Rural Sports: A Georgic - Canto I. Poem Rhyme Scheme

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You 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
	-
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
	-
'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
	-
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
	-
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
	-
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
	-
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
	-
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
	-
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

Rural Sports: A Georgic - Canto I. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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