Elegies. - Part I. Roman Elegies Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BC DD EF GH IJ KD L F MN OP QP DR QF DF DF DS D D DN TD D F UV NW DX YF DN D D YZ DX DD DF DD A2D FR DR RJ RN B2D C2D2 RR DR DN FR WW MN DD E2D F2D G2H2 I2W RD DR D| Speak ye stones I entreat Oh speak ye palaces lofty | A |
| - | |
| Utter a word oh ye streets Wilt thou not Genius awake | B |
| All that thy sacred walls eternal Rome hold within them | C |
| - | |
| Teemeth with life but to me all is still silent and dead | D |
| Oh who will whisper unto me when shall I see at the casement | D |
| - | |
| That one beauteous form which while it scorcheth revives | E |
| Can I as yet not discern the road on which I for ever | F |
| - | |
| To her and from her shall go heeding not time as it flies | G |
| Still do I mark the churches palaces ruins and columns | H |
| - | |
| As a wise traveller should would he his journey improve | I |
| Soon all this will be past and then will there be but one temple | J |
| - | |
| Amor's temple alone where the Initiate may go | K |
| Thou art indeed a world oh Rome and yet were Love absent | D |
| - | |
| Then would the world be no world then would e'en Rome be no Rome | L |
| - | |
| Do not repent mine own love that thou so soon didst surrender | F |
| - | |
| Trust me I deem thee not bold reverence only I feel | M |
| Manifold workings the darts of Amor possess some but scratching | N |
| - | |
| Yet with insidious effect poison the bosom for years | O |
| Others mightily feather'd with fresh and newly born sharpness | P |
| - | |
| Pierce to the innermost bone kindle the blood into flame | Q |
| In the heroical times when loved each god and each goddess | P |
| - | |
| Longing attended on sight then with fruition was bless'd | D |
| Think'st thou the goddess had long been thinking of love and its pleasures | R |
| - | |
| When she in Ida's retreats own'd to Anchises her flame | Q |
| Had but Luna delayd to kiss the beautiful sleeper | F |
| - | |
| Oh by Aurora ere long he had in envy been rous'd | D |
| Hero Leander espied at the noisy feast and the lover | F |
| - | |
| Hotly and nimbly ere long plunged in the night cover'd flood | D |
| Rhea Silvia virgin princess roam'd near the Tiber | F |
| - | |
| Seeking there water to draw when by the god she was seiz'd | D |
| Thus were the sons of Mars begotten The twins did a she wolf | S |
| - | |
| Suckle and nurture and Rome call'd herself queen of the world | D |
| - | |
| ALEXANDER and Caesar and Henry and Fred'rick the mighty | D |
| - | |
| On me would gladly bestow half of the glory they earn'd | D |
| Could I but grant unto each one night on the couch where I'm lying | N |
| - | |
| But they by Orcus's night sternly alas are held down | T |
| Therefore rejoice oh thou living one blest in thy love lighted homestead | D |
| - | |
| Ere the dark Lethe's sad wave wetteth thy fugitive foot | D |
| - | |
| THESE few leaves oh ye Graces a bard presents in your honour | F |
| - | |
| On your altar so pure adding sweet rosebuds as well | U |
| And he does it with hope The artist is glad in his workshop | V |
| - | |
| When a Pantheon it seems round him for ever to bring | N |
| Jupiter knits his godlike brow her's Juno up lifteth | W |
| - | |
| Phoebus strides on before shaking his curly lock'd head | D |
| Calmly and drily Minerva looks down and Hermes the light one | X |
| - | |
| Turneth his glances aside roguish and tender at once | Y |
| But tow'rds Bacchus the yielding the dreaming raiseth Cythere | F |
| - | |
| Looks both longing and sweet e'en in the marble yet moist | D |
| Of his embraces she thinks with delight and seems to be asking | N |
| - | |
| Should not our glorious son take up his place by our side | D |
| - | |
| AMOR is ever a rogue and all who believe him are cheated | D |
| - | |
| To me the hypocrite came Trust me I pray thee this once | Y |
| Honest is now my intent with grateful thanks I acknowledge | Z |
| - | |
| That thou thy life and thy works hast to my worship ordain'd | D |
| See I have follow'd thee thither to Rome with kindly intention | X |
| - | |
| Hoping to give thee mine aid e'en in the foreigner's land | D |
| Every trav'ller complains that the quarters he meets with are wretched | D |
| - | |
| Happily lodged though is he who is by Amor receiv'd | D |
| Thou dost observe the ruins of ancient buildings with wonder | F |
| - | |
| Thoughtfully wandering on over each time hallow'd spot | D |
| Thou dost honour still more the worthy relics created | D |
| - | |
| By the few artists whom I loved in their studios to seek | A2 |
| I 'twas fashion'd those forms thy pardon I boast not at present | D |
| - | |
| Presently thou shalt confess that what I tell thee is true | F |
| Now that thou serv'st me more idly where are the beauteous figures | R |
| - | |
| Where are the colours the light which thy creations once fill'd | D |
| Hast thou a mind again to form The school of the Grecians | R |
| - | |
| Still remains open my friend years have not barr'd up its doors | R |
| I the teacher am ever young and love all the youthful | J |
| - | |
| Love not the subtle and old Mother observe what I say | R |
| Still was new the Antique when yonder blest ones were living | N |
| - | |
| Happily live and in thee ages long vanish'd will live | B2 |
| Food for song where hop'st thou to find it I only can give it | D |
| - | |
| And a more excellent style love and love only can teach | C2 |
| Thus did the Sophist discourse What mortal alas could resist him | D2 |
| - | |
| And when a master commands I have been train'd to obey | R |
| Now he deceitfully keeps his word gives food for my numbers | R |
| - | |
| But while he does so alas robs me of time strength and mind | D |
| Looks and pressure of hands and words of kindness and kisses | R |
| - | |
| Syllables teeming with thought by a fond pair are exchang'd | D |
| Then becomes whispering talk and stamm'ring a language enchanting | N |
| - | |
| Free from all prosody's rules dies such a hymn on the ear | F |
| Thee Aurora I used to own as the friend of the Muses | R |
| - | |
| Hath then Amor the rogue cheated Aurora e'en thee | W |
| Thou dost appear to me now as his friend and again dost awake me | W |
| - | |
| Unto a day of delight while at his altar I kneel | M |
| All her locks I find on my bosom her head is reposing | N |
| - | |
| Pressing with softness the arm which round her neck is entwin'd | D |
| Oh what a joyous awak'ning ye hours so peaceful succeeded | D |
| - | |
| Monument sweet of the bliss which had first rock'd us to sleep | E2 |
| In her slumber she moves and sinks while her face is averted | D |
| - | |
| Far on the breadth of the couch leaving her hand still in mine | F2 |
| Heartfelt love unites us for ever and yearnings unsullied | D |
| - | |
| And our cravings alone claim for themselves the exchange | G2 |
| One faint touch of the hand and her eyes so heavenly see I | H2 |
| - | |
| Once more open Ah no let me still look on that form | I2 |
| Closed still remain Ye make me confused and drunken ye rob me | W |
| - | |
| Far too soon of the bliss pure contemplation affords | R |
| Mighty indeed are these figures these limbs how gracefully rounded | D |
| - | |
| Theseus could'st thou e'er fly whilst Ariadne thus slept | D |
| Only one single kiss on these lips Oh Theseus now leave us | R |
| - | |
| Gaze on her eyes she awakes Firmly she holds thee embrac'd | D |
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
<< Mathal Name. - Book Of Parables Poem
Next Poem
Write your comment about Elegies. - Part I. Roman Elegies poem by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Best Poems of Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe