Vision Of Columbus - Book 4 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ KKLLMMNNOOPPBBQRHHST DDUUVVGGSSVVWWXVYYRR VVGGZA2B2B2WWIILLC2C 2D2E2F2F2LLHHXVLLRRG 2G2LLE2D2RREELLGGLLH 2H2VVDDGGI2I2J2J2K2L 2GGMMHHXVEELLM2M2WWG GI2I2N2N2YYEO2P2P2Q2 Q2WWR2GXVH2H2VVS2T2U 2U2NNV2W2LLRG

In one dark age beneath a single handA
Thus rose an empire in the savage landA
Her golden seats with following years increaseB
Her growing nations spread the walks of peaceB
Her sacred rites display the purest planC
That e'er adorn'd the unguided mind of manC
Yet all the pomp the extended climes unfoldD
The fields of verdure and the towers of goldD
Those works of peace and sovereign scenes of stateE
In short lived glory hasten to their fateE
Thy followers rushing like an angry floodF
Shall whelm the fields and stain the shrines in bloodF
Nor thou Las Casas best of men shalt stayG
The ravening legions from their guardless preyG
Oh hapless prelate hero saint and sageH
Doom'd with hard guilt a fruitless war to wageH
To see with grief thy life of virtues runI
A realm unpeopled and a world undoneI
While impious Valverde mock of priesthood standsJ
Guilt in his heart the gospel in his handsJ
Bids in one field unnumber'd squadrons bleedK
Smiles o'er the scene and sanctifies the deedK
And thou brave Gasca with thy virtuous trainL
Shalt lift the sword and urge thy power in vainL
Vain the late task the sinking land to saveM
Or call her slaughter'd millions from the graveM
The Seraph spoke Columbus with a sighN
Cast o'er the hapless climes his moisten'd eyeN
And thus return'd Oh hide me in the tombO
Why should I live to view the impending doomO
If such dread scenes the scheme of heaven composeP
And virtuous toils induce redoubled woesP
Unfold no more but grant a kind releaseB
Give me 'tis all I ask to rest in peaceB
Thy soul shall rest in peace the Power rejoin'dQ
Ere these conflicting shades involve mankindR
But nobler views shall first thy mind engageH
Beyond the bounds of this destructive ageH
Where happier fruits of thy unwearied toilS
Thro' future years and other empires smileT
Europe's contending realms shall soon beholdD
These fruitful plains and hills of opening goldD
Fair in the path of thy adventurous failU
Their countless navies float in every galeU
For wealth and commerce sweep the extended shoreV
And load the ocean with the shining oreV
As up the orient heaven the dawning rayG
Smiles o'er the world and gives the promised dayG
Drives fraud and rapine from their nightly spoilS
And social nature wakes to peaceful toilS
So from the blazing mine the golden storeV
Mid warring nations spreads from shore to shoreV
With new ambition fires their ravish'd eyesW
O'er factious nobles bids the monarch riseW
Unites the force of realms the wealth to shareX
Leads larger hosts to milder walks of warV
The golden scale while rival states suspendY
And princely powers their mutual aid extendY
Wide o'er the world while genius unconfinedR
Tempts happier flights and opens all the mindR
Unbinds the slavish bands of monkish loreV
Awakes the arts and bids the Muses soarV
Then shall thy northern climes their charms displayG
United nations there extend their swayG
O'er the new world exalt their peerless throneZ
And twine thy wreaths immortal on their crownA2
Now lift thine eye O'er Europe's circling roundsB2
Where kings contending claim their bordering boundsB2
Behold in light the nations slowly riseW
Like trembling vapours in the morning skiesW
Where those long shores their different courses runI
Round the dim north and tow'rd the eastern sunI
The naked harbours looking to the mainL
Unfold their bounds and break the winds in vainL
The labouring ride no foreign treasure bringsC2
No floating forest waves its canvass wingsC2
No busy throngs the lonely margin treadD2
Nor sails nor cities cast a watery shadeE2
Save where yon opening gulph the strand dividesF2
Proud Venice bathes her in the broken tidesF2
Beholds her scattering barks around her strownL
And sovereign deems the watery world her ownL
The nations fierce that local faiths enrageH
In causeless strife perpetual combat wageH
No martial system claims the monarch's careX
