old all nature and all artF
Here nought but candour reigns indulgent easeJ
Good natured lounging sauntering up and downV
They who are pleased themselves must always pleaseJ
On others' ways they never squint a frownV
Nor heed what haps in hamlet or in townV
Thus from the source of tender IndolenceJ
With milky blood the heart is overflownV
Is sooth'd and sweeten'd by the social senseJ
For interest envy pride and strife are banish'd henceJ
What what is virtue but repose of mindF
A pure ethereal calm that knows no stormW
Above the reach of wild ambition's windF
Above those passions that this world deformW
And torture man a proud malignant wormX
But here instead soft gales of passion playG
And gently stir the heart thereby to formW
A quicker sense of joy as breezes strayG
Across the enliven'd skies and make them still more gayG
The best of men have ever loved reposeJ
They hate to mingle in the filthy frayG
Where the soul sours and gradual rancour growsJ
Imbitter'd more from peevish day to dayG
E'en those whom fame has lent her fairest rayG
The most renown'd of worthy wights of yoreY
From a base world at last have stolen awayG
So Scipio to the soft Cum an shoreY
Retiring tasted joy he never knew beforeY
But if a little exercise you chooseJ
Some zest for ease 'tis not forbidden hereU
Amid the groves you may indulge the MuseJ
Or tend the blooms and deck the vernal yearT
Or softly stealing with your watery gearT
Along the brooks the crimson spotted fryM
You may delude the whilst amused you hearU
Now the hoarse stream and now the zephyr's sighM
Attuned to the birds and woodland melodyJ
O grievous folly to heap up estateF
Losing the days you see beneath the sunV
When sudden comes blind unrelenting fateF
And gives the untasted portion you have wonV
With ruthless toil and many a wretch undoneV
To those who mock you gone to Pluto's reignV
There with sad ghosts to pine and shadows dunV
But sure it is of vanities most vainV
To toil for what you here untoiling may obtainV
He ceased But still their trembling ears retaiF

James Thomson



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