To Sir Godfrey Kneller, Principal Painter To His Majesty.[1] Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Once I beheld the fairest of her kind	A
And still the sweet idea charms my mind	A
True she was dumb for Nature gazed so long	B
Pleased with her work that she forgot her tongue	C
But smiling said She still shall gain the prize	D
I only have transferr'd it to her eyes	D
Such are thy pictures Kneller such thy skill	E
That Nature seems obedient to thy will	E
Comes out and meets thy pencil in the draught	F
Lives there and wants but words to speak her thought	G
At least thy pictures look a voice and we	H
Imagine sounds deceived to that degree	H
We think 'tis somewhat more than just to see	H
	-
Shadows are but privations of the light	I
Yet when we walk they shoot before the sight	I
With us approach retire arise and fall	J
Nothing themselves and yet expressing all	J
Such are thy pieces imitating life	K
So near they almost conquer in the strife	K
And from their animated canvas came	L
Demanding souls and loosen'd from the frame	L
	-
Prometheus were he here would cast away	M
His Adam and refuse a soul to clay	M
And either would thy noble work inspire	N
Or think it warm enough without his fire	O
	-
But vulgar hands may vulgar likeness raise	P
This is the least attendant on thy praise	P
From hence the rudiments of art began	Q
A coal or chalk first imitated man	Q
Perhaps the shadow taken on a wall	J
Gave outlines to the rude original	R
Ere canvas yet was strain'd before the grace	S
Of blended colours found their use and place	S
Or cypress tablets first received a face	S
	-
By slow degrees the godlike art advanced	T
As man grew polish'd picture was enhanced	T
Greece added posture shade and perspective	U
And then the mimic piece began to live	V
Yet p rspective was lame no distance true	W
But all came forward in one common view	W
No point of light was known no bounds of art	X
When light was there it knew not to depart	X
But glaring on remoter objects play'd	Y
Not languish'd and insensibly decay'd	Y
	-
Rome raised not art but barely kept alive	V
And with old Greece unequally did strive	V
Till Goths and Vandals a rude northern race	S
Did all the matchless monuments deface	S
Then all the Muses in one ruin be	H
And rhyme began to enervate poetry	H
Thus in a stupid military state	Z
The pen and pencil find an equal fate	Z
Flat faces such as would disgrace a screen	A2
Such as in Bantam's embassy were seen	A2
Unraised unrounded were the rude delight	I
Of brutal nations only born to fight	I
	-
Long time the sister arts in iron sleep	B2
A heavy sabbath did supinely keep	B2
At length in Raphael's age at once they rise	D
Stretch all their limbs and open all their eyes	D
	-
Thence rose the Roman and the Lombard line	C2
One colour'd best and one did best design	C2
Raphael's like Homer's was the nobler part	X
But Titian's painting look'd like Virgil's art	X
	-
Thy genius gives thee both where true design	C2
Postures unforced and lively colours join	D2
Likeness is ever there but still the best	E2
Like proper thoughts in lofty language dress'd	E2
Where light to shades descending plays not strives	F2
Dies by degrees and by degrees revives	F2
Of various parts a perfect whole is wrought	G
Thy pictures think and we divine their thought	G
	-
Shakspeare thy gift I place before my sight	I
With awe I ask his blessing ere I write	I
With reverence look on his majestic face	S
Proud to be less but of his godlike race	S
His soul inspires me while thy praise I write	I
And I like Teucer under Ajax fight	I
Bids thee through me be bold with dauntless breast	E2
Contemn the bad and emulate the best	E2
Like his thy critics in the attempt are lost	G2
When most they rail know then they envy most	H2
In vain they snarl aloof a noisy crowd	I2
Like women's anger impotent and loud	I2
While they their barren industry deplore	J2
Pass on secure and mind the goal before	J2
Old as she is my Muse shall march behind	A
Bear off the blast and intercept the wind	A
Our arts are sisters though not twins in birth	K2
For hymns were sung in Eden's happy earth	K2
	-
But oh the painter Muse though last in place	S
Has seized the blessing first like Jacob's race	S
Apelles' art an Alexander found	L2
And Raphael did with Leo's gold abound	L2
But Homer was with barren laurel crown'd	L2
Thou hadst thy Charles a while and so had I	M2
But pass we that unpleasing image by	M2
Rich in thyself and of thyself divine	C2
All pilgrims come and offer at thy shrine	C2
A graceful truth thy pencil can command	N2
The fair themselves go mended from thy hand	N2
Likeness appears in every lineament	N2
But likeness in thy work is eloquent	N2
Though nature there her true resemblance bears	O2
A nobler beauty in thy peace appears	P2
So warm thy work so glows the generous frame	L
Flesh looks less living in the lovely dame	L
Thou paint'st as we describe improving still	E
When on wild nature we ingraft our skill	E
But not creating beauties at our will	E
	-
But poets are confined in narrower space	S
To speak the language of their native place	S
The painter widely stretches his command	N2
Thy pencil speaks the tongue of every land	N2
From hence my friend all climates are your own	Q2
Nor can you forfeit for you hold of none	R2
All nations all immunities will give	U
To make you theirs where'er you please to live	V
And not seven cities but the world would strive	V
	-
Sure some propitious planet then did smile	S2
When first you were conducted to this isle	S2
Our genius brought you here to enlarge our fame	L
For your good stars are everywhere the same	L
Thy matchless hand of every region free	H
Adopts our climate not our climate thee	H
	-
Great Rome and Venice early did impart	N2
To thee the examples of their wondrous art	N2
Those masters then but seen not understood	N2
With generous emulation fired thy blood	N2
For what in nature's dawn the child admired	N2
The youth endeavour'd and the man acquired	N2
	-
If yet thou hast not reach'd their high degree	H
'Tis only wanting to this age not thee	H
Thy genius bounded by the times like mine	C2
Drudges on petty draughts nor dare design	C2
A more exalted work and more divine	C2
For what a song or senseless opera	T2
Is to the living labour of a play	M
Or what a play to Virgil's work would be	H
Such is a single piece to history	H
	-
But we who life bestow ourselves must live	V
Kings cannot reign unless their subjects give	U
And they who pay the taxes bear the rule	U2
Thus thou sometimes art forced to draw a fool	U2
But so his follies in thy posture sink	V2
The senseless idiot seems at last to think	V2
	-
Good heaven that sots and knaves should be so vain	W2
To wish their vile resemblance may remain	W2
And stand recorded at their own request	N2
To future days a libel or a jest	N2
	-
Else should we see your noble pencil trace	S
Our unities of action time and place	S
A whole composed of parts and those the best	N2
With every various character express'd	N2
Heroes at large and at a nearer view	W
Less and at distance an ignobler crew	W
While all the figures in one action join	D2
As tending to complete the main design	C2
	-
More cannot be by mortal art express'd	N2
But venerable age shall add the rest	N2
For time shall with his ready pencil stand	N2
Retouch your fingers with his ripening hand	N2
Mellow your colours and embrown the tint	N2
Add every grace which time alone can grant	N2
To future ages shall your fame convey	M
And give more beauties than he takes away	M

John Dryden

To Sir Godfrey Kneller, Principal Painter To His Majesty.[1] Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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