Nor standing legions guard the realm from warV
Give general laws to nations and restrainL
The untemper'd rage of passion's lawless reignL
But the firm bondage of the slavish mindR
Spreads deeper glooms and subjugates mankindR
As the dark northern tribes in elder timesG2
Drove every art from Europe's cultured climesG2
O'er ruin'd Latium fix'd their savage reignL
Mid towers o'erturn'd and learned millions slainL
Thus o'er the same fair seats with deadlier shadeE2
Folly and zeal their sable ensigns spreadD2
Send their cowl'd teachers every sect to blindR
Stretch the deep mantle and secure the mindR
Warn from the world by Gallileo's fateE
Each daring truth that boasts a modern dateE
Support all crimes by full indulgence givenL
Usurp the power and wield the sword of HeavenL
But see where future years their scenes unrollG
And rising arts inspire the venturous soulG
Behold from all the extended coasts of SpainL
Unnumber'd navies croud the whitening mainL
High o'er the western wave in cloudly flightH2
They stream and lessen on the varying sightH2
Dim thro' the isles and middle regions pourV
Furl the low sails and skirt the masted shoreV
From the long strand the moving loads beholdD
The sparkling gems and heaps of burning goldD
The sails ascend and tow'rd their native dayG
With heavier burdens win their arduous wayG
Now from all coasts that Europe's realms surroundI2
See the long squadrons o'er the billows boundI2
Thro' Afric's isles observe the sweeping sailsJ2
Full pinions tossing in Arabian galesJ2
Indus and Ganges deep in canvass lostK2
And navies crouding round each orient coastL2
New nations rise to light extend the toilG
Unfold their treasures share the foreign spoilG
Join distant worlds all climes and oceans braveM
And shade with sheets the immeasurable waveM
While rival realms in greater works engageH
And wake the genius of a happier ageH
Their bounds enlarge and mutual safety shareX
By leagues of peace and standing strength of warV
See lofty Ximines with solemn gaitE
Move from the cloister to the walks of stateE
Thro' all the extended baronies of SpainL
Curb the fierce lords and fix the royal reignL
Behold dread Charles the sovereign seat ascendsM2
O'er kings and climes his eager view extendsM2
Europe's surrounding states before his eyesW
Lure the wide wish and bid his claims ariseW
While wealthier shores beneath the western dayG
Unfold their treasures and enlarge his swayG
See the brave Francis lift his banners roundI2
To guard the realms and give his rival boundI2
With equal pomp the imperial sceptre claimN2
And fire the nations with an equal nameN2
Unite his kingdom and his power extendY
Of arms the patron and of arts the friendY
And see proud Wolsey rise securely greatE
Kings in his train and sceptres at his feetO2
From monkish walls the hoards of wealth he drawsP2
To aid the tyrant and restrain the lawsP2
Wakes Albion's genius abler monarchs bravesQ2
And shares with them the empire of the wavesQ2
Behold dark Solyman from eastern skiesW
With his grim host magnificently riseW
Extend his limits o'er the midland seaR2
And tow'rd Germania drive his conquering wayG
Frown o'er the Christian Powers with haughty airX
And teach the nations how to lead the warV
There powerful Leo rises into sightH2
And generous calls the finer arts to lightH2
New walls and structures throng the Latian shoreV
The Pencil triumphs and the Muses soarV
Snatch'd from the ground where Gothic rage had trodS2
And monks and prelates held their drear abodeT2
The Roman statues rise and wake to viewU2
The same bold taste their ancient glory knewU2
O'er the dark world Erasmus casts his eyeN
In schoolmen's lore sees kings and nations lieN
With strength of judgement and with fancy warmV2
Derides their follies and dissolves the charmW2
Draws the deep veil that bigot zeal has thrownL
O'er pagan Books and science long unknownL
From faith of pageant rites relieves mankindR
And seats bolG

Joel Barlow



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about Vision Of Columbus - Book 4 poem by Joel Barlow


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 0 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