Rural Sports: A Georgic - Canto I. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDDEE FFFFFFGGHHIIAADDJJKK LL FFMMFFNO FFPPFFDDQQRRDD KKRRSSTUVVFFFF KKKKWWXXYYFFMMKKLLKK FFKK FFFFQZKKFFKKYYFF KKKKNOKKKKKKKK A2A2KKKKRRKKNNB2B2 MMFFKKKKC2C2FFFF KKFFFFTTKK KKKKFFKKKKWW KKFFB2You who the sweets of rural life have known | A |
Despise the ungrateful hurry of the town | B |
In Windsor groves your easy hours employ | C |
And undistub'd yourself and muse enjoy | C |
Thames listens to thy strains and silent flows | D |
And no rude winds through rustling osiers blows | D |
While all his wondering nymphs around thee throng | E |
To hear the Syrens warble in thy song | E |
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But I who ne'er was bless'd by fortune's hand | F |
Nor brighten'd plough shares in paternal land | F |
Long in the noisy town have been immur'd | F |
Respir'd its smoke and all its cares endur'd | F |
Where news and politics divide mankind | F |
And schemes of state involve the uneasy mind | F |
Faction embroils the world and every tongue | G |
Is mov'd by flattery or with scandal hung | G |
Friendship for sylvan shades the palace flies | H |
Where all must yield to interest's dearer ties | H |
Each rival Machiavel with envy burns | I |
And honesty forsakes them all by turns | I |
While calumny upon each party's thrown | A |
Which both promote and both alike disown | A |
Fatigu'd at last a calm retreat I chose | D |
And sooth'd my harass'd mind with sweet repose | D |
Where fields and shades and the refreshing clime | J |
Inspire my silvan song and prompt my rhyme | J |
My muse shall rove through flowery meads and plains | K |
And deck with rural sports her native strains | K |
And the same road ambitiously pursue | L |
Frequented by the Mantuan swain and you | L |
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'Tis not that rural sports alone invite | F |
But all the grateful country breathes delight | F |
Here blooming health exerts her gentle reign | M |
And strings the sinews of the industrious swain | M |
Soon as the morning lark salutes the day | F |
Through dewy fields I take my frequent way | F |
Where I behold the farmer's early care | N |
In the revolving labours of the year | O |
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When the fresh spring in all her state is crown'd | F |
And high luxuriant grass o'erspreads the ground | F |
The labourer with the bending scythe is seen | P |
Shaving the surface of the waving green | P |
Of all her native pride disrobes the land | F |
And meads lays waste before the sweeping hand | F |
While the mounting sun the meadow glows | D |
The fading herbage round he loosely throws | D |
But if some sign portend a lasting shower | Q |
The experienc'd swain foresees the coming hour | Q |
His sun burnt hands the scattering fork forsake | R |
And ruddy damsels ply the saving rake | R |
In rising hills the fragrant harvest grows | D |
And spreads along the field in equal rows | D |
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Now when the height of heaven bright Phoebus gains | K |
And level rays cleave wide the thirsty plains | K |
When heifers seek the shade and cooling lake | R |
And in the middle path way basks the snake | R |
O lead me guard me from the sultry hours | S |
Hide me ye forests in your closet bowers | S |
Where the tall oak his spreading arms entwine | T |
And with the beech a mutual shade combines | U |
Where flows the murmuring brook inviting dreams | V |
Where bordering hazle overhangs the streams | V |
Whose rolling current winding round and round | F |
With frequent falls makes all the woods resound | F |
Upon the mossy couch my limbs I cast | F |
And even at noon the sweets of evening taste | F |
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Here I peruse the Mantuan's Georgic strains | K |
And learn the labours of Italian swains | K |
In every page I see new landscapes rise | K |
And all Hesperia opens to my eyes | K |
I wander o'er the various rural toil | W |
And know the nature of each different soil | W |
This waving field is gilded o'er with corn | X |
That spreading trees with blushing fruit adorn | X |
Here I survey the purple vintage grow | Y |
Climb round the poles and rise in graceful row | Y |
Now I behold the steed curvet and bound | F |
And paw with restless hoof the smoking ground | F |
The dewlap'd bull now chaffs along the plain | M |
While burning love ferments in every vein | M |
His well arm'd front against his rival aims | K |
And by the dint of war his mistress claims | K |
The careful insect 'midst his works I view | L |
Now from the flowers exhaust the fragrant dew | L |
With golden treasures load his little thighs | K |
