Satire Ii Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDEAAFFGGDEGGHH IJKKLLMHCCGGCHNNOOGG GGAAGGLLCCPPQQGGHHHH GGRRSSHHSSHHHHGGTTHH EEHHUUGGGGGGHHGGGGVH WWHHGGGGXXGGSir though I thanke God for it I do hate | A |
Perfectly all this towne yet there's one state | A |
In all ill things so excellently best | B |
That hate towards them breeds pitty towards the rest | B |
Though Poetry indeed be such a sinne | C |
As I thinke that brings dearths and Spaniards in | C |
Though like the Pestilence and old fashion'd love | D |
Ridlingly it catch men and doth remove | E |
Never till it be sterv'd out yet their state | A |
Is poore disarm'd like Papists not worth hate | A |
One like a wretch which at Barre judg'd as dead | F |
Yet prompts him which stands next and cannot reade | F |
And saves his life gives ideot actors meanes | G |
Starving himselfe to live by'his labor'd sceanes | G |
As in some Organ Puppits dance above | D |
And bellows pant below which them do move | E |
One would move Love by rimes but witchcrafts charms | G |
Bring not now their old feares nor their old harmes | G |
Rammes and slings now are seely battery | H |
Pistolets are the best Artillerie | H |
And they who write to Lords rewards to get | I |
Are they not like singers at doores for meat | J |
And they who write because all write have still | K |
That excuse for writing and for writing ill | K |
But hee is worst who beggarly doth chaw | L |
Others wits fruits and in his ravenous maw | L |
Rankly digested doth those things out spue | M |
As his owne things 'and they are his owne 'tis true | H |
For if one eate my meate though it be knowne | C |
The meate was mine th'excrement is his owne | C |
But these do mee no harme nor they which use | G |
To out doe Dildoes and out usure Jewes | G |
To'out drinke the sea to'out sweare the Letanie | C |
Who with sinnes all kindes as familiar bee | H |
As Confessors and for whose sinfull sake | N |
Schoolemen new tenements in hell must make | N |
Whose strange sinnes Canonists could hardly tell | O |
In which Commandements large receit they dwell | O |
But these punish themselves the insolence | G |
Of Coscus onely breeds my just offence | G |
Whom time which rots all and makes botches poxe | G |
And plodding on must make a calfe an oxe | G |
Hath made a Lawyer which was alas of late | A |
But a scarce Poet jollier of this state | A |
Then are new benefic'd ministers he throwes | G |
Like nets or lime twigs wheresoere he goes | G |
His title'of Barrister on every wench | L |
And wooes in language of the Pleas and Bench | L |
'A motion Lady ' 'Speake Coscus ' 'I'have beene | C |
In love ever since tricesimo' of the Queene | C |
Continuall claimes I'have made injunctions got | P |
To stay my rivals suit that hee should not | P |
Proceed ' 'Spare mee ' 'In Hillary terme I went | Q |
You said If I returne next size in Lent | Q |
I should be in remitter of your grace | G |
In th'interim my letters should take place | G |
Of affidavits ' words words which would teare | H |
The tender labyrinth of a soft maids eare | H |
More more then ten Sclavonians scolding more | H |
Then when winds in our ruin'd Abbeyes rore | H |
When sicke with Poetrie 'and possest with muse | G |
Thou wast and mad I hop'd but men which chuse | G |
Law practise for meere gaine bold soule repute | R |
Worse then imbrothel'd strumpets prostitute | R |
Now like an owlelike watchman hee must walke | S |
His hand still at a bill now he must talke | S |
Idly like prisoners which whole months will sweare | H |
That onely suretiship hath brought them there | H |
And to'every suitor lye in every thing | S |
Like a Kings favorite yea like a King | S |
Like a wedge in a blocke wring to the barre | H |
Bearing like Asses and more shameless farre | H |
Then carted whores lye to the grave Judge for | H |
Bastardy'abounds not in Kings titles nor | H |
Symonie'and Sodomy in Churchmens lives | G |
As these things do in him by these he thrives | G |
Shortly 'as the sea hee'will compasse all our land | T |
From Scots to Wight from Mount to Dover strand | T |
And spying heires melting with luxurie | H |
Satan will not joy at their sinnes as hee | H |
For as a thrifty wench scrapes kitching stuffe | E |
And barrelling the droppings and the snuffe | E |
Of wasting candles which in thirty yeare | H |
Relique like kept perchance buyes wedding geare | H |
Peecemeale he gets lands and spends as much time | U |
Wringing each Acre as men pulling prime | U |
In parchments then large as his fields hee drawes | G |
Assurances bigge as gloss'd civill lawes | G |
So huge that men in our times forwardnesse | G |
Are Fathers of the Church for writing lesse | G |
These hee writes not nor for these written payes | G |
Therefore spares no length as in those first dayes | G |
When Luther was profest he did desire | H |
Short Pater nosters saying as a Fryer | H |
Each day his beads but having left those lawes | G |
Addes to Christs prayer the Power and glory clause | G |
But when he sells or changes land he'impaires | G |
His writings and unwatch'd leaves out ses heires | G |
As slily'as any Commenter goes by | V |
Hard words or sense or in Divinity | H |
As controverters in vouch'd texts leave out | W |
Shrewd words which might against them cleare the doubt | W |
Where are those spred woods which cloth'd heretofore | H |
Those bought lands not built not burnt within dore | H |
Where's th'old landlords troops and almes In great hals | G |
Carthusian fasts and fulsome Bachanalls | G |
Equally'I hate meanes blesse in rich mens homes | G |
I bid kill some beasts but no Hecatombs | G |
None starve none surfet so But Oh we'allow | X |
Good workes as good but out of fashion now | X |
Like old rich wardrops but my words none drawes | G |
Within the vast reach of th'huge statute lawes | G |
John Donne
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