An Account Of The Greatest English Poets Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Since dearest Harry you will needs request	A
A short account of all the Muse possest	A
That down from Chaucer's days to Dryden's Times	B
Have spent their Noble Rage in British Rhimes	B
Without more Preface wrote in Formal length	C
To speak the Undertakers want of strength	C
I'll try to make they're sev'ral Beauties known	D
And show their Verses worth tho' not my Own	D
	-
Long had our dull Fore Fathers slept Supine	E
Nor felt the Raptures of the Tuneful Nine	E
Till Chaucer first the merry Bard arose	B
And many a Story told in Rhime and Prose	B
But Age has Rusted what the Poet writ	A
Worn out his Language and obscur'd his Wit	A
In vain he jests in his unpolish'd strain	F
And tries to make his Readers laugh in vain	F
	-
Old Spencer next warm'd with Poetick Rage	G
In Antick Tales amus'd a Barb'rous Age	G
An Age that yet uncultivate and Rude	A
Where e'er the Poet's Fancy led pursu'd	A
Through pathless Fields and unfrequented Floods	B
To Dens of Dragons and Enchanted Woods	B
But now the Mystick Tale that pleas'd of Yore	H
Can Charm an understanding Age no more	H
The long spun Allegories fulsom grow	I
While the dull Moral lies too plain below	I
We view well pleas'd at distance all the sights	B
Of Arms and Palfreys Battle's Fields and Fights	B
And Damsels in Distress and Courteous Knights	B
But when we look too near the Shades decay	J
And all the pleasing Lan skip fades away	J
	-
Great Cowley then a mighty Genius wrote	A
O'er run with Wit and lavish of his Thought	A
His Turns too closely on the Reader press	B
He more had pleas'd us had he pleas'd us less	B
One glitt'ring Thought no sooner strikes our Eyes	B
With silent wonder but new wonders rise	B
As in the Milky way a shining White	A
O'er flows the Heav'ns with one continu'd Light	A
That not a single Star can shew his Rays	B
Whilst joyntly all promote the Common Blaze	B
Pardon Great Poet that I dare to name	K
Th' unnumber'd Beauties of thy Verse with blame	K
Thy fault is only Wit in its Excess	B
But Wit like thine in any shape will please	B
What Muse but thine cou'd equal Hints inspire	L
And fit the Deep Mouth'd Pindar to thy Lyre	L
Pindar whom others in a Labour'd strain	F
And forc'd Expression imitate in vain	F
Well pleas'd in thee he Soars with new delight	A
And Plays in more unbounded Verse and takes a nobler flight	A
	-
Blest Man whose spotless Life and Charming Lays	B
Employ'd the Tuneful Prelate in thy Praise	B
Blest Man who now shall be for ever known	D
In Sprat's successful Labours and thy own	D
	-
But Milton next with high and haughty stalks	B
Unfetter'd in Majestic Numbers walks	B
No vulgar Heroe can his Muse ingage	G
Nor Earth's wide Scene confine his hallow'd Rage	G
See see he upward Springs and Tow'ring high	M
Spurns the dull Province of Mortality	A
Shakes Heav'ns Eternal Throne with dire Alarms	B
And sets the Almighty Thunderer in Arms	B
What e'er his Pen describes I more then see	A
Whilst ev'ry Verse array'd in Majesty	A
Bold and sublime my whole attention draws	B
And seems above the Criticks nicer Laws	B
How are you struck with Terrour and Delight	A
When Angel with Arch Angel Cope's in Fight	A
When Great Messiah's out spread Banner shines	B
How does the Chariot Rattel in his Lines	B
What sounds of Brazen Wheels what Thunder scare	N
And stun the Reader with the Din of War	H
With Fear my Spirits and my Blood retire	L
To see the Seraphs sunk in Clouds of Fire	O
But when with eager steps from hence I rise	B
And view the first gay Scenes of Paradise	B
What Tongue what words of Rapture can express	B
