The Columbiad: Book I Poem Rhyme Scheme

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The Argument	A
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Natives of America appear in vision Their manners and characters Columbus demands the cause of the dissimilarity of men in different countries Hesper replies That the human body is composed of a due proportion of the elements suited to the place of its first formation that these elements differently proportioned produce all the changes of health sickness growth and decay and may likewise produce any other changes which occasion the diversity of men that these elemental proportions are varied not more by climate than temperature and other local circumstances that the mind is likewise in a state of change and will take its physical character from the body and from external objects examples Inquiry concerning the first peopling of America View of Mexico Its destruction by Cortez View of Cusco and Quito cities of Peru Tradition of Capac and Oella founders of the Peruvian empire Columbus inquires into their real history Hesper gives an account of their origin and relates the stratagems they used in establishing that empire	B
	-
I sing the Mariner who first unfurl'd	C
An eastern banner o'er the western world	C
And taught mankind where future empires lay	D
In these fair confines of descending day	D
Who sway'd a moment with vicarious power	B
Iberia's sceptre on the new found shore	E
Then saw the paths his virtuous steps had trod	F
Pursued by avarice and defiled with blood	G
The tribes he foster'd with paternal toil	H
Snatch'd from his hand and slaughter'd for their spoil	H
	-
Slaves kings adventurers envious of his name	I
Enjoy'd his labours and purloin'd his fame	I
And gave the Viceroy from his high seat hurl'd	C
Chains for a crown a prison for a world	C
Long overwhelm'd in woes and sickening there	J
He met the slow still march of black despair	J
Sought the last refuge from his hopeless doom	K
And wish'd from thankless men a peaceful tomb	K
Till vision'd ages opening on his eyes	L
Cheer'd his sad soul and bade new nations rise	L
He saw the Atlantic heaven with light o'ercast	C
And Freedom crown his glorious work at last	C
	-
Almighty Freedom give my venturous song	M
The force the charm that to thy voice belong	M
Tis thine to shape my course to light my way	D
To nerve my country with the patriot lay	D
To teach all men where all their interest lies	L
How rulers may be just and nations wise	L
Strong in thy strength I bend no suppliant knee	N
Invoke no miracle no Muse but thee	N
	-
Night held on old Castile her silent reign	O
Her half orb'd moon declining to the main	O
O'er Valladolid's regal turrets hazed	C
The drizzly fogs from dull Pisuerga raised	C
Whose hovering sheets along the welkin driven	P
Thinn'd the pale stars and shut the eye from heaven	P
Cold hearted Ferdinand his pillow prest	C
Nor dream'd of those his mandates robb'd of rest	C
Of him who gemm'd his crown who stretch'd his reign	O
To realms that weigh'd the tenfold poise of Spain	O
Who now beneath his tower indungeon'd lies	L
Sweats the chill sod and breathes inclement skies	L
	-
His feverish pulse slow laboring thro his frame	I
Feeds with scant force its fast expiring flame	I
A far dim watch lamp's thrice reflected beam	Q
Throws thro his grates a mist encumber'd gleam	Q
Paints the dun vapors that the cell invade	C
And fills with spectred forms the midnight shade	C
When from a visionary short repose	R
That nursed new cares and temper'd keener woes	R
Columbus woke and to the walls addrest	C
The deep felt sorrows bursting from his breast	C
	-
Here lies the purchase here the wretched spoil	H
Of painful years and persevering toil	H
For these damp caves this hideous haunt of	S
pain	O
I traced new regions o'er the chartless main	O
Tamed all the dangers of untraversed waves	T
Hung o'er their clefts and topt their surging graves	T
Saw traitorous seas o'er coral mountains sweep	U
Red thunders rock the pole and scorch the deep	U
Death rear his front in every varying form	V
Gape from the shoals and ride the roaring storm	V
My struggling bark her seamy planks disjoin	O
