Vision Of Columbus - Book 3 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKK IICLMNFFOOPPQQRSTTUU PPOOPPRRVVPPWXGGOYLC RRZZPPA2A2PPPPB2B2PP PPIIKTGGQQPPBCQQRRC2 C2AAPPIIPPQQPPD2D2BC OOAAE2E2OOPPGGBCIF2Q QPPBCG2H2PPPPYYI2I2C CPPYOPPPPJ2J2PPPPPPA APPPPPNow twice twelve years the children of the skies | A |
Beheld in peace their growing empire rise | A |
O'er happy realms display'd their generous care | B |
Diffused their arts and soothd the rage of war | C |
Bade yon tall temple grace the favourite isle | D |
The gardens bloom the cultured valleys smile | D |
The aspiring hills their spacious mines unfold | E |
Fair structures blaze and altars burn in gold | E |
Those broad foundations bend their arches high | F |
And heave imperial Cusco to the sky | F |
From that fair stream that mark'd their northern sway | G |
Where Apurimac leads his lucid way | G |
To yon far glimmering lake the southern bound | H |
The growing tribes their peaceful dwellings found | H |
While wealth and grandeur bless'd the extended reign | I |
From the bold Andes to the western main | I |
When fierce from eastern wilds the savage bands | J |
Lead war and slaughter o'er the happy lands | J |
Thro' fertile fields the paths of culture trace | K |
And vow destruction to the Incan race | K |
While various fortune strow'd the embattled plain | I |
And baffled thousands still the strife maintain | I |
The unconquer'd Inca wakes the lingering war | C |
Drives back their host and speeds their flight afar | L |
Till fired with rage they range the wonted wood | M |
And feast their souls on future scenes of blood | N |
Where yon blue summits hang their cliffs on high | F |
Frown o'er the plains and lengthen round the sky | F |
Where vales exalted thro' the breaches run | O |
And drink the nearer splendors of the sun | O |
From south to north the tribes innumerous wind | P |
By hills of ice and mountain streams confined | P |
Rouse neighbouring hosts and meditate the blow | Q |
To blend their force and whelm the world below | Q |
Capac with caution views the dark design | R |
From countless wilds what hostile myriads join | S |
And greatly strives to bid the discord cease | T |
By profferd compacts of perpetual peace | T |
His eldest hope young Rocha at his call | U |
Leaves the deep confines of the temple wall | U |
In whose fair form in lucid garments drest | P |
Began the sacred function of the priest | P |
In early youth ere yet the genial sun | O |
Had twice six changes o'er his childhood run | O |
The blooming prince beneath his parents' hand | P |
Learn'd all the laws that sway'd the sacred land | P |
With rites mysterious served the Power divine | R |
Prepared the altar and adorn'd the shrine | R |
Responsive hail'd with still returning praise | V |
Each circling season that the God displays | V |
Sooth'd with funereal hymns the parting dead | P |
At nuptial feasts the joyful chorus led | P |
While evening incense and the morning song | W |
Rose from his hand or trembled on his tongue | X |
Thus form'd for empire ere he gain'd the sway | G |
To rule with reverence and with power obey | G |
Reflect the glories of the parent Sun | O |
And shine the Capac of his future throne | Y |
Employ'd his ripening years till now from far | L |
The distant fields proclaim approaching war | C |
Inspired for active scenes he quits the shrine | R |
To aid the council or in arms to shine | R |
Where the mild monarch courtly throngs enclose | Z |
Sublime in modest majesty he rose | Z |
With reverence bow'd conspicuous o'er the rest | P |
Approach'd the throne and thus the sire address'd | P |
Great king of nations heaven descended sage | A2 |
Guard of my youth and glory of my age | A2 |
These pontiff robes to my blest brother's hand | P |
Glad I resign and wait thy kind command | P |
Should war invade permit thy son to wield | P |
The shaft of vengeance through the untempted field | P |
Led by thy powerful arm my soul shall brave | B2 |
The haughtiest foe or find a glorious grave | B2 |
While our bold ranks a nobler toil demand | P |
In one dread field o'erwhelm the brutal band | P |
Pour to the mountain gods their wonted food | P |
And shield thy realms from future scenes of blood | P |
Yet oh may sovereign mercy first ordain | I |
Propounded compact to the savage train | I |
Fearless of foes their own dark wilds I'll trace | K |
To quell the rage and give the terms of peace | T |
Teach the grim race to bow beneath thy sway | G |
