The Armada Gun [1] Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBAAC DEEDDC FGHFFI JKKLLI MNNMMO PQQPPO RSSRRT GGUUT VQQVVW XYYXXW ZNNZZN A2B2JA2A2N C2D2D2C2C2 GE2E2GF2G2 TYYTTH2 I2HHI2I2H2 J2K2K2J2J2Q LAALLQ B2L2L2B2JM2 YSSYYN2 QHHQQH| An ancient cannon finely cast | A |
| Of bronze all smooth and green with age | B |
| A by gone actor on the stage | B |
| Yet fit to take as in the past | A |
| A role in war and be the last | A |
| Dread argument of kings | C |
| - | |
| The daisies grew around and brought | D |
| The homage of young spring to praise | E |
| This stately relic of old days | E |
| When France with Spain for mastery fought | D |
| And Philip over England sought | D |
| To spread the Papal wings | C |
| - | |
| Initialed with King Francis' name | F |
| With Gallic lilies sculptured o'er | G |
| Above the vent the metal bore | H |
| A Salamander crowned in flame | F |
| The massive breech could even claim | F |
| A sheath of lotos bloom | I |
| - | |
| This goodly weapon forged where Seine | J |
| By Fontainebleau and Paris flows | K |
| And many a painted Palace shows | K |
| These emblems of the Valois' reign | L |
| For centuries unseen has lain | L |
| Within the sea's dark tomb | I |
| - | |
| How came it there A Spanish keel | M |
| One of the Great Armada gay | N |
| Was blasted in Our Lady's Bay | N |
| One of the Fleet the floods conceal | M |
| Though o'er the waves was wont to peal | M |
| The thunder of their pride | O |
| - | |
| But how came France's lilies there | P |
| Beneath the flag of red and gold | Q |
| And o'er the ancient gun we told | Q |
| The story which the legends bear | P |
| How in defeat it bore its share | P |
| And stemmed the Victory's tide | O |
| - | |
| We thought the winds of hollow sound | R |
| Spoke from its mouth in solemn tone | S |
| Of great events its life had known | S |
| That thronged as with the nearly drowned | R |
| To recollection ere it found | R |
| Beneath the sea a grave | T |
| - | |
| 'In flame I live I quench its glow ' | - |
| This motto at the foundry fire | G |
| Was given me by his desire | G |
| The king whose crest and lilies show | U |
| How love and valour could bestow | U |
| Their favour on the brave | T |
| - | |
| My form was fashioned in each part | V |
| By him who wrought in gems and gold | Q |
| Whose glory trumpet tongued is told | Q |
| In fearful wars in peaceful Art | V |
| Cellini of the ardent heart | V |
| And Benvenuto named | W |
| - | |
| The silver voiced and laughing crowd | X |
| Of ladies praised his fair design | Y |
| And asked if on the German Rhine | Y |
| Or English coasts of fog and cloud | X |
| Would soon be heard my challenge loud | X |
| For rights our country claimed | W |
| - | |
| To conquer fair Milan I threw | Z |
| My shot against the Swiss array | N |
| On Marignano's dreadful day | N |
| On sledges hardy soldiers drew | Z |
| My weight through snows where eagles knew | Z |
| Alone the Alpine way | N |
| - | |
| And warring for the emperor's crown | A2 |
| I saw around me fall and die | B2 |
| The noblest of our chivalry | J |
| When peerless Bayard's high renown | A2 |
| Quenched not his blood that streaming down | A2 |
| Fell on me where I lay | N |
| - | |
| Pavia felt my iron hail | C2 |
| When traitor Bourbon won the fight | D2 |
| Yet glad was I no foreign knight | D2 |
| Alone had made our siege to fail | C2 |
| When wrote our king the dismal tale | C2 |
| 'Save honour all is lost ' | - |
| - | |
| The impious victor hurled my fire | G |
| Against the walls of holy Rome | E2 |
| But there the devil took him home | E2 |
| For at the storm my artist sire | G |
| Cellini felled him for the ire | F2 |
| Of God his path had crossed | G2 |
| - | |
| To nobler masters still a slave | T |
| I felt the fame of Doria mine | Y |
| Saw Venice o'er her channels shine | Y |
| Pursued the Moslem on the wave | T |
| And shattered them when victory gave | T |
| Her palm to Malta's isle | H2 |
| - | |
| When Naples sent her ships to swell | I2 |
| The swarming armaments that bore | H |
| 'Gainst England from each southern shore | H |
| In fleets whose numbers none could tell | I2 |
| I saw how Drake upon us fell | I2 |
| How fortune ceased to smile | H2 |
| - | |
| For tempests gathered o'er our track | J2 |
| The little English hornets stung | K2 |
| My heavy shot against them flung | K2 |
| Passed o'er their barks so swift to tack | J2 |
| And every ball they gave us back | J2 |
| Upon our galleons told | Q |
| - | |
| Soon drifting o'er the Northern main | L |
| Grey shores unknown were quickly past | A |
| Our consorts on the rocks were cast | A |
| It was our fate alone to gain | L |
| The peaceful haven where Maclaine | L |
| Set fire unto our hold | Q |
| - | |
| I sank a hundred years past by | B2 |
| And diving bells with searchers keen | L2 |
| For treasure in the wreck were seen | L2 |
| They took the gold but let me lie | B2 |
| To sleep another century | J |
| Then raised and brought me here | M2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| Valois is dead and Bourbon's Line | Y |
| No longer fills my country's throne | S |
| But death dear France shall never own | S |
| Once more of late her joy was mine | Y |
| Once more for her my flames could shine | Y |
| My thunder echo clear | N2 |
| - | |
| For when the tide of battle rolled | Q |
| Against the far Crimean shore | H |
| And France and Britain downward bore | H |
| The Russian in his chosen hold | Q |
| My last salute of victory told | Q |
| For France as oft of yore | H |
John Campbell
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
About The Armada Gun [1]
The Armada Gun [1] is a poem by John Campbell. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
Write your comment about The Armada Gun [1] poem by John Campbell
Best Poems of John Campbell