Satyr Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCCDDEECCFFGGHHIIC JKKKLLMMGGNNCCGGGGGG GGOPQRSTTCCUUUGGGFFI IVVFFGGGGCCIDGGFFFFF FGGGGDVGGCCWWFFGGJGG GDDCCFFVVGGIIJJJIXGG FFGGFFFFGGFFFFGGGGCC FFXXJJFFGGJGIICCFFGG CCIJJFFGGGGFFFFGGGGG FFFFFFDGGGGGFFGGGGGF FDGGGGGGGFFGGGGGGJJI YGGFFWere I who to my cost already am | A |
One of those strange prodigious Creatures Man | B |
A Spirit free to choose for my own share | C |
What Case of Flesh and Blood I pleas'd to weare | C |
I'd be a Dog a Monkey or a Bear | C |
Or any thing but that vain Animal | D |
Who is so proud of being rational | D |
The senses are too gross and he'll contrive | E |
A Sixth to contradict the other Five | E |
And before certain instinct will preferr | C |
Reason which Fifty times for one does err | C |
Reason an Ignis fatuus in the Mind | F |
Which leaving light of Nature sense behind | F |
Pathless and dang'rous wandring ways it takes | G |
Through errors Fenny Boggs and Thorny Brakes | G |
Whilst the misguided follower climbs with pain | H |
Mountains of Whimseys heap'd in his own Brain | H |
Stumbling from thought to thought falls headlong down | I |
Into doubts boundless Sea where like to drown | I |
Books bear him up awhile and make him try | C |
To swim with Bladders of Philosophy | J |
In hopes still t'oretake th'escaping light | K |
The Vapour dances in his dazling sight | K |
Till spent it leaves him to eternal Night | K |
Then Old Age and experience hand in hand | L |
Lead him to death and make him understand | L |
After a search so painful and so long | M |
That all his Life he has been in the wrong | M |
Hudled in dirt the reas'ning Engine lyes | G |
Who was so proud so witty and so wise | G |
Pride drew him in as Cheats their Bubbles catch | N |
And makes him venture to be made a Wretch | N |
His wisdom did his happiness destroy | C |
Aiming to know that World he shou'd enjoy | C |
And Wit was his vain frivolous pretence | G |
Of pleasing others at his own expence | G |
For Witts are treated just like common Whores | G |
First they're enjoy'd and then kickt out of Doores | G |
The pleasure past a threatning doubt remains | G |
That frights th'enjoyer with succeeding pains | G |
Women and Men of Wit are dang'rous Tools | G |
And ever fatal to admiring Fools | G |
Pleasure allures and when the Fopps escape | O |
'Tis not that they're belov'd but fortunate | P |
And therefore what they fear at heart they hate | Q |
But now methinks some formal Band and Beard | R |
Takes me to task come on Sir I'm prepar'd | S |
Then by your favour any thing that's writ | T |
Against this gibeing jingling knack call'd Wit | T |
Likes me abundantly but you take care | C |
Upon this point not to be too severe | C |
Perhaps my Muse were fitter for this part | U |
For I profess I can be very smart | U |
On Wit which I abhor with all my heart | U |
I long to lash it in some sharp Essay | G |
But your grand indiscretion bids me stay | G |
And turns my Tide of Ink another way | G |
What rage ferments in your degen'rate mind | F |
To make you rail at Reason and Mankind | F |
Blest glorious Man to whom alone kind Heav'n | I |
An everlasting Soul has freely giv'n | I |
Whom his great Maker took such care to make | V |
That from himself he did the Image take | V |
And this fair frame in shining Reason drest | F |
To dignifie his Nature above Beast | F |
Reason by whose aspiring influence | G |
We take a flight beyond material sense | G |
Dive into Mysteries then soaring pierce | G |
The flaming limits of the Universe | G |
Search Heav'n and Hell find out what's acted there | C |
And give the World true grounds of hope and fear | C |
Hold mighty Man I cry all this we know | I |
From the Pathetique Pen of Ingello | D |
From Patricks Pilgrim Stilling fleets replyes | G |
And 'tis this very reason I despise | G |
This supernatural gift that makes a Myte | F |
Think he's the Image of the Infinite | F |
Comparing his short life void of all rest | F |
To the Eternal and the ever blest | F |
This busie puzling stirrer up of doubt | F |
That frames deep Mysteries then finds 'em out | F |
Filling with Frantick Crowds of thinking Fools | G |
Those Reverend Bedlams Colledges and Schools | G |
Borne on whose Wings each heavy Sot can pierce | G |
The limits of the boundless Universe | G |
So charming Oyntments make an Old Witch flie | D |
And bear a Crippled Carcass through the Skie | V |
'Tis this exalted Pow'r whose bus'ness lies | G |
In Nonsense and impossibilities | G |
This made a Whimsical Philosopher | C |
Before the spacious World his Tub prefer | C |
And we have modern Cloysterd Coxcombs who | W |
Retire to think cause they have naught to do | W |
But thoughts are giv'n for Actions government | F |
Where Action ceases thoughts impertinent | F |
Our Sphere of Action is lifes happiness | G |
And he who thinks Beyond thinks like an Ass | G |
Thus whilst against false reas'ning I inveigh | J |
I own right Reason which I wou'd obey | G |
That Reason that distinguishes by sense | G |
And gives us Rules of good and ill from thence | G |
That bounds desires with a reforming Will | D |
To keep 'em more in vigour not to kill | D |
Your Reason hinders mine helps t'enjoy | C |
Renewing Appetites yours wou'd destroy | C |
My Reason is my Friend yours is a Cheat | F |
Hunger call's out my Reason bids me eat | F |
Perversly yours your Appetite does mock | V |
This asks for Food that answers what's a Clock | V |
This plain distinction Sir your doubt secures | G |
