Alexander's Feast; Or, The Power Of Music Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDDDEEEFGGF HIIHIHHHJKLLMMDDDNOJ JN PPQQRRQPSTTTTS SUSVVEEWWXBABYZA2VVB B2C2B2C2 D2D2HHE2E2F2F2G2G2G2 G2D2D2H2I2SFFJ2UJ2J2 UST TJ2J2J2J2VF2K2FVJ2J2 SSSJ2J2HVVL2L2M2M2L2 C2C2J2J2ITN2N2O2VVO2 VP2VP2

'Twas at the royal feast for Persia wonA
By Philip's warlike sonA
Aloft in awful stateB
The godlike hero sateB
On his imperial throneC
His valiant peers were placed aroundD
Their brows with roses and with myrtles boundD
So should desert in arms be crownedD
The lovely Thais by his sideE
Sate like a blooming eastern brideE
In flower of youth and beauty's prideE
Happy happy happy pairF
None but the braveG
None but the braveG
None but the brave deserves the fairF
-
Timotheus placed on highH
Amid the tuneful quireI
With flying fingers touched the lyreI
The trembling notes ascend the skyH
And heavenly joys inspireI
The song began from JoveH
Who left his blissful seats aboveH
Such is the power of mighty loveH
A dragon's fiery form belied the godJ
Sublime on radiant spires he rodeK
When he to fair Olympia prestL
And while he sought her snowy breastL
Then round her slender waist he curledM
And stamped an image of himself a sovereign of the worldM
The listening crowd admire the lofty soundD
A present deity they shout aroundD
A present deity the vaulted roofs reboundD
With ravished earsN
The monarch hearsO
Assumes the godJ
Affects to nodJ
And seems to shake the spheresN
-
The praise of Bacchus then the sweet musician sungP
Of Bacchus ever fair and ever youngP
The jolly god in triumph comesQ
Sound the trumpets beat the drumsQ
Flushed with a purple graceR
He shows his honest faceR
Now give the hautboys breath he comes he comesQ
Bacchus ever fair and youngP
Drinking joys did first ordainS
Bacchus' blessings are a treasureT
Drinking is the soldier's pleasureT
Rich the treasureT
Sweet the pleasureT
Sweet is pleasure after painS
-
Soothed with the sound the king grew vainS
Fought all his battles o'er againU
And thrice he routed all his foes and thrice he slew the slainS
The master saw the madness riseV
His glowing cheeks his ardent eyesV
And while he Heaven and Earth defiedE
Changed his hand and checked his prideE
He chose a mournful MuseW
Soft pity to infuseW
He sung Darius great and goodX
By too severe a fateB
Fallen fallen fallen fallenA
Fallen from his high estateB
And weltering in his bloodY
Deserted at his utmost needZ
By those his former bounty fedA2
On the bare earth exposed he liesV
With not a friend to close his eyesV
With downcast looks the joyless victor sateB
Revolving in his altered soulB2
The various turns of Chance belowC2
And now and then a sigh he stoleB2
And tears began to flowC2
-
The mighty master smiled to seeD2
That love was in the next degreeD2
'Twas but a kindred sound to moveH
For pity melts the mind to loveH
Softly sweet in Lydian measuresE2
Soon he soothed his soul to pleasuresE2
War he sung is toil and troubleF2
Honour but an empty bubbleF2
Never ending still beginningG2
Fighting still and still destroyingG2
If the world be worth thy winningG2
Think O think it worth enjoyingG2
Lovely Thais sits beside theeD2
Take the good the gods provide theeD2
The many rend the skies with loud applauseH2
So Love was crowned but Music won the causeI2
The prince unable to conceal his painS
Gazed on the fairF
Who caused his careF
And sighed and looked sighed and lookedJ2
Sighed and looked and sighed againU
At length with love and wine at once opprestJ2
The vanquished victor sunk upon her breastJ2
-
Now strike the golden lyre againU
A louder yet and yet a louder strainS
Break his bands of sleep asunderT
-
And rouse him like a rattling peal of thunderT
Hark hark the horrid soundJ2
Has raised up his headJ2
As awaked from the deadJ2
And amazed he stares aroundJ2
Revenge revenge Timotheus criesV
See the Furies ariselF2
See the snakes that they rearK2
How they hiss in their hairF
And the sparkles that flash from their eyesV
Behold a ghastly bandJ2
Each a torch in his handJ2
Those are Grecian ghosts that in battle were slainS
And unburied remainS
Inglorious on the plainS
Give the vengeance dueJ2
To the valiant crewJ2
Behold how they toss their torches on highH
How they point to the Persian abodesV
And glittering temples of their hostile godsV
The princes applaud with a furious joyL2
And the King seized a flambeau with zeal to destroyL2
Thais led the wayM2
To light him to his preyM2
And like another Helen fired another TroyL2
-
Thus long agoC2
Ere heaving bellows learned to blowC2
While organs yet were muteJ2
Timotheus to his breathing fluteJ2
And sounding lyreI
Could swell the soul to rage or kindle soft desireT
At last divine Cecilia cameN2
Inventress of the vocal frameN2
The sweet enthusiast from her sacred storeO2
Enlarged the former narrow boundsV
And added length to solemn soundsV
With Nature's mother wit and arts unknown beforeO2
Let old Timotheus yield the prizeV
Or both divide the crownP2
He raised a mortal to the skiesV
She drew an angel downP2

John Dryden



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