Rake the rude rock and drink the copious brine	O
Till the tired elements are lull'd at last	C
And milder suns allay the billowing blast	C
Lead on the trade winds with unvarying force	W
And long and landless curve our constant course	W
	-
Our homeward heaven recoils each night forlorn	O
Calls up new stars and backward rolls the morn	O
The boreal vault descends with Europe's shore	E
And bright Calisto shuns the wave no more	E
The Dragon dips his fiery foaming jole	H
The affrighted magnet flies the faithless pole	H
Nature portends a general change of laws	X
My daring deeds are deemed the guilty cause	Y
The desperate crew to insurrection driven	O
Devote their captain to the wrath of heaven	O
Resolve at once to end the audacious strife	Z
And buy their safety with his forfeit life	Z
	-
In that sad hour this feeble frame to save	A2
Unblest reprieve and rob the gaping wave	A2
The morn broke forth these tearful orbs descried	C
The golden banks that bound the western tide	C
With full success I calm'd the clamorous race	B2
Bade heaven's blue arch a second earth embrace	B2
And gave the astonish'd age that bounteous shore	E
Their wealth to nations and to kings their power	B
	-
Land of delights ah dear delusive coast	C
To these fond aged eyes forever lost	C
No more thy flowery vales I travel o'er	B
For me thy mountains rear the head no more	E
For me thy rocks no sparkling gems unfold	C
Nor streams luxuriant wear their paths in gold	C
From realms of promised peace forever borne	O
I hail mute anguish and in secret mourn	O
	-
But dangers past a world explored in vain	O
And foes triumphant show but half my pain	O
Dissembling friends each early joy who gave	A2
And fired my youth the storms of fate to brave	A2
Swarm'd in the sunshine of my happier days	C2
Pursued the fortune and partook the praise	C2
Now pass my cell with smiles of sour disdain	O
Insult my woes and triumph in my pain	O
	-
One gentle guardian once could shield the brave	A2
But now that guardian slumbers in the grave	A2
Hear from above thou dear departed shade	C
As once my hopes my present sorrows aid	C
Burst my full heart afford that last relief	D2
Breathe back my sighs and reinspire my grief	D2
Still in my sight thy royal form appears	E2
Reproves my silence and demands my tears	F2
Even on that hour no more I joy to dwell	H
When thy protection bade the canvass swell	H
When kings and churchmen found their factions vain	O
Blind superstition shrunk beneath her chain	O
The sun's glad beam led on the circling way	D
And isles rose beauteous in Atlantic day	D
For on those silvery shores that new domain	O
What crowds of tyrants fix their murderous reign	O
Her infant realm indignant Freedom flies	L
Truth leaves the world and Isabella dies	L
	-
Ah lend thy friendly shroud to veil my sight	C
That these pain'd eyes may dread no more the light	C
These welcome shades shall close my instant doom	K
And this drear mansion moulder to a tornb	G2
	-
Thus mourn'd the hapless man a thundering sound	C
Roll'd thro the shuddering walls and shook the ground	C
O'er all the dungeon where black arches bend	C
The roofs unfold and streams of light descend	C
The growing splendor fills the astonish'd room	K
And gales etherial breathe a glad perfume	K
Robed in the radiance moves a form serene	O
Of human structure but of heavenly mien	O
Near to the prisoner's couch he takes his stand	C
And waves in sign of peace his holy hand	C
Tall rose his stature youth's endearing grace	B2
Adorn'd his limbs and brighten'd in his face	B2
Loose o'er his locks the star of evening hung	H2
And sounds melodious moved his cheerful tongue	H2
	-
Rise trembling chief to scenes of rapture rise	L
This voice awaits thee from the western skies	L
Indulge no longer that desponding strain	O
Nor count thy toils nor deem thy virtues vain	O
Thou seest in me the guardian Power who keeps	I2
The new found world that skirts Atlantic deeps	I2
Hesper my name my seat the brightest throne	O
In night's whole heaven my sire the	J2

Joel Barlow

The Columbiad: Book I Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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