And taste the blessings of the Power of day | G |
The sire return'd My earliest wish you know | Q |
To shield from slaughter and preserve the foe | Q |
In bands of mutual peace all tribes to bind | P |
And live the friend and guardian of mankind | P |
Should strife begin thy youthful arm shall share | B |
The toils of glory through the walks of war | C |
But o'er those hideous hills thro' climes of snow | Q |
With reason's voice to lure the savage foe | Q |
To 'scape their snares their jarring souls combine | R |
Claims hardier limbs and riper years than thine | R |
Yet one of heavenly race the task requires | C2 |
Whose mystic rites controul the ethereal fires | C2 |
So the sooth'd Godhead proves to faithless eyes | A |
His sway on earth and empire of the skies | A |
Some veteran chief in those rough labours try'd | P |
Shall aid the toil and go thy faithful guide | P |
O'er dreary heights thy sinking limbs sustain | I |
Teach the dark wiles of each insidious train | I |
Through all extremes of life thy voice attend | P |
In counsel lead thee or in arms defend | P |
While three firm youths thy chosen friends shall go | Q |
To learn the climes and meditate the foe | Q |
That wars of future years their aid may find | P |
To serve the realm and save the savage kind | P |
Rise then my son bright partner of my fame | D2 |
With early toils to build thy sacred name | D2 |
In high behest these heavenly tidings bear | B |
To bless mankind and ward the waste of war | C |
To those dark hosts where shivering mountains run | O |
Proclaim the bounties of our sire the Sun | O |
On these fair plains beneath his happier skies | A |
Tell how his fruits in boundless plenty rise | A |
How the bright Power whose all delighting soul | E2 |
Taught round the courts of heaven his stars to roll | E2 |
To all his earth born sons hath kindly given | O |
His noblest laws the favourite grace of heaven | O |
Bids every tribe the same glad laws attend | P |
His realms to widen and his fanes defend | P |
Confess and emulate his bounteous sway | G |
And give his blessings where he gives the day | G |
Yet should the gathering legions still prepare | B |
The shaft of slaughter for the barbarous war | C |
Tell them we know to tread the crimson plain | I |
And heaven's bright children never yield to man | F2 |
But oh my child with steps of caution go | Q |
The ways are hideous and enraged the foe | Q |
Blood stains their altars all their feasts are blood | P |
Death their delight and Darkness reigns their God | P |
Tygers and vultures storms and earthquakes share | B |
Their rites of worship and their spoils of war | C |
Should'st thou my Rocha tempt their vengeful ire | G2 |
Should those dear relics feed a savage fire | H2 |
Deep sighs would heave thy wretched mother's breast | P |
The pale sun sink in clouds of darkness drest | P |
Thy sire and hapless nations rue the day | P |
That drew thy steps from these sad walls away | P |
Yet go 'tis virtue calls and realms unknown | Y |
By these long toils may bless thy future throne | Y |
Millions of unborn souls in time may see | I2 |
Their doom reversed and owe their joys to thee | I2 |
While savage sires with murdering hands no more | C |
Dread the grim Gods that claim their children's gore | C |
But sway'd by happier sceptres here behold | P |
The rites of freedom and the shrines of gold | P |
Be wise be mindful of thy realm and throne | Y |
Heaven speed the labours and preserve my son | O |
Soon the glad prince in robes of white array'd | P |
Call'd his attendants and the sire obey'd | P |
A diamond broad in burning gold imprest | P |
Fix'd the Sun's image on his royal breast | P |
Fair in his hand appear'd the olive bough | J2 |
And the white lautu graced his beauteous brow | J2 |
Swift o'er the hills that lift the walks of day | P |
Thro' parting clouds he took his eastern way | P |
Height over height he gain'd beyond the bound | P |
Where the wide empire claims its utmost round | P |
To numerous tribes proclaim'd the solar sway | P |
And held through various toils his wilder'd way | P |
At length far distant thro' the darkening skies | A |
Where hills o'er hills in rude disorder rise | A |
A dreadful groan beneath the shuddering ground | P |
Rolls down the steeps and shakes the world around | P |
Columns of reddening smoke above the height | P |
O'ercast the heavens and cloud their wonted light | P |
From tottering tops d | P |
Joel Barlow
(1)
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