'Tis not true Reason I despise but yours | G |
Thus I think Reason righted but for Man | I |
I'le nere recant defend him if you can | I |
For all his Pride and his Philosophy | J |
'Tis evident Beasts are in their degree | J |
As wise at least and better far than he | J |
Those Creatures are the wisest who attain | I |
By surest means the ends at which they aim | X |
If therefore Jowler finds and Kills his Hares | G |
Better than Meres supplyes Committee Chairs | G |
Though one's a States man th'other but a Hound | F |
Jowler in Justice wou'd be wiser found | F |
You see how far Mans wisedom here extends | G |
Look next if humane Nature makes amends | G |
Whose Principles most gen'rous are and just | F |
And to whose Moralls you wou'd sooner trust | F |
Be judge your self I'le bring it to the test | F |
Which is the basest Creature Man or Beast | F |
Birds feed on Birds Beasts on each other prey | G |
But Savage Man alone does Man betray | G |
Prest by necessity they Kill for Food | F |
Man undoes Man to do himself no good | F |
With Teeth and Claws by Nature arm'd they hunt | F |
Natures allowance to supply their want | F |
But Man with smiles embraces Friendships praise | G |
Unhumanely his Fellows life betrays | G |
With voluntary pains works his distress | G |
Not through necessity but wantonness | G |
For hunger or for Love they fight or tear | C |
Whilst wretched Man is still in Arms for fear | C |
For fear he armes and is of Armes afraid | F |
By fear to fear successively betray'd | F |
Base fear the source whence his best passion came | X |
His boasted Honor and his dear bought Fame | X |
That lust of Pow'r to which he's such a Slave | J |
And for the which alone he dares be brave | J |
To which his various Projects are design'd | F |
Which makes him gen'rous affable and kind | F |
For which he takes such pains to be thought wise | G |
And screws his actions in a forc'd disguise | G |
Leading a tedious life in Misery | J |
Under laborious mean Hypocrisie | G |
Look to the bottom of his vast design | I |
Wherein Mans Wisdom Pow'r and Glory joyn | I |
The good he acts the ill he does endure | C |
'Tis all for fear to make himself secure | C |
Meerly for safety after Fame we thirst | F |
For all Men wou'd be Cowards if they durst | F |
And honesty's against all common sense | G |
Men must be Knaves 'tis in their own defence | G |
Mankind's dishonest if you think it fair | C |
Amongst known Cheats to play upon the square | C |
You'le be undone | I |
Nor can weak truth your reputation save | J |
The Knaves will all agree to call you Knave | J |
Wrong'd shall he live insulted o're opprest | F |
Who dares be less a Villain than the rest | F |
Thus Sir you see what humane Nature craves | G |
Most Men are Cowards all Men shou'd be Knaves | G |
The diff'rence lyes as far as I can see | G |
Not in the thing it self but the degree | G |
And all the subject matter of debate | F |
Is only who's a Knave of the first Rate | F |
All this with indignation have I hurl'd | F |
At the pretending part of the proud World | F |
Who swolne with selfish vanity devise | G |
False freedomes holy Cheats and formal Lyes | G |
Over their fellow Slaves to tyrannize | G |
But if in Court so just a Man there be | G |
In Court a just Man yet unknown to me | G |
Who does his needful flattery direct | F |
Not to oppress and ruine but protect | F |
Since flattery which way so ever laid | F |
Is still a Tax on that unhappy Trade | F |
If so upright a States Man you can find | F |
Whose passions bend to his unbyass'd Mind | F |
Who does his Arts and Pollicies apply | D |
To raise his Country not his Family | G |
Nor while his Pride own'd Avarice withstands | G |
Receives close Bribes from Friends corrupted hands | G |
Is there a Church Man who on God relyes | G |
Whose Life his Faith and Doctrine Justifies | G |
Not one blown up with vain Prelatique Pride | F |
Who for reproof of Sins does Man deride | F |
Whose envious heart makes preaching a pretence | G |
With his obstrep'rous sawcy Eloquence | G |
To chide at Kings and raile at Men of sense | G |
Who from his Pulpit vents more peevish Lyes | G |
More bitter railings scandals Calumnies | G |
Than at a Gossipping are thrown about | F |
When the good Wives get drunk and then fall out | F |
None of that sensual Tribe whose Tallents lye | D |
In Avarice Pride Sloth and Gluttony | G |
Who hunt good Livings but abhor good Lives | G |
Whose Lust exalted to that height arrives | G |
They act Adultery with their own Wives | G |
And e're a score of Years compleated be | G |
Can from the lofty Pulpit proudly see | G |
Half a large Parish their own Progeny | G |
Nor doating Bishop who wou'd be ador'd | F |
For domineering at the Councel Board | F |
A greater Fop in business at Fourscore | G |
Fonder of serious Toyes affected more | G |
Than the gay glitt'ring Fool at Twenty proves | G |
With all his noise his tawdrey Cloths and Loves | G |
But a meek humble Man of honest sense | G |
Who Preaching peace does practice continence | G |
Whose pious life's a proof he does believe | J |
Misterious truths which no Man can conceive | J |
If upon Earth there dwell such God like Men | I |
I'le here recant my Paradox to them | Y |
Adore those Shrines of Virtue Homage pay | G |
And with the Rabble World their Laws obey | G |
If such there are yet grant me this at least | F |
Man differs more from Man than Man from Beast | F |
John Wilmot
(5)
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