Book I - Part 07 - The Infinity Of The Universe Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGCHICJKLCMNOPQ RSTCUVJVCWCCVVXICVCC O VYZA2B2VCC2B2VV VCVB2B2OID2CE2VSOJF2 D2B2G2VH2VIII2J2IB2C K2SCVCCVICL2ICIVYNYZ NCVICC2L2VVCCSZNVVVM 2N2CF2VVO2VVK2ICCG2Y CIVP2IVVQ2CVR2SCVVF2 E2I2VCO2CS2T2NCVSSCN ICVU2IVSVLVE2D2VCA2P 2V2YCCV IW2

Now learn of what remains More keenly hearA
And for myself my mind is not deceivedB
How dark it is But the large hope of praiseC
Hath strook with pointed thyrsus through my heartD
On the same hour hath strook into my breastE
Sweet love of the Muses wherewith now instinctF
I wander afield thriving in sturdy thoughtG
Through unpathed haunts of the PieridesC
Trodden by step of none before I joyH
To come on undefiled fountains thereI
To drain them deep I joy to pluck new flowersC
To seek for this my head a signal crownJ
From regions where the Muses never yetK
Have garlanded the temples of a manL
First since I teach concerning mighty thingsC
And go right on to loose from round the mindM
The tightened coils of dread religionN
Next since concerning themes so dark I frameO
Songs so pellucid touching all throughoutP
Even with the Muses' charm which as 'twould seemQ
Is not without a reasonable groundR
But as physicians when they seek to giveS
Young boys the nauseous wormwood first do touchT
The brim around the cup with the sweet juiceC
And yellow of the boney in order thatU
The thoughtless age of boyhood be cajoledV
As far as the lips and meanwhile swallow downJ
The wormwood's bitter draught and though befooledV
Be yet not merely duped but rather thusC
Grow strong again with recreated healthW
So now I too since this my doctrine seemsC
In general somewhat woeful unto thoseC
Who've had it not in hand and since the crowdV
Starts back from it in horror have desiredV
To expound our doctrine unto thee in songX
Soft speaking and Pierian and as 'twereI
To touch it with sweet honey of the MuseC
If by such method haply I might holdV
The mind of thee upon these lines of oursC
Till thou see through the nature of all thingsC
And how exists the interwoven frameO
-
But since I've taught that bodies of matter madeV
Completely solid hither and thither flyY
Forevermore unconquered through all timeZ
Now come and whether to the sum of themA2
There be a limit or be none for theeB2
Let us unfold likewise what has been foundV
To be the wide inane or room or spaceC
Wherein all things soever do go onC2
Let us examine if it finite beB2
All and entire or reach unmeasured roundV
And downward an illimitable profoundV
-
Thus then the All that is is limitedV
In no one region of its onward pathsC
For then 'tmust have forever its beyondV
And a beyond 'tis seen can never beB2
For aught unless still further on there beB2
A somewhat somewhere that may bound the sameO
So that the thing be seen still on to whereI
The nature of sensation of that thingD2
Can follow it no longer Now becauseC
Confess we must there's naught beside the sumE2
There's no beyond and so it lacks all endV
It matters nothing where thou post thyselfS
In whatsoever regions of the sameO
Even any place a man has set him downJ
Still leaves about him the unbounded allF2
Outward in all directions or supposingD2
moment the all of space finite to beB2
If some one farthest traveller runs forthG2
Unto the extreme coasts and throws aheadV
A flying spear is't then thy wish to thinkH2
It goes hurled off amain to where 'twas sentV
And shoots afar or that some object thereI
Can thwart and stop it For the one or otherI
Thou must admit and take Either of whichI2
Shuts off escape for thee and does compelJ2
That thou concede the all spreads everywhereI
Owning no confines Since whether there beB2
Aught that may block and check it so it comesC
Not where 'twas sent nor lodges in its goalK2
Or whether borne along in either viewS
'Thas started not from any end And soC
I'll follow on and whereso'er thou setV
The extreme coasts I'll query what becomesC
Thereafter of thy spear 'Twill come to passC
That nowhere can a world's end be and thatV
The chance for further flight prolongs foreverI
The flight itself Besides were all the spaceC
