To Sir Godfrey Kneller, Principal Painter To His Majesty.[1] Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDEEFGHHH IIJJKKLL MMNO PPQQJRSSS TTUVWWXXYY VVSSHHZZA2A2II B2B2DD C2C2XX C2D2E2E2F2F2GG IISSIIE2E2G2H2I2I2J2 J2AAK2K2 SSL2L2L2M2M2C2C2N2N2 N2N2O2P2LLEEE SSN2N2Q2R2UVV S2S2LLHH N2N2N2N2N2N2 HHC2C2C2T2MHH VUU2U2V2V2 W2W2N2N2 SSN2N2WWD2C2 N2N2N2N2N2N2MMOnce 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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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
(1)
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