Upon Nothing Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAABCDEFEGGGHHHIJJKK LMMMNNNMMOPPPQQQRRRO OOOOOOOOSSSNothing thou elder brother even to shade | A |
That hadst a being ere the world was made | A |
And well fixed art alone of ending not afraid | A |
Ere time and place were time and place were not | B |
When primitive Nothing Something straight begot | C |
Then all proceeded from the great united What | D |
Something the general attribute of all | E |
Severed from thee its sole original | F |
Into thy boundless self must undistinguished fall | E |
Yet Something did thy mighty power command | G |
And from thy fruitful emptiness's hand | G |
Snatched men beasts birds fire air and land | G |
Matter the wickedest offspring of thy race | H |
By Form assisted flew from thy embrace | H |
And rebel Light obscured thy reverend dusky face | H |
With Form and Matter Time and Place did join | I |
Body thy foe with these did leagues combine | J |
To spoil thy peaceful realm and ruin all thy line | J |
But turncoat Time assists the foe in vain | K |
And bribed by thee assists thy short lived reign | K |
And to thy hungry womb drives back thy slaves again | L |
Though mysteries are barred from laic eyes | M |
And the Divine alone with warrant pries | M |
Into thy bosom where thy truth in private lies | M |
Yet this of thee the wise may freely say | N |
Thou from the virtuous nothing takest away | N |
And to be part of thee the wicked wisely pray | N |
Great Negative how vainly would the wise | M |
Inquire define distinguish teach devise | M |
Didst thou not stand to point their dull philosophies | O |
Is or is not the two great ends of Fate | P |
And true or false the subject of debate | P |
That perfects or destroys the vast designs of Fate | P |
When they have racked the politician's breast | Q |
Within thy bosom most securely rest | Q |
And when reduced to thee are least unsafe and best | Q |
But Nothing why does Something still permit | R |
That sacred monarchs should at council sit | R |
With persons highly thought at best for nothing fit | R |
Whist weighty Something modestly abstains | O |
From princes' coffers and from statesmen's brains | O |
And Nothing there like stately Nothing reigns | O |
Nothing who dwellest with fools in grave disguise | O |
For whom they reverend shapes and forms devise | O |
Lawn sleeves and furs and gowns when they like thee look wise | O |
French truth Dutch prowess British policy | O |
Hibernian learning Scotch civility | O |
Spaniard's dispatch Dane's wit are mainly seen in thee | O |
The great man's gratitude to his best friend | S |
King's promises whore's vows towards thee they bend | S |
Flow swiftly to thee and in thee never end | S |
Lord John Wilmot
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Upon Nothing poem by Lord John Wilmot
Best Poems of Lord John Wilmot