A Vision so profuse of pleasantness	B
Oh had the Poet ne'er profan'd his Pen	P
To varnish o'er the Guilt of Faithless Men	P
His other works might have deserv'd applause	B
But now the Language can't support the Cause	B
While the clean Current tho' serene and bright	A
Betray's a bottom odious to the sight	A
	-
But now my Muse a softer strain rehearse	B
Turn every Line with Art and smooth thy Verse	B
The Courtly Waller next commands thy Lays	B
Muse Tune thy Verse with Art to Waller's Praise	B
While tender Airs and lovely Dames inspire	L
Soft melting Thoughts and propagate Desire	O
So long shall Waller's strains our Passion move	Q
And Sacharissa's Beauties kindle Love	R
Thy Verse Harmonious Bard and flatt'ring Song	S
Can make the Vanquish'd Great the Coward strong	S
Thy Verse can show ev'n Cromwell's innocence	B
And Compliment the Storms that bore him hence	B
Oh had thy Muse not come an Age too soon	T
But seen Great Nassaw on the British Throne	D
How had his Triumphs glitter'd in thy Page	G
And warm'd Thee to a more Exalted Rage	G
What Scenes of Death and Horrour had we viewd	A
And how had Boine's wide Current Reek'd in Blood	A
Or if Maria's Charms thou wou'dst rehearse	B
In smoother Numbers and a softer Verse	B
Thy Pen had well describ'd her Graceful Air	N
And Gloriana wou'd have seem'd more Fair	N
	-
Nor must Roscommon pass neglected by	M
That makes ev'n Rules a noble Poetry	A
Rules who's deep Sense and Heav'nly Numbers show	I
The best of Critticks and of Poets too	A
Nor Denham must we e'er forget thy Strains	B
While Cooper's Hill commands the neighb'ring Plains	B
	-
But see where artful Dryden next appears	B
Grown old in Rhime but Charming ev'n in Years	B
Great Dryden next whose Tuneful Muse affords	B
The sweetest Numbers and the fittest words	B
Whether in Comick sounds or Tragick Airs	B
She form's her voice she moves our Smiles or Tears	B
If Satire or Heroick Strains she writes	B
Her Heroe pleases and her Satire Bites	B
From her no harsh unartful Numbers fall	U
She wears all Dresses and she Charms in all	U
How might we fear our English Poetry	A
That long has flourish'd shou'd decay with Thee	A
Did not the Muses other Hope appear	V
Harmonious Congreve and forbid our Fear	V
Congreve whose Fancies unexhausted Store	H
Has given already much and promis'd more	H
Congreve shall still preserve thy Fame alive	W
And Dryden's Muse shall in his Friend survive	W
	-
I'm tir'd with Rhiming and wou'd fain give o'er	O
But Justice still demands one Labour more	H
The Noble Montague remains unnam'd	A
For Wit for Humour and for Judgment fam'd	A
To Dorset he directs his Artful Muse	B
In numbers such as Dorset's self might use	B
How negligently Graceful he unrein's	B
His Verse and writes in loose Familiar strains	B
How Nassau's Godlike Acts adorn his Lines	B
And all the Heroe in full Glory Shines	B
We see his Army set in just Array	J
And Boine's Di'd Waves run purple to the Sea	B
Nor Simois chok'd with men and Arms and Blood	A
Nor rapid Xanthus' celebrated Flood	A
Shall longer be the Poet's highest Themes	B
Tho' Gods and Heroes fought Promiscuous in they're streams	B
But now to Nassau's secret Councils rais'd	A
He Aids the Heroe whom before he Prais'd	A
	-
I've done at length and now Dear Friend receive	X
The last poor Present that my Muse can give	Y
I leave the Arts of Poetry and Verse	B
To them that practise 'em with more success	B
Of greater Truths I'll now prepare to tell	Z
And so at once Dear Friend and Muse Farewell	Z

Joseph Addison

An Account Of The Greatest English Poets Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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