Samson Agonistes (excerpts) Poem Rhyme Scheme

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John Milton

Samson Agonistes (excerpts) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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Samson's Opening Speech	A
A little onward lend thy guiding hand	B
To these dark steps a little further on	C
For yonder bank hath choice of sun or shade	D
There I am wont to sit when any chance	E
Relieves me from my task of servile toil	F
Daily in the common prison else enjoin'd me	G
Where I a prisoner chain'd scarce freely draw	H
The air imprison'd also close and damp	I
Unwholesome draught but here I feel amends	J
The breath of Heav'n fresh blowing pure and sweet	K
With day spring born here leave me to respire	H
This day a solemn feast the people hold	L
To Dagon their sea idol and forbid	M
Laborious works unwillingly this rest	N
Their superstition yields me hence with leave	O
Retiring from the popular noise I seek	P
This unfrequented place to find some ease	Q
Ease to the body some none to the mind	R
From restless thoughts that like a deadly swarm	S
Of hornets arm'd no sooner found alone	T
But rush upon me thronging and present	U
Times past what once I was and what am now	V
O wherefore was my birth from Heaven foretold	L
Twice by an angel who at last in sight	W
Of both my parents all in flames ascended	X
From off the altar where an off'ring burn'd	Y
As in a fiery column charioting	P
His godlike presence and from some great act	Z
Of benefit reveal'd to Abraham's race	A2
Why was my breeding order'd and prescrib'd	B2
As of a person separate to God	C2
Design'd for great exploits if I must die	D2
Betray'd captiv'd and both my eyes put out	E2
Made of my enemies the scorn and gaze	F2
To grind in brazen fetters under task	P
With this Heav'n gifted strength O glorious strength	G2
Put to the labour of a beast debas'd	H2
Lower than bondslave Promise was that I	D2
Should Israel from Philistian yoke deliver	H
Ask for this great deliverer now and find him	I2
Eyeless in Gaza at the mill with slaves	J2
Himself in bonds under Philistian yoke	P
Yet stay let me not rashly call in doubt	E2
Divine prediction what if all foretold	L
Had been fulfill'd but through mine own default	K2
Whom have I to complain of but myself	L2
Who this high gift of strength committed to me	G
In what part lodg'd how easily bereft me	G
Under the seal of silence could not keep	M2
But weakly to a woman must reveal it	N2
O'ercome with importunity and tears	O2
O impotence of mind in body strong	P
But what is strength without a double share	H
Of wisdom vast unwieldy burdensome	P2
Proudly secure yet liable to fall	Q2
By weakest subtleties not made to rule	R2
But to subserve where wisdom bears command	B
God when he gave me strength to show withal	R2
How slight the gift was hung it in my hair	H
But peace I must not quarrel with the will	R2
Of highest dispensation which herein	S2
Haply had ends above my reach to know	T2
Suffices that to me strength is my bane	U2
And proves the source of all my miseries	Q
So many and so huge that each apart	V2
Would ask a life to wail but chief of all	R2
O loss of sight of thee I most complain	U2
Blind among enemies O worse than chains	W2
Dungeon or beggary or decrepit age	X2
Light the prime work of God to me is extinct	Y2
And all her various objects of delight	W
Annull'd which might in part my grief have eas'd	Z2
Inferior to the vilest now become	P2
Of man or worm the vilest here excel me	G
They creep yet see I dark in light expos'd	A3
To daily fraud contempt abuse and wrong	P
Within doors or without still as a fool	R2
In power of others never in my own	T
Scarce half I seem to live dead more than half	B3
O dark dark dark amid the blaze of noon	C3
Irrecoverably dark total eclipse	D3
Without all hope of day	E3
O first created Beam and thou great Word	F3
Let there be light and light was over all	R2
Why am I thus bereav'd thy prime decree	G