And steer his distant journey through the skies | K |
Some against hostile drones the hive defend | F |
Others with sweets the waxen cells distend | F |
Each in the toil his destin'd office bears | K |
And in the little bulk a mighty soul appears | K |
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Or when the ploughman leaves the task of day | F |
And trudging homeward whistles on the way | F |
When the big udder'd cows with patience stand | F |
Waiting the stroakings of the damsel's hand | F |
No warbling cheers the woods the feather'd choir | Q |
To court kind slumbers to their sprays retire | Z |
When no rude gale disturbs the sleeping trees | K |
Nor aspen leaves confess the gentlest breeze | K |
Engag'd in thought to Neptune's bounds I stray | F |
To take my farewell of the parting day | F |
Far in the deep the sun his glory hides | K |
A streak of gold the sea and sky divides | K |
The purple clouds their amber lining show | Y |
And edg'd with flame rolls every wave below | Y |
Here pensive I behold the fading light | F |
And o'er the distant billow lose my sight | F |
- | |
Now night in the silent state begins to rise | K |
And twinkling orbs bestrow the uncloudy skies | K |
Her borrow'd lustre growing Cynthia lends | K |
And on the main a glittering path extends | K |
Millions of worlds hang in the spacious air | N |
Which round their suns the annual circles steer | O |
Sweet contemplation elevates my sense | K |
While I survey the works of Providence | K |
O would the muse in loftier strains rehearse | K |
The glorious Author of the universe | K |
Who reins the winds gives the vast ocean bounds | K |
And circumscribes the floating worlds their rounds | K |
My soul should overflow in songs of praise | K |
And my Creator's name inspire my lays | K |
- | |
As in successive course the seasons roll | A2 |
So circling pleasures recreate the soul | A2 |
When genial spring a living warmth bestows | K |
And o'er the year her verdant mantle throws | K |
No swelling inundation hides the grounds | K |
But crystal currents glide within their bounds | K |
The finny brood their wonted haunts forsake | R |
Float in the sun and skim along the lake | R |
With frequent leap they range the shallow streams | K |
Their silver coats reflect the dazzling beams | K |
Now let the fisherman his tolls prepare | N |
And arm himself with every watery snare | N |
His hooks his lines persue with careful eye | B2 |
Increase his tackle and his rod re tie | B2 |
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When floating clouds their spongy fleeces drain | M |
Troubling the streams with swift descending rain | M |
And waters tumbling down the mountain's side | F |
Bear the loose soil into the swelling tide | F |
Then soon as vernal gales begin to rise | K |
And drive the liquid burthen through the skies | K |
The fisher to the neighbouring current speeds | K |
Whose rapid surface purls unknown to weeds | K |
Upon a rising border of the brook | C2 |
He sits him down and ties the treacherous hook | C2 |
Now expectation cheers his eager thought | F |
His bosom glows with treasures yet uncaught | F |
Before his eyes a banquet seems to stand | F |
Where every guest applauds his skilful hand | F |
- | |
Far up the stream the twisted hair he throws | K |
Which down the murmuring current gently flows | K |
When if or chance or hunger's powerful sway | F |
Directs the roving trout this fatal way | F |
He greedily sucks in the twining bait | F |
And tugs and nibbles the fallacious meat | F |
Now happy fisherman now twitch the line | T |
How thy rod bends behold the prize is thine | T |
Cast on the bank he dies with gasping pains | K |
And trickling blood his silver mail distains | K |
- | |
You must not every worm promiscuous use | K |
Judgement will tell thee proper bait to choose | K |
The worm that draws a long immoderate size | K |
The trout abhors and the rank morsel flies | K |
And if too small the naked fraud's in sight | F |
And fear forbids while hunger does invite | F |
Those baits will best reward the fisher's pains | K |
Whose polish'd tails a shining yellow stains | K |
Cleanse them from filth to give a tempting gloss | K |
Cherish the sullied reptile race with moss | K |
Amid the verdant bed they twine they toil | W |
And from their bodies wipe their native soil | W |
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But when the sun displays his glorious beams | K |
And shallow rivers flow with silver streams | K |
Then the deceit the scaly breed survey | F |
Bask in the sun and look into the day | F |
You now a more delusive art must try | B2 |
John Gay
(1)
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