A Letter To Sir George Etherege.[1] Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDCCEEFGH HIIHHJJKKALLMNOPQQRR AASTJJJUUVVWWTTDDXYZ ZTTDDA2A2ECCB2B2ZZCC CZZZTTC2OD2D2DDTo you who live in chill degree | A |
As map informs of fifty three | A |
And do not much for cold atone | B |
By bringing thither fifty one | C |
Methinks all climes should be alike | D |
From tropic e'en to pole arctique | D |
Since you have such a constitution | C |
As nowhere suffers diminution | C |
You can be old in grave debate | E |
And young in love affairs of state | E |
And both to wives and husbands show | F |
The vigour of a plenipo | G |
Like mighty missioner you come | H |
- | |
Ad Partes Infidelium | H |
A work of wondrous merit sure | I |
So far to go so much t' endure | I |
And all to preach to German dame | H |
Where sound of Cupid never came | H |
Less had you done had you been sent | J |
As far as Drake or Pinto went | J |
For cloves or nutmegs to the line a | K |
Or even for oranges to China | K |
That had indeed been charity | A |
Where love sick ladies helpless lie | L |
Chapt and for want of liquor dry | L |
But you have made your zeal appear | M |
Within the circle of the Bear | N |
What region of the earth's so dull | O |
That is not of your labours full | P |
Triptolemus so sung the Nine | Q |
Strew'd plenty from his cart divine | Q |
But spite of all these fable makers | R |
He never sow'd on Almain acres | R |
No that was left by Fate's decree | A |
To be perform'd and sung by thee | A |
Thou break'st through forms with as much ease | S |
As the French king through articles | T |
In grand affairs thy days are spent | J |
In waging weighty compliment | J |
With such as monarchs represent | J |
They whom such vast fatigues attend | U |
Want some soft minutes to unbend | U |
To show the world that now and then | V |
Great ministers are mortal men | V |
Then Rhenish rammers walk the round | W |
In bumpers every king is crown'd | W |
Besides three holy mitred Hectors | T |
And the whole college of Electors | T |
No health of potentate is sunk | D |
That pays to make his envoy drunk | D |
These Dutch delights I mention'd last | X |
Suit not I know your English taste | Y |
For wine to leave a whore or play | Z |
Was ne'er your Excellency's way | Z |
Nor need this title give offence | T |
For here you were your Excellence | T |
For gaming writing speaking keeping | D |
His Excellence for all but sleeping | D |
Now if you tope in form and treat | A2 |
'Tis the sour sauce to the sweet meat | A2 |
The fine you pay for being great | E |
Nay here's a harder imposition | C |
Which is indeed the court's petition | C |
That setting worldly pomp aside | B2 |
Which poet has at font denied | B2 |
You would be pleased in humble way | Z |
To write a trifle call'd a play | Z |
This truly is a degradation | C |
But would oblige the crown and nation | C |
Next to your wise negotiation | C |
If you pretend as well you may | Z |
Your high degree your friends will say | Z |
The Duke St Aignon made a play | Z |
If Gallic wit convince you scarce | T |
His Grace of Bucks has made a farce | T |
And you whose comic wit is terse all | C2 |
Can hardly fall below rehearsal | O |
Then finish what you have began | D2 |
But scribble faster if you can | D2 |
For yet no George to our discerning | D |
Has writ without a ten years' warning | D |
John Dryden
(1)
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