The sun to me is dark	P
And silent as the moon	C3
When she deserts the night	W
Hid in her vacant interlunar cave	G3
Since light so necessary is to life	H3
And almost life itself if it be true	H
That light is in the soul	R2
She all in every part why was the sight	W
To such a tender ball as th' eye confin'd	R
So obvious and so easy to be quench'd	R
And not as feeling through all parts diffus'd	R
That she might look at will through every pore	H
Then had I not been thus exil'd from light	R
As in the land of darkness yet in light	R
To live a life half dead a living death	I3
And buried but O yet more miserable	R2
Myself my sepulchre a moving grave	G3
Buried yet not exempt	R
By privilege of death and burial	R2
From worst of other evils pains and wrongs	J3
But made hereby obnoxious more	H
To all the miseries of life	H3
Life in captivity	R
Among inhuman foes	K3
But who are these for with joint pace I hear	H
The tread of many feet steering this way	E3
Perhaps my enemies who come to stare	H
At my affliction and perhaps to insult	R
Their daily practice to afflict me more	H
	L3
	-
Chorus Manoah Samson	M3
	-
CHORUS	N3
Just are the ways of God	R
And justifiable to men	O3
Unless there be who think not God at all	R2
If any be they walk obscure	H
For of such doctrine never was there school	R2
But the heart of the fool	R2
And no man therein doctor but himself	L2
	-
Yet more there be who doubt his ways not just	R
As to his own edicts found contradicting	P
Then give the reins to wand'ring thought	R
Regardless of his glory's diminution	M3
Till by their own perplexities involv'd	R
They ravel more still less resolv'd	R
But never find self satisfying solution	M3
	-
As if they would confine th' interminable	R2
And tie him to his own prescript	R
Who made our laws to bind us not himself	L2
And hath full right to exempt	R
Whom so it pleases him by choice	P3
From national obstriction without taint	R
Of sin or legal debt	R
For with his own laws he can best dispense	Q3
	-
He would not else who never wanted means	R3
Nor in respect of the enemy just cause	S3
To set his people free	R
Have prompted this heroic Nazarite	R
Against his vow of strictest purity	R
To seek in marriage that fallacious bride	R
Unclean unchaste	R
	-
Down Reason then at least vain reasonings down	T3
Though Reason here aver	H
That moral verdit quits her of unclean	U3
Unchaste was subsequent her stain not his	V3
	-
But see here comes thy reverend sire	H
With careful step locks white as down	T3
Old Manoa advise	W3
Forthwith how thou ought'st to receive him	I2
	-
SAMSON	M3
Ay me another inward grief awak'd	R
With mention of that name renews th' assault	R
	-
MANOA	M3
Brethren and men of Dan for such ye seem	X3
Though in this uncouth place if old respect	R
As I suppose towards your once gloried friend	R
My son now captive hither hath inform'd	R
Your younger feet while mine cast back with age	X2
Came lagging after say if he be here	H
	-
CHORUS	N3
As signal now in low dejected state	R
As erst in highest behold him where he lies	W3
	-
MANOA	M3
O miserable change is this the man	M3
That invincible Samson far renown'd	R
The dread of Israel's foes who with a strength	G2
Equivalent to angels' walk'd their streets	Y3
None offering fight who single combatant	R
Duell'd their armies rank'd in proud array	E3
Himself an army now unequal match	Z3
To save himself against a coward arm'd	R
At one spear's length O ever failing trust	R
In mortal strength and oh what not in man	M3
Deceivable and vain Nay what thing good	R
Pray'd for but often proves our woe our bane	M3
I pray'd for children and thought barrenness	Y3
In wedlock a reproach I gain'd a son	M3
And such a son as all men hail'd me happy	R
Who would be now a father in my stead	R
O wherefore did God grant me my request	R
And as a blessing with such pomp adorn'd	R
Why are his gifts desirable to tempt	R
Our earnest prayers then giv'n with solemn hand	R
As graces draw a scorpion's tail behind	R