Of the totality and sum shut inL2
With fixed coasts and bounded everywhereI
Then would the abundance of world's matter flowC
Together by solid weight from everywhereI
Still downward to the bottom of the worldV
Nor aught could happen under cope of skyY
Nor could there be a sky at all or sunN
Indeed where matter all one heap would lieY
By having settled during infinite timeZ
But in reality repose is givenN
Unto no bodies 'mongst the elementsC
Because there is no bottom whereuntoV
They might as 'twere together flow and whereI
They might take up their undisturbed abodesC
In endless motion everything goes onC2
Forevermore out of all regions evenL2
Out of the pit below from forth the vastV
Are hurtled bodies evermore suppliedV
The nature of room the space of the abyssC
Is such that even the flashing thunderboltsC
Can neither speed upon their courses throughS
Gliding across eternal tracts of timeZ
Nor further bring to pass as on they runN
That they may bate their journeying one whitV
Such huge abundance spreads for things aroundV
Room off to every quarter without endV
Lastly before our very eyes is seenM2
Thing to bound thing air hedges hill from hillN2
And mountain walls hedge air land ends the seaC
And sea in turn all lands but for the AllF2
Truly is nothing which outside may boundV
That too the sum of things itself may notV
Have power to fix a measure of its ownO2
Great Nature guards she who compels the voidV
To bound all body as body all the voidV
Thus rendering by these alternates the wholeK2
An infinite or else the one or otherI
Being unbounded by the other spreadsC
Even by its single nature ne'erthelessC
Immeasurably forthG2
Nor sea nor earth nor shining vaults of skyY
Nor breed of mortals nor holy limbs of godsC
Could keep their place least portion of an hourI
For driven apart from out its meetings fitV
The stock of stuff dissolved would be borneP2
Along the illimitable inane afarI
Or rather in fact would never have once combinedV
And given a birth to aught since scattered wideV
It could not be united For of truthQ2
Neither by counsel did the primal germsC
'Stablish themselves as by keen act of mindV
Each in its proper place nor did they makeR2
Forsooth a compact how each germ should moveS
But since being many and changed in many modesC
Along the All they're driven abroad and vexedV
By blow on blow even from all time of oldV
They thus at last after attempting allF2
The kinds of motion and conjoining comeE2
Into those great arrangements out of whichI2
This sum of things established is createV
By which moreover through the mighty yearsC
It is preserved when once it has been thrownO2
Into the proper motions bringing to passC
That ever the streams refresh the greedy mainS2
With river waves abounding and that earthT2
Lapped in warm exhalations of the sunN
Renews her broods and that the lusty raceC
Of breathing creatures bears and blooms and thatV
The gliding fires of ether are aliveS
What still the primal germs nowise could doS
Unless from out the infinite of spaceC
Could come supply of matter whence in seasonN
They're wont whatever losses to repairI
For as the nature of breathing creatures wastesC
Losing its body when deprived of foodV
So all things have to be dissolved as soonU2
As matter diverted by what means soeverI
From off its course shall fail to be on handV
Nor can the blows from outward still conserveS
On every side whatever sum of a worldV
Has been united in a whole They canL
Indeed by frequent beating check a partV
Till others arriving may fulfil the sumE2
But meanwhile often are they forced to springD2
Rebounding back and as they spring to yieldV
Unto those elements whence a world derivesC
Room and a time for flight permitting themA2
To be from off the massy union borneP2
Free and afar Wherefore again againV2
Needs must there come a many for supplyY
And also that the blows themselves shall beC
Unfailing ever must there ever beC
An infinite force of matter all sides roundV
-
And in these problems shrink my Memmius farI
From yielding faith to thW2

Lucretius



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